# Prescription Safety Glasses



## Switched

So I have an apprentice that has to wear glasses, contacts are not really an option for him. 

I know that the glasses are not rated as safety glasses, so he has two options:

1) Prescription Safety Glasses
2) Goggles designed to fit over his existing glasses

As the employer I am required to provide the safety equipment, which would be the goggles designed to fit over the glasses. Does anyone know of a brand that is comfortable and doesn't fog up?

On the prescription front, that is something he would be out of pocket for, correct?


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## MechanicalDVR

Switched said:


> So I have an apprentice that has to wear glasses, contacts are not really an option for him.
> 
> I know that the glasses are not rated as safety glasses, so he has two options:
> 
> 1) Prescription Safety Glasses
> 2) Goggles designed to fit over his existing glasses
> 
> As the employer I am required to provide the safety equipment, which would be the goggles designed to fit over the glasses. Does anyone know of a brand that is comfortable and doesn't fog up?
> 
> On the prescription front, that is something he would be out of pocket for, correct?


Grainger is the easiest to find goggles and safety stuff in general.

Yes he would have to buy prescription glasses if he wanted them.

There was some program for reduced prices through my local if you wanted to get the eye surgery to correct problems. I think you'd pay $1500 and the rest was picked up by insurance.


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## cabletie

Finding a place that sells prescription safety glasses locally is hard. Mail order is probably not the best way to by glasses. Most work sites allow the use of side shields on the regular glasses. My employer supplies the side shields. The prescription would be the responsibility of the employee.

As far as I know the guys wearing the side shields do not have the Z71 rated lenses or whatever the safety rated number is. I don't know what the liability is if someone wears the shields on regular glasses and gets hurt. 

I've had a mild prescription my whole life, and just wear the regular safety glasses. I did look into prescription safety glasses a long time ago. It wasn't worth the long ride to try them on in person. I basically only wear glasses while driving, and then it's a cool pair of Ray-ban's.


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## Switched

I just ordered a couple of goggle type units that can go over the top of the glasses. I can see these being a huge pain in the butt long term, but he needs the proper gear.

We just had an eye injury and I am not willing to use side shields attached to the normal glasses, as you mentioned, I bet they are not approved in that manner.


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## MechanicalDVR

Switched said:


> I just ordered a couple of goggle type units that can go over the top of the glasses. I can see these being a huge pain in the butt long term, but he needs the proper gear.
> 
> We just had an eye injury and I am not willing to use side shields attached to the normal glasses, as you mentioned, I bet they are not approved in that manner.


You are correct, the lenses are more important than side shields. 

I have safety glasses I ordered from Grainger with reader lenses on the bottom half of the lenses. They run maybe $7-$10 and work great for me.


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## foothillselectrical

Is he a good employee? Do you have high turnover? Why would you not supply him wthi the proper gear? Last pair of prescription safely glasses I bought were cheap, maybe $150.00 or so, and I live in a hick town with maybe 5-600 citizens.


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## Switched

foothillselectrical said:


> Is he a good employee? Do you have high turnover? Why would you not supply him wthi the proper gear? Last pair of prescription safely glasses I bought were cheap, maybe $150.00 or so, and I live in a hick town with maybe 5-600 citizens.


He is a good employee, but is only part time. He isn't going to be with me long term.

Supplying him with goggles that fit over his glasses would be providing him with the proper gear.

The reason for the thread is to get answers. First time I have had an employee that needed them. Every contractor I ever worked for, Union included, did not supply prescription glasses, but they did supply safety glasses.


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## MechanicalDVR

Switched said:


> He is a good employee, but is only part time. He isn't going to be with me long term.
> 
> Supplying him with goggles that fit over his glasses would be providing him with the proper gear.
> 
> The reason for the thread is to get answers. First time I have had an employee that needed them. Every contractor I ever worked for, Union included, did not supply prescription glasses, but they did supply safety glasses.


Prescription glasses aren't in any benefits packages in the IBEW I'm aware of. Some locals have discount cards and deals with vision centers but not all.


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## LGLS

MechanicalDVR said:


> Prescription glasses aren't in any benefits packages in the IBEW I'm aware of. Some locals have discount cards and deals with vision centers but not all.


We get an eye exam and free pair of glasses annually, including family members. (Non designer) You can opt for safety glasses instead, look like something a 1960's shop teacher would wear.


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## foothillselectrical

Sorry sir. I didn't mean to offend you. I just thought my answer was implied. If you have a good employee with low turnover I would buy him a pair of safety glasses. That's what I consider the proper stuff as opposed to the minimum, i.e. goggles. I just went above and beyond for my employees, and have the mindset that all employers are as good as I was.


