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I’m putting together an article on sources for prescription safety glasses and I’d appreciate hearing from anyone who’s worn them. I’m looking for stuff that a builder can wear all day without feeling like a geek, so I’m interested in appearance as well as protection.
Tom O’Brien
Replies
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No info here, but I'd pay real money for some of those slick looking wrap-around mirror safety shades in prescription. Oh, need bifocals too.
*These are the glasses I like. They are made by Shields.View ImageBilly
*Disregard that. I don't wear prescription glasses. I should have read closer.Billy
*Tom --- Good question. I wear glasses, now bifocals. I've looked for acceptable safety glasses for years, and haven't found any that are good enough, so I wear ordinary (that is, non-safety) glasses in the shop. Here's some things that are wrong with the usual safety glasses: 1) Plastic frames with no adjustability for the width of your nose. "One size fits all" doesn't. 2) Plastic lenses. Because of static electricity, they are a dust magnet, so you can't see through them. Furthermore, they scratch easily. Building sites have all sorts of abrasives. After you've invested a hundred bucks in prescription lenses, you don't want to throw them away in a few months. Jamie
*Tom, I believe American Optical is a source for prescription safety glasses. In addition to plastic frames, they have metal frames with detachable side-shields. Frames come in several styles and don't look like safety glasses. Lenses come with various tints and coatings, and can be bifocal (not sure about trifocal).
*My opthamologist is selling me shock resistant polycarbonate lenses that are glare resistant and anti-scratch coated. The lenses are about $90 which I think is outrageous.When I do really scary stuff in the shop I use a lexan face shield, but I am a furniture maker and not climbing around on scaffolds so maybe that wouldn't be practical.Frank
*The markings inside the temples on mine :titanium titmus. I have no idea if that is a trade name or what. They are metal frames, fairly stylish & cost $200.00 obout 15 months ago. They fit well & yes, the lenses have scratches & pits. That's why I bought them. My glasses without the saftey lenses look good for a change. They came with side gaurds that don't get used because they prevent folding them up to put in a pocket. They are such a pain to remove I just leave them off.
*same thing.. titanium titmus..z87.. 140 cs97..with the side / top shields.. they go on in the morning, come off at night.. varilux & photosun..
*I've almost always purchased safety lenses with every pair of glasses (B&L aviator-style with hooked ear-pieces for almost 25 years); but, now they're cracking down on "approved" frames too.My new glasses (about a month) are the titanium frames with spring temples and removeable side-shields. The brand stamped into the arm says: "On-Guard", but the logo on the case is "CRL". With bi-focals and anti-reflex coating, they were C$290, which makes them the cheapest glasses I've had in a long time (I always had vari-grey and over-sized blanks before). I'm not happy with the bi-focals (they gave me a stronger reading 'moon' and I can only focus to 20" with them and I can only focus in to about 30" through the normal section of the lens - terrific distance to be out-of-focus); but, they're very comfortable and look pretty good.
*I got bifocal safety glasses from Pearle Vision, one pair clear and the other pair tinted. They lasted a couple of years, but the lenses got badly scratched and the frames started falling apart. Ended up cannibalizing the tinted frames to keep the other pair together.To replace them, I went to an independent optometrist. There I got titanium safety frames with a lifetime guarantee (140 AOSafety Z87 on the temples). I didn't get the plastic safety lense. I got the next level of protection down (looks like GKV etched in the corner). Very scratch resistant. They are bifocal and transition (they darken in the light). I got a clip on set for when I need bifocal through the top. I have been very happy with them.I have the side shields, but most of the time I am not wearing them. That is because this is my only pair of glasses, and taking the shields on and off is a bit of a pain.It took a lot of shopping around to find someone who could give me what I wanted. Even then, I only went to this optometrist to get a prescription to take somewhere else, but it turned out cheaper to get the glasses through his office.Rich Beckman
*I searched for years for a nice looking pair of prescription safety glasses and never found them. I finally went to contacts and now I get to wear the cool looking non-prescription ones. I'm convinced that whoever is in charge of designing prescription safety glasses has never worn a pair in his life. Nobody would dress himself so hideously.
