Safety Eyewear Selection Guide

Choosing the appropriate safety eyewear is a vital component to proper workplace safety. Whether on a jobsite, where health and safety protocols may require the use of protective eyewear, or while handling power tools or hazardous chemicals, selecting the best protection for your eyes is critical. Not only does safety eyewear greatly mitigate the risks of damaging your eyes, it also provides you with the piece of mind to tackle your jobs and tasks without hesitation.

The following guide will explore the different types of protective eyewear, including safety glasses, goggles and face shields, as well as different accessories that can keep these items more accessible and in great condition.

CSA is the recognized safety standard in Canada for protective eyewear, medical devices, electrical appliances, machinery equipment and various other categories of items. Conversely, ANSI is the safety standard used within the United States. While neither can be classified as more strict or better than the other, CSA and ANSI requirements differ. When choosing your safety eyewear, ensure that you are aware of any safety regulations that must be followed within your workplace.

2. Safety Goggles

This type of safety eyewear should be worn when dealing with hazardous liquids or fumes. Safety goggles come in two distinct styles. Direct vent models offer small openings or holes that allow air in. While this style is not recommended for protection against potential hazardous splashes or fumes, they do not fog up as easily as other styles. Indirect vent goggles offer similar features to direct vent styles, but with hooded or covered openings, making them ideal for jobs where chemical splashes are possible. In both cases, safety goggles must be worn properly to provide full protection and failure to do so may not result in the intended level of protective performance.

3. Face Shields

As the name suggests, face shields protect not only the eyes, but the entire face from flying debris, chemical splashes and infectious materials. Zenith Safety Products offers a detachable face shield feature for its face shield product.

Lens Cleaners offer an ideal solution to keeping your safety eyewear lenses clean and free of residue. It is advisable to clean your protective glasses or goggles on a daily basis. For lens cleaning options, Zenith Safety Products offers both lens cleaners and lens cleaning stations.

While lens cleaners offer a great way to clean visible dirt and spots, they do not guarantee that all germs are killed. For that reason, Zenith Safety Products also offers an Eyewear Sanitizing Cabinet that can eliminate 100% of germs on your safety glasses. The sanitizing cabinet can hold up to 36 pairs of glasses and clean them simultaneously within 15 minutes.

Other safety eyewear accessories included Eyewear Cases, to help prevent scratched or damaged eyewear, and Eyewear Retainers, to ensure your protective eyewear is easily accessible at all times.