Safety Glasses Versus Safety Goggles
Safety glasses do a great job providing impact protection; however, they do have a few weaknesses. Safety glasses usually have small gaps around the lenses that can make your eyes vulnerable, especially to liquids and dust. Even safety glasses with wraparound lenses cannot provide the same level of protection as a safety goggles.
When you have to contend with splash hazards, airborne dust, and flying debris, safety goggles will prove to be a better option than safety glasses. Safety goggles provide 360-degree protection due to a tight, form-fitting facial seal; something safety glasses cannot offer.
Examples, where safety goggles are the better option, include metal grinding, dusty conditions, chemical exposure and more. All of these situations have a higher-than-normal chance of a foreign object getting into your eyes from the side. Only goggles with a complete facial seal can protect you from these potential hazards.
Safety goggles provide excellent protection from erratic flying debris.
When To Wear Safety Goggles
You should always evaluate your workplace for potential eye hazards so you can select the appropriate safety equipment. Safety goggles should be worn when the following risks are present:
- High-velocity debris and blunt impacts
- Splashing liquids and airborne droplets
- Airborne dust particles
- Caustic vapors
Types Of Safety Goggles
Safety goggles can provide more than enough protection from these hazards. However, you need to choose the correct type of safety goggle. Common types of goggles include:
- Direct vent: These goggles have multiple perforations around their body to promote air flow, which reduces lens fogging. Direct vent goggles are primarily used for impact protection. Do not use this type of goggle for liquid, dust or caustic vapor protection.
- Indirect vent: This style of goggle uses covered vents to increase air flow. Since the vents are covered, they provide better protection from liquid splash and dust. However, they shouldn’t be used around caustic vapors. Even though the covered vents help with airflow, indirect vent goggles will fog up more often. I recommend you look for models with dual-pane lenses or an anti-fog coating.
- Non-vented: This style of goggle is completely sealed and doesn’t have any vents. They provide excellent protection from impact, splash, dust and caustic vapors. Due to the lack of vents, these goggles tend to fog up quickly; an anti-fog lens is necessary.
Choosing the right goggle for the job ensures you’re eyes are protected.
In Closing
I realize wearing a goggle won’t make the best fashion impression, but neither does an eye patch. Taking the time to evaluate the hazards in your workplace will ensure you select the appropriate type of eye protection. Wearing the right goggle may be the best decision you’ve ever made.
Do you have a question or comment? Please leave a comment below.
A great synopsis of the choice of PPE use. I am a veteran safety officer for a major construction company and the improper selection of eye wear continues to keep eye wash stations a necessity on our sites. Good job.
Hi Richard,
Thanks for leaving a comment.
Wearing the proper type of safety eyewear is extremely important. Safety goggles offer the best overall protection but often get a “bad wrap” due to their unflattering appearance. This is why a good safety training program and supervision is so important. Hang in there.
I work at Mueller Co in Decatur Il we are mandatory to switch to spotless by July 1 2018 I drive a forklift and the company Semi and wear prescription glasses .My concern is the close fit will upstruck my peripheral vision.How will this effect my view while driving
Kim, could please elaborate on the “switch to spotless”? I’m guessing you’ll be required to wear some kind of safety eyewear over your existing Rx glasses. I would direct you to our Over-Prescription section and will suggest a few. You’ll want something that is fairly clear on the side. You might sort the section by A-Z and follow this list:
Bolle Tryon OTG; Elvex OVR-Spec III; any of the Guardian (pick your size); Pyramex OTS (Med. or XL)
I would start with those.
A friend just got a fish hook in the eye. Vision in the eye is severely limited, perhaps gone. Could have been prevented!
Hi, Jane. I’m sorry to hear about your friends fishing accident. And, you’re right. Fishing is a high-risk sport when it comes to eye injuries and wearing the proper eye protection is an absolute necessity.
Hopefully, in time, your friend’s eyesight will improve.
What would be a suitable safety glasses or goggles for folks burning pebbles / stones for traditional bath use, please? The folks are constantly exposed to burning flames / ambers and high heat. Appreciate your advice. Thank you
Thank you for your question, Florence.
I’m not familiar with this particular application. However, Guard Dogs brand safety glasses offer a high-heat foam-padded model that may meet your needs. If liquid splash hazards are a concern, then I would recommend a Splash Rated Goggle instead of foam-padded eyewear.
I am working in the agricultural business where chemical spraying is one of the major activity. We are using only backpack (knapsack) sprayer while conducting spraying. The chemical use for spaying is per-mixed where the concentration was much more diluted with water. My question is, almost all the CSDS/MSDS/SDS indicated that the applicator (sprayer)must use “tightly fitting goggles” where we in the tropic often have a problem looking for suitable goggles that does not fog or it is comfortable to use. We are currently using face shield for substituting goggles. Is that acceptable?
Thank you for your question, Edrin. While face shields do offer decent protection, they are not perfect. In fact, many face shield brands recommend wearing safety eyewear with the face shield. Since the long term effects of the chemical are unknown, I would recommend wearing a tightly fitting goggle while spraying/handling the chemical.
I do understand the frustration of wearing goggles in a hot & humid climate. So, you’ll need to invest in safety goggles that feature a high-quality anti-fog lens. The Radians LPX IQuity Safety Goggles have an excellent anti-fog lens and are comfortable to wear. These goggles are meet ANSI Z87.1-2015 D3-Liquid Splash and D4-Dust Protection standards.