Choose from our wide range of
frames and lenses
Author: Anna Barden
What Are Prescription Safety Glasses?
Safety glasses provide proper protection for your eyes when you’re playing sports or doing specific jobs or activities. They are designed to keep debris and chemicals out of your eyes, protect them from injury, and more.
You can find safety eyewear in both eyeglasses and goggle styles. And if you need vision correction, you can get prescription safety glasses, where your eyeglass prescription is built into the lens of your frames. Some people may even call them prescription work glasses, as several jobs require safety glasses.
Custom eyewear is a great investment; it keeps your vision protected and crystal clear as you participate in activities that may pose a threat to your eyes.
Who Might Need Safety Prescription Glasses?
You should protect your eyes with safety eyewear during any job, sport, or activity that has a risk of harming your eyes. Your eyes can be harmed by chemicals, debris, and flying objects, among other things. But most injuries are preventable when you have the right gear.
Prescription safety glasses are useful for anyone who needs eye protection, as well as an eye prescription. But some people prefer to wear contact lenses and may not need prescription eyeglass (or goggle) lenses.
Whether or not you opt for prescription safety eyewear, it’s important to keep your eyes safe at work or play. Some tasks that are best performed with safety eyewear include:
- Working with chemicals in a laboratory
- Playing high-impact sports such as basketball, racquetball, paintball, fencing, or hockey
- Playing winter sports, such as skiing or snowboarding
- Working with mechanical equipment in a garage or elsewhere
- Mowing your lawn or completing other yard work
- Welding and factory jobs
- Working in construction
- Working in healthcare, where germs and bacteria may be present
Safety glasses used in the workplace are also considered a type of personal protective equipment (PPE). Some other forms of PPE include earplugs, gloves, hard hats, and coveralls, to name a few.
Ask your eye doctor or optometrist if you need safety eyewear if you’re not sure. If you do need glasses or goggles for protection, they can recommend the best style for you as well.
What is a Safety Glasses Rating?
A safety glasses rating defines the level of protection provided by your safety glasses. The standard rating among safety eyewear is ANSI Z87.1. This rating, issued by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) can be found in the lens description, or on a lens or frame itself.
Additionally, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issues and enforces safety standards in any workplace that requires protection of the eyes and other parts of the body. In most cases, OSHA follows the ANSI rating for eye protection. But jobs such as welding may require additional protective equipment.
You may also like
How to get a Safety Glasses Prescription
Your regular eyeglass prescription (given to you after an eye exam) can be used to order Rx safety glasses online or in person.
If you’re ordering online, you’ll just need to select the frames you want and enter your prescription when you are prompted in the virtual order form. If you’re working with an eye care professional in person, they can help you order your eyewear by using a copy of your eyeglass prescription.
Can you get prescription bifocal safety glasses? Yes, as long as you have a valid prescription, you can order prescription safety eyewear with multiple lens powers. The ordering process is very similar to ordering other prescription lenses.
Best Prescription Safety Glasses
The best prescription safety glasses are the ones that fit your needs when you’re working, playing sports, or participating in other risky situations. This includes needs such as your safety, as well as your style preferences.
When it comes to the best product lines, Guardian Safety RX is a highly favored brand for prescription safety glasses for women and men. The frames in the collection are designed to protect your eyes from various workplace hazards, from loose debris to physical impact. Each pair is OSHA compliant and meets the ANSI Z87.1 rating.
Glasses.com features many styles of men’s and women’s prescription safety glasses from other brands such as Oakley and On Guard, which also fit standard safety requirements. Your pick is sure to keep you protected and comfortable when you need it the most while offering the vision correction you need.
