Safety First - Polycarbonate Lenses for Eye Protection

Prevent Blindness America reports that over 2,000 eye injuries take place daily and 10-20% of those will cause temporary or permanent vision loss. These astounding figures make it imperative to realize the difference in eyewear and which options are the safest for your eyes.

What is the best lens option for my safety eyewear?
Polycarbonate lenses will provide the ultimate in protection for your eyes. This raw lens material is compressed during manufacturing, which results in a very impact resistant product. This process causes polycarbonate lenses to be flexible and able to give slightly under violent contact. These qualities make polycarbonate a chosen material not only for safety glasses, but also for children’s glasses and sports eyewear. This same material has been used in the past to construct space shuttle parts and astronaut helmet shields.

Polycarbonate lenses are made standard with a UV (ultra-violet) protection coat and their soft and flexible nature requires that a scratch resistance coating be applied to both the front and the back of the lenses. As an added benefit of polycarbonate, the compression used in the manufacturing process allows for less material to be used to provide the same visual correction as plastic lenses. In turn, polycarbonate lenses are thinner in appearance and lighter in weight.

What frames should I choose for safety eyewear and sports?
Although polycarbonate lenses can be beneficial in a “day-to-day” frame, if they are not placed in a safety-rated frame, they are not considered safety glasses under the law. If you need safety glasses for work or are unsure if your frames are safety-rated, First Look Eyewear can answer your questions and show you a selection of safety frames.

It is also dangerous to play sports in a frame that is not made for that purpose. A regular eyeglass frame is not able to withstand the impact of rough play, a ball or a racquet.

Today’s safety lenses and frames offer not only smart choices to protect your eyes in the workplace and active lifestyles, but also stylish and comfortable possibilities. Stop in to First Look Eyewear today and let us show you what the world of safety eyewear has to offer.