Bolle Safety - Native Aug 2018
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The statics could not be more straightforward. According to the Center for Disease Control, 2000 American workers sustain eye injuries every day. Fully one-third of those workers require hospital treatment. Additionally, a study published by the Bureau of Labor indicates that in 37% of all head injuries and 62% of face injuries involving days away from work, three out of five workers were not wearing eye protection.
The fact that safety eyewear can dramatically reduce the number of recordable injuries won’t come as news to any professional safety manager. There may be – however – a lack of understanding of the important performance and comfort differences between the opening-price-point products on the market and the premium offerings. Perhaps more so than in any other product category, the familiar adage “you get what you pay for” is dramatically true for safety eyewear. Shopping the low – and ironically deep – end of the product pool reveals a multitude of truly marginal offerings.
The compromises necessary to maintain the lowest possible prices are myriad, ranging from the appalling (non-compliance with ANSI Z87.1-2010) to the annoying (poor, uncomfortable fit).
One of the areas that nearly always suffers due to cost-cutting concessions is: optical clarity. Simply put, there is no inexpensive way to manufacture optical-quality lenses that deliver superior visual acuity. Further, without close examination and understanding of the materials used, it can be temptingly easy to assume that all lenses have essentially the same performance characteristics.
Without the benefit of safety eyewear with optical-quality lenses, workers are very likely to experience some level of visual distortion in their day-to-day activities. The consequences of which range from: minor mistakes in performing simple functions to major mishaps that can result in severe injuries and significant property losses. Of particular concern is peripheral vision, as lower quality lenses tend to become increasingly less clear as the eye moves away from the central area. What’s more, manufacturers of premium lenses – like Bollé Safety - often use the latest and best anti-fogging technologies, reducing annoying and debilitating moisture accumulation.
While the loss of precision caused by distortion and fogging should be of significant concern, there is another consequence of poor quality lenses for safety managers to consider: eye fatigue. Symptoms of eye fatigue include:
- Sore or irritated eyes
- Difficulty focusing; dry or watery eyes
- Blurred or double vision
- Increased sensitivity to light
- Pain in the neck, shoulders, or back
Often overlooked, frame quality, in terms of both materials and ergonomics, is – or at least should be – of critical importance when choosing safety eyewear. Poorly designed frames often fit too tight or too loose, the former causing uncomfortable pressure points on the wearer’s head, the latter responsible for annoying slippage, often at the most inopportune moments. There are two issues associated with the use of inferior frame materials. First, is additional weight that can make the product uncomfortable to wear in extremely short order. Next, it is compromised durability to impact that could render the eyewear unusable in an unacceptably short span of time. The bottom line is: eyewear that is uncomfortable or structurally compromised simply doesn’t get worn.
With a better understanding of all the potential problems, safety managers are increasingly moving away from seeing safety eyewear as a low-cost commodity. And while the market remains saturated with cheap products of extremely questionable quality, the relationship between sub-standard eye protection and an increase in liability exposure as well as recordable incidents has become more widely recognized. With careful consideration, the value and long-term cost savings of purchasing premium safety eyewear becomes readily apparent to even the most price-sensitive organization.
For more information contact marketing@bollesafety-usa.com.
