Safety glass lenses are almost always made out of a plastic material called polycarbonate. Polycarbonate has several characteristics to consider, both good and bad:
Positives
- strong and highly impact-resistant material
- >99% UV protection
- Lightweight
Negatives
- scratches quit easily (without a hard coating applied)
- not very chemical-resistant
With that being said, it is important to consider purchasing safety glasses that are “Anti-Scratch Coated” (hard coated) for most work applications. A brand new pair of “uncoated” safety glasses can easily be scratched by simply rubbing the lens with your shirt! While uncoated lenses are typically only found on “visitor glasses” (low cost generic styles), you do want to verify the coatings on a safety glass you purchase.
If you purchase a safety glass with an “anti-fog coating”, it automatically will have an “anti-scratch coating” applied, as well. Fogging of safety glasses can happen in various environments:
- high humidity
- going in and out of cold or hot temperature extremes
- heavy physical exertion (when you are sweating)
As expected, fogging of safety glasses can truly be a safety hazard. Employees might even take off their safety glasses when this happens, creating even more problems.
Lens Cleaning
Sweat, fingerprints and airborne debris from the work environment can all contribute to a safety glass needing to be cleaned. Just remember, if there is a risk of a liquid chemical splash, safety glasses (by themselves) are not appropriate!
While typical cleaning is best accomplished using a traditional eyeglass cleaner and low-lint tissues, sometimes a safety glass needs to be rinsed off in a sink before using this cleaning process. Certain microscopic dusts can accidentally be rubbed into the lens when using an appropriate spray, potentially scratching the lens during the cleaning process.
For additional thoughts on lens cleaning, please see the attached link (courtesy of Baush & Lomb):
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