subject: Corporations Offer Prescription Safety Glass Programs [print this page] Vision is a precious gift and eyes need to be protected in many work places, such as chemical laboratories and operating rooms.
Government regulations, mandated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, require employers to provide proper vision protection.
According to Mary Beth Northrup, a contributor to EHow.com, In general, employers are required to provide, and pay for, the personal protective equipment needed.
Many occupations, such as grass mowing and trimming, only require general eye protection. For instance, goggles fitting over spectacles may be enough. However, several occupations require protection that enhances vision along with shielding from dangers.
As an example, surgical doctors and nurses need prescription safety glasses. Chemical researchers may need them as well.
That is why several universities, such as Colgate, Stanford and Penn, offer their employees a safety glasses program for obtaining the necessary glasses. Similar programs are available for manufacturing industries.
A typical prescription safety glasses program is described in general terms in a forum at Safety.BLR.com. An employee sees a doctor for an eyeglass prescription, which is paid for by the worker. Safety glasses are then provided by a company-authorized supplier, which is billed to the company.
SafeVision.net offers a prescription safety glasses program, for instance, that includes local providers working with doctors. The company allows workers to visit their own optometrists, who then use Safe Vision providers to order the glasses.
Prescription safety glass frames are often made from titanium or stainless steel as well as plastic. Lenses are made from polycarbonate, plastic or glass. Polycarbonate is the lightest and most impact-resistant material, according to EyeMasters.com.
Besides meeting OSHA standards, an employer with a prescription safety glasses program should look for eye glasses meeting approval by the American National Standards Institute. Z87.1 is the common designation for glasses meeting the proper standards.