*My optician, years ago in California, told me all prescription glasses have to withstand a 5/8" steel ball dropped from 50" with nothing projected towards the eye. Not as good as those polycarbonate ("Lexan") glasses that will take a .177 pellet or .22 bullet, but something.I was working in an attic in 1984 a looked through a beam of sunlight that made all the floating fiberglass strands really stand out. Haven't worn contacts for construction since. I want particulates and chemical fumes washed from my eyes (with normal tearing action) as quickly as possible. Acid and alkali fumes are especially bad in soft contacts. I'm not sure what polymers they used but I wonder about their affinity for organic vapors as well (varnish, PVC glue, etc).It ain't OSHA, but a baseball cap with my regular prescription glass keeps stuff from falling down behind the glasses. Chainsaws, table saw, etc, I'm wearing a face shield anyway.What about the wrap-around, continously-variable (infi-focals?), titanium-tinted glasses featured in Space Cowboys for Donald Sutherland's character? Do they exist? -David
*Looks like Rob, Mike, Rich and me all wear the same...or very similar. Titmus...T251 PEW(for pewter, I think) 140 CS90 Z87 (mike's got me beat by 3!) TITMUS USA......from the stamp. Now.....just explain all this to me, and I'll be good! Wear the side shields, didn't come with a top shield. Metal frame....not to big or goofy. Pewter color. From Pearle Vision. About $150 or so...can't remember. Nice brown case too! I ususlly just wear my regular glasses thru out the day....and slip on the plastic "over the glasses" safety glasses for the dirty/eye popping work......and use these if I think extra eye protection is an all day affair. The daily glasses have plastic impact resistant lenses.....the only thing keeping them from a safety rating is no side shields. I use the full protection to keep the daily glasses from getting scratched up! Or, use the prescrip safety. They are a little heavier, so I don't wear them daily. To pocket fold....just slip the side shields down a little....then fold. Un fold and slip them back into place....and yer in business! For what it's worth...at the time.....Pearle had a better looking selection than Lense Crafters. Jeff
*Tom: I have worn prescription safety glasses for 6 to 8 years. I would have to call my doctor and have him look up the exact time we started to wear them. Our doctor supplies us with plactic safety frames with side shields and the prescription in the lens. Yes they are plastic but I have always used the same lens for 2years. I get an eye exam approx. every two years and have always gotten new lens at that time. Not always a new prescription but new lens. The frame I am wearing is the one I started with. Te frame is not high fashion but the glasses do give some protection. I always use a face shield in addition to the glasses when I grind or do simliar operations.Fashion does not mean jack to me when it comes to my eyes. My brother has been wearing the same type of frame for the same length of time and would echo my comments. We provide safety glasses for our employees in the same manner. Ron.
*Gee I didn't think prescription safety glasses were such a big deal until I read this post. I just go to the nearest optical shop and buy the largest "sweet spot" no line bifocal they have, Varilux or ??? Executive are two brands. These get fitted into approved safety frames with removeable side shields. The lenses are typically a polycarbonate and last according to how much junk I hit them with.These things ain't cheap. A pair goes for $150-$200. But they are comfortable, give perfect vision, last a long time and most of all; are much cheaper than a visit to the ER to get something out of the eye.
*yea i went to my optomertist and ordered mine the kind he originally showed me should of came with a pocket protector included geek glasses, I ended up ordering some black metal framed bi focals that dont really look to much different then my normal glasses except due to the nature of the lenses its like walking through a tunnel all day , dont know the brand but i rented one of my kids out for a week to pay for them
*I use those dryer sheets for no cling to keep the dust off for a while. not the best but they work. Daniel
*Just a word of warning on polycarbonate lenses. The acetone in lacquer thinner reacts with polycarbonate and cracks ( shatters) the lense. I wish you wouldn't ask how I know.....So now I just clean the paint off my lenses with a slightly damp rag of lacquer thinner. Pouring the lacquer thinner over the lense worked with regular plastic lenses.Frank DuVal
*To be any good Z87 needs to be on the frame. I prefer TITMUS, and use pewter for bifocal, gold for reading and black for sunglasses. All frames are the same size to rob for parts in an emergency. The colors are so I can choose from the carrying case on the truck visor.If you need bifocals: Best bet is "no line". But they drive me nuts on overhead work. So I reach for my seeing (reading) glasses.Have your optometrist write a prescription that will allow you to focus from 18-20" (standard viewing distance) to whatever you can get, in my case 8-9'. Work with your Doctor and optician, tell them where you want your field of focus and you need industrial Z87 frames. You can get permanently attached wire mesh side shields. These side shields are hinged and allow the glasses to fold up.For folks at the plant that I need to convince to wear safety glasses I have fogged visitor glasses with white spray paint. I have them wear the cataract glasses for 30 minutes and there is usually no problem.
*Working in a steel mill the last 10 years, we were always issued the dark green, geek looking glasses with the glass lenses. Eye shields were either the wire mesh or the plastic shield type. The wire mesh kept cutting off my peripheal vision, so I later opted for the plastic type. The glasses were HEAVY on your nose because lenses were actual glass instead of a lightweight material.I later quit using their issued glasses. I bought regular lightweight, scratch resistant lenses from LensCrafters and had them put in a regular plastic frame. I secured detachable side shields from a friend of mine and would attach them during work, and detach afterwards.Optometrist always told me that any plastic type lense was far superior to glass for impact resistance. Don't know tis true, but I like the lighter weight on my nose.We were never allowed contacts on the job. Lots of welding and burning equipment always in use. If a spark hit you in the eye, it could instantly melt the contact to your eye and you would go blind in that eye. Our Safety Department use to tell us that this actually happened to a welder or helper who got "flashed" and went blind.Currently, I just use my regular day to day glasses; without any sideshields.I'm with Lonecat. Wished they would make those slick looking wrap-arounds in a prescription mode.Davo.
*Everyone's experience is different: I have a very wide field of view (e.g. I can read my 20" screen without moving my eyes from side to side); and, for me, those "no line" bi-focals were like being in a tunnel. I can probably find about as many people who hate those things as those that like them (and I've lots of people who think they are just dandy) - they're not for everyone.
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I'm putting together an article on sources for prescription safety glasses and I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who's worn them. I'm looking for stuff that a builder can wear all day without feeling like a geek, so I'm interested in appearance as well as protection.
Tom O'Brien