If an employee wears prescription glasses what options do they have in laser eye safety equipment?

Prescription eye glasses do not provide protection from laser emissions and cannot substitute for laser eye safety glasses or goggles. However, some employees cannot work without both their prescription glasses as well as the laser safety glasses. Wearing dual glasses can be uncomfortable if you don't have the right options to choose from. Larger framed laser safety glasses or laser goggles that are specifically designed to fit over prescription glasses are readily available. These styles are comfortable, lightweight and designed to not push against or ride over the prescription frames, making them comfortable to wear even for long periods of time.

Another option is to consider prescription types of radiation glasses that ensure that the worker only has one pair of glasses on at any given time. These glasses are not costly and can really make the work environment much more comfortable.

How do most research, industrial or medical facilities identify areas where laser eye safety equipment is required?

Stickers, hazard signs, and clear labeling of any areas where radiation or laser systems are in use is required by OSHA and ANSI regulations. In these areas,. it is important to wear laser eye safety glasses or goggles and this rule should be enforced for everyone entering that part of the facility. If it is policy for all employees, managers, visitors and personnel to have on the appropriate laser eye safety glasses whenever entering in these areas it is much less likely that someone will forget or choose to simply ignore the rules and posted policy. Reviewing the signs and warning symbols with new employees and visitors is also a critically important part of helping everyone understand laser eye safety policies.

Why do laser eye safety glasses and goggles have different colored lenses?

The various lens colors on laser eye safety glasses and goggles are designed for use with different types of laser systems. The colors of the lenses are related to the waveband being produced by the laser. Wearing the incorrect type of laser eye safety device can result in little or no protection for the eyes, so it is imperative to understand what laser system is being used and select an appropriate lens type.
Employees complain about safety eyewear being uncomfortable, what can I do?

One of the most common complaints is about the comfort level of laser eye safety devices, which may lead to employees removing the safety equipment. A good way to avoid this problem is to allow employees to try on several different styles of glasses or goggles and choose the one that is most comfortable to them. With higher levels of comfort with the glasses or goggles employees are far less likely to remove them or to attempt to avoid wearing them at all. Since most styles are designed to fit adult sizes, having a few different frame options in the workplace is a low cost way to avoid this issue.

What are the major signs of laser injury to the eyes if laser safety glasses aren't used?

Many different symptoms can be associated with laser injury to eyes, unfortunately it is often not until significant damage occurs that the individual realizes the problem. For different laser wavelengths, the damage will be slightly different. There are few pain receptors within the eye and the retina, so laser damage may not be easily noticed. Problems and symptoms of laser energy exposure are usually caused by either not having glasses, or wearing the incorrect glasses. One common problem is experiencing bright color flashes when exposed to a visible light beam. The color flash will correspond to the particular wavelength that caused the damage. With retinal damage the ability to distinguish between green and blue colors may become increasingly problematic and the retina may develop spots of pigmentation, leading to vision problems. Certain types of laser systems, including the YAG systems, can produce serious long term retinal damage known as visual disorientation. Occasionally, a sound that resembles a loud pop is heard when the damage occurs, but may not be associated with a vision problem until later when subsequent exposure worsens the problem.

What is the most popular style of laser safety glasses and why?

The most popular style of laser safety glasses in most labs are the wrap around style, usually because they are lightweight, fits any adult sized head, and are also very comfortable to wear. Wrap around styles provide good side shielding and are similar to popular styles of sunglasses, so they look less like traditional laser safety glasses. Other popular styles include the aviator styles, which have a larger lens area and provide a very clear field of vision. The selection of the style of glasses used in your facility is a personal choice. However, keep in mind that the more comfortable the frames are, the more likely all employees will be in wearing their glasses as required.

Can I tell what type of lenses are in laser safety glasses by the color of the lens itself?

No. There is no way to tell what specific wavelength and optical density that laser safety glasses are designed for just by the lens color alone. This is because there are only very slight variations in many of the lens colors, and they are virtually undetectable to the human eye. In addition some lens colors are the same but are designed for different wavelengths. It is therefore important to do some additional coding or identifying of the laser safety glasses based on the specification of the laser system they were ordered for use with. It is a good idea to begin a color coding system or a number system that associates one type of lens and glass with a specific laser system. This way employees, technicians and others who work in the facility don't assume thatall amber lenses can be used with a particular laser system, or that all red lenses are acceptable with another.