I’ve only seen one person wearing a face shield, and he worked at a lumberyard. Are they uncomfortable compared to safety glasses? They look front-heavy, which might make them more prone to slipping, unless the head strap is uncomfortably tight.
Can you wear contact lenses in the shop? My husband says I should not wear contacts when working with wood. I saw a pair of goggles that protect your eyes from dust, but the clerk didn’t know if they could be used as safety glasses. She said that, to be safe, I should assume that dust is the only thing the goggles protect against, and not wear them when woodworking.
Janet
Replies
any safety gear, be it ear plugs to chainsaw chaps will have an ANSI number. eye protection are like 78.something i think. That ANSI number means it has passed safety standards of the ANSI each govt has a governing body that will test and rate such things.
Look for that number to really let you know if its a safety item for here in the states. that number should or has to be on the object of protection. Safety glasses and goggles will come in a plethora of choices since many types of jobs fall under OSHA here in the states all needing something a bit different for features but still have that ANSI stamp of approval
{edit ANSI z87.1 is the eye glass code number to look for}
Edited 12/30/2002 7:45:55 PM ET by BILL_1010
I've used the chemical splash goggles from Lee Valley - about $15-$16, I think. Polycarbonate lens, good ventilation. They were very good at keeping very-fine sawdust (from sanding) out, but the strap/adjustment kinda' sucks. They are okay (not great) with a respirator.
I've been teaching 'shop' for 37 years and I have found one brand/type of glasses that are good, rugged, light AND comfortable. See if you can find someone who has the Selstrom 20-20 safety glasses. (Possibly Grainger.com) They look and feel like 'regular' glasses, they are comfortable and quite durable and cost less than $5.00 a set. They do not have side shields but in the 15 years or so that I have used them, they work quite well. (It's one of the few safety glasses that middle school kids will wear and not break). Yes, they are ANSI listed. Although I have not had any problems with students who wear contact lenses, my gut feeling is that if anything gets between the lens and your eye it MUST be removed immediately. Oh yes, most of the fully enclosed goggles tend to be uncomfortable and steam up just when you need to see a critical operation.
SawdustSteve
I wonder if ski goggles, with the clear plastic, are adequate. They are comfortable for about $20.
Marcello
Depends what you are doing as to what kind of eye protection is required.
Safety glass will be all you need for 90% of what you do in wood shop. Safety glasses can be equipment with prescription lens so you can see.
Goggles are more for dust is not being directed away from you for some reason or liquid that might splash. Goggles are more effective for keep the dust out of your eyes then safety glasses.
A full face shield is usually used for lathe work or some thing that is going to guarantee a lot of debris (chunks) to directed into your face.
Goggles tend to fog up when it is warm and makes seeing what you are doing very hard to do. Not a lot of air moving under the goggles.
A full face shield don't cause your glasses to fog up as much because they have more room between the shield and your safety glasses.
I went to Pearl Vision and got a pair of bi-focal safety glasses. Seem to be working out just fine for me.
I use a face shield for lathe work - good protection when large shavings are flying everywhere. I use safety glasses for most other work - the face shield makes your entire head a couple of inches bigger, which is often inconvenient.
Graeme
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