by Natalie Edwards

Trying to work out which kind of safety glasses you need to get the job done? No worries! We've made it so quick, so easy

1. Do you need to wear safety glasses under a welding helmet?

Eye injuries are one of the most commonly reported injuries in most workshops, and with stricter safety standards being implemented by WorkSafe, many workshops are electing to ensure all workers wear safety glasses at all times. This includes under a welding helmet.

Wearing safety glasses under your welding helmet is a good habit to make sure you are well protected at all times. However a good auto-darkening helmet will mostly provide you with the protection you need while wearing it. The danger comes if particles get in from the back, or with taking the helmet on and off while completing different tasks, and therefore exposing your eyes - it's amazing how fast UV radiation and particles can get in! So if you're planning on taking your helmet off at any point while you're in the workshop, we'd recommend wearing your safety glasses under the helmet.

To keep your whole head protected when working around welding, we'd recommend investing in a welding helmet with respirator that's designed to be worn ALL DAY. Click here to see the benefits of wearing a welding helmet with respirator all day.

2. Do clear safety glasses have UV protection?

Since we generally wear tinted sunglasses to protect us from the sun, its a common misconception that the tint is what protects our eyes from UV light. In actual fact, the tint or polarization filters out glare and enables better vision. It's the type of lens that provides protection from UV radiation.



So long story short, while not all clear safety glasses do provide the same level of UV protection as tinted glasses, they are capable of providing the same level of UV protection.

To be sure the clear safety glasses you're purchasing/wearing provide UV protection, check the marking on the lens. Clear safety glasses should have a 'O' marking which indicates they have been tested and meet the Australian and New Zealand standards for UV protection. For more information on safety markings and standards click here.

3. Is it bad to wear safety glasses all day?

Quite the opposite - it is GOOD to wear your safety glasses all day. You've only got 2 eyes, so safety glasses are very important.

The myth about wearing safety glasses all day being bad for you comes from poor fitting, uncomfortable, and badly maintained glasses being worn. Worn for long periods, these glasses can cause headaches, eye strain, soreness on the bridge of the nose, and pain around the ears....no wonder workers would avoid wearing them!

Another common misconception is that the lens in safety glasses provide a distorted view, and wearing them for long periods leads to eye strain and headaches. While this may be true for some safety glasses, well designed glasses that are certified to AS/NZ 1337.1.2010 standards will have very little distortion (any lens will have some distortion due to the curve) and should not cause eye strain or headaches from long term wear.

So to sum up, wearing safety glasses (or alternative eye protection) all day is VERY IMPORTANT, and you should find a pair of safety glasses that will provide you with the correct fit and comfort to do so. For safety glasses designed specifically for NZ engineers, we'd recommend the CRAFTSMAN 505's - click here to learn why.

4. What are the most comfortable safety glasses?

We're glad you asked. We've done quite a bit of research into this and found the features that determine comfort are:

  • Good fit
  • Lightweight
  • Slimline to work with wearing other safety gear
  • Flexible temples to diffuse pressure spots
  • Larger, close fit lens to prevent dusts and particles creeping in

 

And we've developed safety glasses that tick all the boxes! Click here for more info on the most comfortable safety glasses

5. Can you get welding flash through safety glasses?

The short answer is YES.

If you're welding, or working in close proximity to welding, it's advisable to wear an auto-darkening welding helmet in addition to safety glasses. These not only provide additional high impact level protection from flying particles, but will protect your whole face and head from the UV radiation.

If you are not directly involved in the welding, and welding is not in your eyesight and work area, safety glasses which protect from UV light should be enough to keep you safe. Always check the safety glasses you are using are certified to Australian and New Zealand safety standards AS/NZS1337 for medium impact protection, and that they provide UV protection.

For more details about safety glasses and arc eye, check out our blog: Are safety glasses enough to protect you from welder's flash?

6. What safety glasses are best for welding?

Note: If you are welding, or working in close proximity to welding, you need to be wearing more than just safety glasses to protect your head and face from UV radiation, flying particles and toxic fumes (read more about the dangers of welding fumes here). To avoid burns and other serious injuries, you will need the following PPE at a minimum when welding:

 

The best safety glasses for welding will be slimline to fit easily under your welding helmet and with other PPE. Since you're likely to be wearing them for long periods of time, it's also important they are comfortable, and provide a good fit. For glasses designed for the ultimate comfort and fit for every face, we'd recommend the CRAFTSMAN 505's.

For any times where you are not welding, or close to welding and take your helmet off, we'd recommend ensuring the glasses are certified to Australian and New Zealand standards for safety glasses AS/NZS1337 - click here for everything you need to know about eye protection safety standards.

7. How do I stop my safety glasses from fogging up?

Fogging safety glasses is not only really annoying, it's also quite dangerous. Why? Well for a start it affects your ability to see, but the other danger is if you take the glasses off to fix the issue. You'll then be exposing your eyes to the dangerous workshop world. So the best ways to stop your glasses from fogging up are:

  1. Buy glasses with anti-fog coating (the CRAFTSMAN 509's come with ELITE anti-fog coating for maximum resistance when working in cold, hot or humid environments)
  2. Take care when cleaning your anti-fog safety glasses so not to scratch or remove the coating. We'd recommend cleaning with cleaning wipes that add a layer of anti-fog coating to the lens as you clean - find out more about cleaning your anti-fog safety glasses here
  3. Replace worn, scratched or broken glasses with a fresh new pair