Safety Glasses with Glass Lenses: Understanding Occupational Safety

Everyday "dress" glasses have a different kind of lens than safety glasses. Most industrial, construction and warehouse jobs require employees to wear safety glasses. Safety lenses look different than regular lenses.

Significance

• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires safety lenses be put into safety frames, not dress or street-wear frames. Safety frames have to be marked as such with a manufacturer's identification mark.

Types

• Safety lenses are made from three types of material -- glass, plastic and polycarbonate. Glass is the heaviest material and is the least shatter-resistant but -- like all safety lenses -- has to be made at least 3 mm thick to be considered safe. The extra thickness adds additional weight to the glass lenses.

Lens Marking

• OSHA requires all safety lenses that are made from glass to be etched with the letter "H" to prove the lenses have been made with proper impact resistance. The mark must be placed outside the field of view on the lens.