Many jobs require the use of PPE, including the need for safety glasses which it’s the employer’s responsibility to provide. But what if you are a spectacle wearer? Are prescription safety glasses available, and should these be provided by your workplace?
Our guide looks at the legal obligations of the employer around providing safety glasses for employees requiring prescription lenses.
What Are Prescription Safety Glasses?
Safety glasses are legally required in some work environments due to the risk of eye injury from risks including flying particles, dust, debris or chemicals. Prescription safety glasses offer eye protection whilst also offering the same vision enhancement as regular presctription spectacles.
The eyes are a sensitive part of the human body and can be damaged easily. Eye damage can be detrimental to vision and cause long term health problems. This is why safety glasses are a much needed part of many workers’ daily routines.
In a workplace where eye injury has been identified as part of a risk assessment, employers are legally obliged to provide them to employees.
Eye Protection Legal Requirements
The PPE at Work Regulations 1992 requires that appropriate PPE is provided to any employee to prevent injury from risks identified as part of the risk assessment process.
The act also requires that safety glasses should meet appropriate British Safety Standards. In the case of eye PPE this is EN 166.
It’s also a legal requirement that any self employed person should make use of appropriate eye safety glasses.
The PPE at work regulations were updated in 2022 to extend the right to be provided with adequate PPE to casual workers such as day labourers or workers on zero hour contracts.
Sources :The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (4) & HSE – Using the Right PPE to Control Risks at Work.
Other types of legally required PPE to prevent eye injury as a result of identifiable risks include:-
- Goggles
- Face shields & screens
- Visors
- Safety Sunglasses
HSE enforces these regulations and carries out inspections which focus on the use of PPE. Failing to meet the HSE standards can result in a warning or a fine.
This will be followed up by a subsequent inspection to ensure changes have been made.
Can Standard Prescription Glasses be Used for Safety Purposes?
You cannot use your standard prescription glasses as safety glasses. Prescription glasses do not meet the required safety standard for eye PPE.
The two types of glasses have entirely different purposes and are built for very different reasons. Prescription glasses are there to help with vision and aid any difficulties you have with seeing.
Safety glasses are stronger, and meet standard EN 166 meaning they’ve been tested to ensure they can protect against debris.
When inappropriate eyewear is worn at work, the risk of injury will be greatly increased. Normal spectacles are not meant to be used as safety glasses. They do not have the correct lenses or safety features.
Do Employers Have to Pay for Prescription Safety Glasses?
Employers are required to pay for eye tests for staff using display screen equipment, and spectacles if specialist lenses are required to do their job. However, there’s no legal provision in the PPE at work regulations requiring employers to pay for prescription safety glasses.
Many employers will expect their staff to purchase their own prescription safety glasses. Alternatively, they will provide over glasses safety glasses, which are designed to offer eye protection and be work with protection spectacles.
It is worth trying to negotiate with your employer or health and safety manager if over glasses are causing you issues. They may agree to provide you with prescription PPE.
How to Choose Prescription Safety Glasses
Choosing the correct prescription safety glasses is vital, particularly if you are having to pay for them yourself.
If you are an employee, it may be worth a conversation with your health and safety manager to help you understand the right type of glasses for your role. Many prescription PPE items are relatively expensive, so it’s important to make sure you’re buying the most appropriate glasses for your needs, and the safety requirements in the workplace.
Getting this right is important so that eyes are adequately protected at all times. Glasses are worn for prolonged periods, so comfort is also a factor. Employees must be fitted correctly with prescription safety glasses. Everyone has a uniquely shaped head and has different lens requirements.
Types & Features of Prescription Safety Glasses
To help you understand the various products on offer, we’ve taken a look at the main types and features of prescription safety glasses.
Being familiar with the properties of the PPE currently available will help you identify the best prescription glasses for your needs.
Scratch Resistant
Should you work in an environment where glasses are likely to be scratched, you will do well to look into scratch resistant safety wear.
