What Are Some of the Current Trends in Safety Eyewear?

The safety goggles industry grows by 4% every year, and much of that evolution is thanks to the impressive innovations of PPE fabricators. A few developments are leading the fray. Anti-fog functionality is attracting most of the attention, but anti-glare trends are just as exciting. Screen time has become an industrial pursuit, so safety glasses must now combine impact protection with anti-glare technology. Fabricators have also been focusing on reducing misuse among workers. Discomfort and safety rarely coexist, so innovators have created lightweight products that can pass ANSI Z87 impact testing. Industrial eye protection has never been this fascinating, and it's the company who benefits the most.

Saying Goodbye to Fog

Anti-fogging agents attack the condensation of even the tiniest of droplets. By reducing surface tension, they create a non-scattering film of water. The moisture that remains on the lens no longer reduces vision quality. Most anti-fog coatings only last three to 12 months because they don't bind well to the lens.

​Better manufacturers can improve the lifespan of hydrophobic coatings while simultaneously making sure they outlast short heat and cold cycles. Bottled defogging treatments have also hit the market, so now your staff can achieve the same effect on face shields and other optical products.

Blue Lenses

Blue lens tints have been on the market for years, but their use in industrial applications is gathering steam. Blue-tint PPE reduces the effects of glare and yellow light. It targets electromagnetic spectrums of 400 to 500 nanometers, specifically that emitted by LED screens, lamps, and sunlight.

​Industrial computers have become the norm on factory floors, where they help staff to monitor and analyze data. Blue tints have thus become a popular addition to safety goggles. High-intensity blue light is particularly harmful to those experiencing macular degeneration—a common disability among factory workers who are exposed to solar radiation.

Laser Safety Glasses

The laser safety goggles market is growing at a rate of five to seven percent a year. Laser treatments are increasingly being used to treat scars, unwanted hair, infections, and dental treatments, so they're particularly common in the healthcare and beauty industries. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration now requires businesses to supply Class 3B and Class 4 protection. PPE should manage lasers of five to 500 milliwatts.

​Many products rely on darkening lenses, but more advanced designs cater towards invisible radiation. Your safety goggles need enough optical density to match both the power and wavelength of the laser in question. Optical density addresses some of the risk by attenuating light, but your goggles must also absorb, laminate, and reflect light at a given wavelength. Hybrid products address all three of those specifications in a single pair of lenses.

Polycarbonate and Weight

Discomfort has a way of driving a stake through your PPE program, so the fit and weight of your goggles matter just as much as their protective powers. They should match the wearer's eyesight, preference, comfort, and facial features. That's why manufacturers have placed plenty of focus on the weight of impact-resistant goggles this year.

Today's lightest lenses can meet the ANSI Z87's high impact standard, so there's no longer a reason to force heavy goggles on hard workers. Pyramex is a relatively new player in the industry and offers excellent protection without weight, but polycarbonate remains the most popular option in this category. It resists scratching naturally, and few materials can beat its quality. It accepts prescriptions well and offers better protection than plastic, so the latter is quickly being phased out of the market.

​Polycarbonate also has higher impact resistance and optical clarity. Now all you need are head wraps, ventilation systems, and soft frame liners to shed weight and improve comfort. All in all, if your staff forget they're wearing safety goggles, they're less likely to take them off.

Wrap-Around Goggles

Plastic wraparound lenses tend to distort peripheral vision. Polycarbonate doesn't cause that problem, so it's cleared the way for a new level of clarity. These products offer 120-degree lateral vision while protecting the entire eye from side-impact and light. That allows a large chunk of your staff complement to abandon uncomfortable side shields.

​Ergonomic designs suit the contours of the face and can be treated with prescription lenses, so custom products are growing in popularity. A tight shield is an effective shield, after all. Still, you needn't choose a made-to-order pair of safety glasses. Walmart vision centers have a large range, so your staff can find the perfect fit.

ANSI Z87

​Despite the market's revolutionary new safety glasses, Walmart and other vision centers still have to aim towards the ANSI Z87. It's still the de facto standard for safety glasses. ANSI/ISEA Z87 was adjusted in 2020 to include:

• Markings and criteria for protectors. This was updated to cover military workers and first responders.
• New testing and performance criteria, including anti-fog technology.
• New transmittance allowances that cover wrap lenses and welding shades.
• Adjusted welding filter shade specifications. The new criteria requires filter shade numbers for different filter levels. This includes specs for torch soldering, brazing, and plasma arc cutting.
• Clearer testing consistencies for darkening welding filters and their minimum coverage area.

When it comes to safety glasses, Walmart has one of the widest collections on the market today. That's why Bridge Safety Vision has formed a partnership with the retail behemoth. With Bridge, you can create a safety lens program in 10 minutes. Just fill out the specifications, set your benefit amount, and we'll do the rest.

​Once you've registered the details, we'll send a digital payment card to your employees' phones, or you can print them off. They'll take the card to their nearest Walmart and choose the safety glasses that fit your parameters.  We've automated and digitized the process, so you don't need to get lost in infinite deductions and paperwork. Now your workers can do their eye exams and buy PPE at the same place.