- Normal prescription glasses can replace safety glasses. Firstly, normal prescription glasses can be made of glass or plastics that are not able to withstand impact. Safety Glasses or prescription safety glasses must meet certain standards. These standards require the lenses to be made of impact-resistant plastic of a certain thickness, have a narrow bridge and side protection. None of which is covered with normal glasses. Normal prescription spectacles do not come with a fail-safe warranty either, should the glasses fail to protect against injury.
- Lenses must be tinted to protect against UV damage. This myth is busted as the UV coating on sunglass lenses is clear and many plastic lens materials can block a high percentage of UV light in their clear form. Just so you know the tint in sunglass lenses is for comfort (it blocks a high percentage of the light from hitting your eye), it doesn’t block any of the UV light.
- Wearing safety glasses protect my eyes from all hazards. Safety glasses do an excellent job of protecting your eyes against most things. But they can’t protect against liquid splashes or airborne particles. You need to wear safety goggles to protect against those types of insults. You also need to be aware that safety glasses can not protect against all types of impacts as sometimes High Impact protection is required. Please check with the OHS the requirements for the tasks you need to perform so you know you are adequately protected.
- Wearing safety glasses causes vision problems and can affect my eyesight. Wearing safety glasses does not damage your eyes but if the lenses are scratched or not clean (covered in dirt or dust) then your vision will surely be impacted. We advise that you clean your safety glasses under clean running water and replace them when the lenses are scratched.
- Most eye injuries happen at work. Therefore, I don’t need eye protection anywhere else. This has got to be the most common myth, which is certainly not true, with around half of the accidental eye injuries occurring at home. Eye protection is not commonly thought to be needed until it is too late. I have seen cleaning product injuries, many gardening-related injuries, and also grinding or workshop injuries that all could have been avoided by wearing the correct eye protection.
