How ANSI Safety Glasses Protect Against Arc Flash Injuries?

Did you know that arc flash poses a serious threat to the unshielded eye? Now that you do, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t wear ANSI Safety Glasses at work. More specifically, if you’re someone who’s employed in an industrial occupation that requires melting, sculpting or welding metallic materials together, arc flashes are pretty common. Other electrical tasks also involve the very hazard that could leave you in a devastating condition. On the whole, it makes every bit of sense to equip yourself with the right rig-out that ensures proper protection.

No matter what you do, there’s no other substitute than having a protective overlay in front of your face that fully shields your face. Furthermore, it’s incumbent upon the actual employer to conduct a formal hazard beforehand to buy the required type of PPE. More so, there are certain compliances that can only be met by wearing ANSI rated eyewear.

Wear ANSI Z87.1 Prescription Safety Glasses

ANSI Safety Glasses are a no brainer when it comes to saving your eyes against common hazards involving high impact accidents as blunt orbital trauma. In the case of arc flashes, ANSI rated eyewear is equally apt. The prevalence of UV radiation is pretty common where work is done involving high voltage equipment. When the arc fault happens, the light emitted by the metals can cause pain & discomfort in your eyes to the extent of inducing a blinding effect. If the PPE you’re wearing doesn’t provide the required safety against UV rays, you must altogether avoid wearing it. To cater for this, glasses with ANSI Z87.1 rating is an apt choice.

Why Polycarbonate Lens Matter

To prevent any serious damage, use eyewear with polycarbonate lenses shall be used to stop potent radiation waves from entering your eyes. You may have heard of ‘flash burns’, which is the corneal damage (can be in the form of a scar) caused by a sudden flash of bright light that packs a lot of UV radiation. To protect against this, you can either wear a proper welding mask or use polycarbonate lenses to avoid any sensitivity to light or blurred vision. Moreover, polycarbonate lenses are ten times stronger than glass or plastic which makes them the ideal candidate to avert any serious cases of danger. In plain words, you should always opt for polycarbonate lenses if you’re working in an industrial sector.  

Use Tinted Prescription Safety Glasses

Protective eyewear with dark tints is ideal to reduce glare caused by the dazzling light of an arc flash. For instance, glasses with smoke grey lenses are one good option. When combined with polycarbonate lenses, you’re all set in terms of enjoying full-fledged protection that is tailored to provide satisfactory optical clarity as well. The added prescription will help you read manuals & other literature pertaining to your job in order to perform as expected. On the whole, bright flashes of light can be sufficiently countered against by wearing glasses with lower light transmission levels.