Change Your Outlook on Safety Glasses: Introducing Honeywell Uvex Avatar® RX

We’ve all seen the statistics. Approximately 75% of adults are using some sort of vision correction and over 165 million Americans wear Rx glasses. It is thought that this number will rise, in conjunction with the aging population and increased digital usage.  

Here’s another statistic to put eye protection into perspective: 2,000 US workers sustain job-related eye injuries every day, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Also, it is estimated that eye injuries cost $300 million a year in lost productivity.

Many people wear personal prescription glasses thinking they are fully protected if they wear them all the time, at home and at their job. Even those who work in labs, construction, or factories, think that because they wear their prescription glasses, they are protected and there’s no need to think about other, more effective, forms of protection.

In industries like construction, food processing, healthcare, consumer goods, manufacturing or oil and gas, it’s required that personnel wear safety glasses, to shield the eyes from IMPACT, flying debris, metallic shards or chemical splash, and avoid eye injuries. The key to being protected in high-risk environments is always to choose the right impact protection glasses.

The eye protection chosen for work purposes must be appropriate for the type of work and the level of exposure, other Personal Protective Equipment used by the workers, and their personal vision needs. You can choose between OTG (over the glass) protective eyewear, to be worn over the regular prescription glasses, or Safety Rx frames (SRx), to be fitted with prescription lenses.

Choosing between OTG and SRx frames is an entirely individual process. Some workers may want to keep wearing their personal prescription glasses, adding OTGs when at work to be protected. Others may prefer an all-in-one approach, so they will choose the safety Rx frames with prescription safety lenses.

Here are three things to keep in mind when weighing the pros and cons of prescription safety glasses for workers:

1.       Before selecting any type of protective eyewear, there should be an evaluation of the hazards of each activity the worker is involved in, including a thorough understanding of the tasks and of the possible exposure to risks which could result in eye injury. Consider all the risks surrounding activities like construction, woodworking, machinery operations, material welding and cutting, chemical handling, assembly, to name but a few.

2.       Understand what ANSI ratings are and how they are designed to ensure that workers wear the right safety prescription glasses. If the glasses/goggles are safety-approved according to ANSI standards, the stamp will be visible on the frame and lens, and this indicates eye protection against impact, application eye hazards and chemical splash exposures. ANSI/ISEA Z87.1:2020 is the latest standard which provides criteria and requirements for selection, use, and maintenance of the different face and eye protectors to promote the most effective materials and methods of use. Always be sure to have protective eyewear certified with the latest standard.

3.       Evaluate the quality, fit, and comfort on various facial profiles, as these are key for a worker to wear the prescription safety glasses all day long, without taking them off. Eye protection which proves comfortable, allows peripheral vision, and fits securely is less likely to be taken off. Don’t underestimate the style of the eyeglasses, as workers may feel uncomfortable wearing unappealing glasses.

Now that you know what to look for in prescription safety eyewear, you just need to choose from the multitude of options available online and offline. To make this selection process easier, Honeywell’s experts recommend going with the newly launched Honeywell Uvex Avatar® RX prescription safety lens frame. Here’s why:

-          These glass frames can be fitted with the prescription lenses that the worker needs, and they accept an unlimited range of lenses and powers

-          The standard is ANSI Z87.1+ 2020. The “Z87+” standard indicates the impact rating, which means the frame passed high-mass and high-velocity tests and provides eye protection from the side as well

-          The frame features flexible nose pads which are metal-free and highly adjustable for comfort and adhesion, and has soft temples and soft brow frame, to cushion these areas

-          The frame is ultra-light, made up of premium composite materials which offer superior comfort for different facial profiles

-          The patented indirect venting helps to reduce fogging, which is the number one complaint of safety glass wearers and can potentially contribute to accidents

-          It is ergonomically designed to fit with helmets, it has a stylish design and provides a large protective coverage, all at the same time

Eye Wellness Month and Honeywell’s Uvex Avatar® RX

This March, coinciding with the Eye Wellness Month, Honeywell is launching the Uvex Avatar® RX, a prescription safety lens frame providing improved protection, adjustability, and customizability.  Explore the entire Avatar family of protective eyewear and choose the right one for you.