These will be suited to rough working environments where scratching is likely. Scratching can occur through inappropriate storage, being put somewhere unsafe, or being hit by flying metal and other materials.
This can impact the health of the eyes by causing strain. Scratch resistant safety glasses are ideal if you need that added feature.
Impact Resistant
Sometimes work involves dealing with equipment that will send metal or other particles flying around. If this is the case, then impact resistant prescription glasses are a suitable choice.
More often than not, these types of glasses are made to a mechanical strength B. This provides much needed protection from dangerous flying objects such as when operating a nail gun.
Anti Fog Coating
Anti fog prescription safety glasses add an extra safety feature that can offer protection from injury.
Working in an already dangerous environment and glasses that keep steaming up is waiting for disaster to strike. Workers need to be able to see out of their safety glasses at all times.
Outdoor work such as construction will be prone to glasses steaming up so anti fog glasses will be extremely useful.
UV Protection
Prescription safety glasses can come with added UV protection which is great for workplaces where sun exposure and associated eye damage is a risk.
Most types of safety glasses use polycarbonate for their lenses. This protects eyes from being strained in the sun. These lenses effectively block out 99.9% of the UV light which is great for anyone working in an outdoor area.
Wrap Around
You can also buy wrap around safety glasses which give you a secure fit while also being comfortable.
These are perfect if your job involves a great deal of movement. They consist of a semi circular frame while they wrap around your head.
This reduces the risk of them falling off and causing injuries to the eyes.
Side Shields
Many health and safety risk assessments show the need for added protection by purchasing side shields for safety glasses.
These protect the eyes even further by being attached to the sides of the glasses. Without these, it is still possible for flying debris to enter the eyes.
These are ideal in environments where there are flying wood chippings, metal cuttings or liquids being handled.
Adjustable Nose Pads
An adjustable nose pad ads an extra layer of comfort to safety glasses but can also help them feel a bit more secure.
When glasses have to be worn for large parts of the day, they can become uncomfortable. This additional feature helps make them more wearable.
Prescription Safety Glass Standards
There are regulations in place concerning prescription safety glasses which must be adhered to by the workplace.
There are standards, as set out by the government in 1993, that is commonly referred to now as EN standards. These are:
- EN 165 Personal Eye Protection: Vocabulary.
- EN 166 Personal Eye Protection: Specifications.
- EN 167 Personal Eye Protection: Optical Test Methods.
- EN 168 Personal Eye Protection: Non Optical Test Methods.
- EN 169 Personal Eye Protection: Filters for Welding and Similar.
- EN 170 Personal Eye Protection: UV Filters.
- EN 171 Personal Eye Protection: Infrared Filters.
- EN 172 Sun Glare Eye Protectors.
- EN 207 Filters and Eye Protectors Against Laser Radiation.
- EN 208 Eye Protectors for Adjustment work on lasers and laser systems.
- EN 379 Welding Filters.
Any safety glasses purchased for the workplace should conform to relevant European Normal (EN) standards as above.
Over Glasses Safety Glasses
Many employers will expect their employees to wear over glasses safety glasses if they need to wear spectacles during the working day.
This is often a cheaper alternative to purchasing prescription safety glasses and the employer normally provides them.
They are designed to fit over your existing prescription glasses so that you have that added safety. Additionally, your vision is not compromised as your normal glasses are still worn.
Adequate Eye Protection is Vital
PPE and the legislation around this are vital in the work environment. Having adequate eye protection is a health and safety requirement required by law.
There are so many risks that eyes are exposed to in the day to day operations of a workplace. Having the correct safety glasses protects everyone and complies with UK law.
FAQs
You can buy prescription safety glasses that are suitable for use in the lab. It is important to do your research and get the ones most suitable for your job role.
Prescription safety glasses should always be marked with CE which proves it meets the safety standards. They will also have the relevant standard of safety marked on them.