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## Switched

foothillselectrical said:


> Sorry sir. I didn't mean to offend you. I just thought my answer was implied. If you have a good employee with low turnover I would buy him a pair of safety glasses. That's what I consider the proper stuff as opposed to the minimum, i.e. goggles. I just went above and beyond for my employees, and have the mindset that all employers are as good as I was.


Nope I suck.:thumbsup:


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## MechanicalDVR

LawnGuyLandSparky said:


> We get an eye exam and free pair of glasses annually, including family members. (Non designer) You can opt for safety glasses instead, look like something a 1960's shop teacher would wear.


Local 3?


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## Fishbulb

Switched said:


> I know that the glasses are not rated as safety glasses, so he has two options:
> 
> 1) Prescription Safety Glasses
> 2) Goggles designed to fit over his existing glasses


There's a third. There are many, many different models of safety glasses designed to fit over regular prescription glasses. This is something he would need to pick out himself based on his own glasses, however. Designs intended to fit over '80s style thick plastic frames will not work with today's trendy wire frames with their tiny lenses and vice versa.



> Does anyone know of a brand that is comfortable and doesn't fog up?


Such a thing does not exist. They will constantly fog up, shift the glasses out of place, get dirtied up with sweat and debris, and be unbelievably uncomfortable when the temperature isn't a perfect 60 degrees. I would rather walk around all day with a full face shield than goggles over my glasses. They really are that bad.



> On the prescription front, that is something he would be out of pocket for, correct?


Safety toe boots and prescription safety eyewear are the two things you are not responsible for providing.

That being said, I've never had an employer not provide at least a small stipend towards the purchase of prescription safety glasses when I needed them. The lowest was $8 (thanks) and I believe the highest was $120.

I can understand both points of view. If you don't assist the employee he/she will likely not feel valued and will remember that in their work and when you ask something of them. On the other hand, paying in full for prescription glasses will cause every other employee to bitch when you don't buy them the $200 Uber-Cool CurrentStyle(TM) safety glasses they want. What to do for a part-time temporary apprentice is an even tougher call.


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## 99cents

I tried prescription safety glasses and they just didn't work for me. Everything I looked at was swimming. It was because of the wraparound style. The optician knew her stuff (I know since I was married to her) and she said that it can be an individual thing.

Here's a tip and I really hate recommending these people: Walmart has a money back guarantee on eyeglasses. Best to check with the Vision Centre first but it's worth a try. Goggles over eyeglasses suck.


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## 99cents

The frames for prescription safety glasses are inexpensive; the cost is in the lenses. I really wanted them to work to save my normal glasses from wear and tear.


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## Fishbulb

cabletie said:


> Most work sites allow the use of side shields on the regular glasses.


Where would I find such work sites? At some sites I've been to it's hard to even get on premises once the 'S+' has worn off of my safety lenses.



> My employer supplies the side shields.


Where do I find some of these universal side shields that fit every pair of glasses? I do wear prescription safety glasses and have gone through many pairs in my adult life. Each and every pair had completely different detachable side shields that fit no other frames. Replacements were hard to come by since the frames were always discontinued by the time I needed replacement shields. These magic universal shields would have been useful.

I've since ordered two spare sets of shields for each set of new frames I buy. Haven't lost or damaged a single set in the fifteen years I've been doing that.



> As far as I know the guys wearing the side shields do not have the Z71 rated lenses or whatever the safety rated number is. I don't know what the liability is if someone wears the shields on regular glasses and gets hurt.


If the employee did this on their own and no safety inspector bothered to check, total liability to the employer. The employer is still responsible for verifying that safety equipment provides appropriate protection even if they did not supply it. If the employer supplied the universal side shields themselves? Criminal liability.


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## LGLS

MechanicalDVR said:


> Local 3?


Yes. The exams are given in our medical department. There's a small fitting room with a few hundred styles of free frames to choose from. But you can also go to an outside optometrist and just suffer the co-pays, and of course designer frames are all on you.


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## LGLS

AFAIK, the side shields are no longer accepted anyway.


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## MikeFL

Switched said:


> So I have an apprentice that has to wear glasses, contacts are not really an option for him.
> 
> I know that the glasses are not rated as safety glasses, so he has two options:
> 
> 1) Prescription Safety Glasses
> 2) Goggles designed to fit over his existing glasses
> 
> As the employer I am required to provide the safety equipment, which would be the goggles designed to fit over the glasses. Does anyone know of a brand that is comfortable and doesn't fog up?
> 
> On the prescription front, that is something he would be out of pocket for, correct?


There are some valid reasons to just let him pick out what he wants, as long as it's OSHA compliant, and you pay for it.

If you mandate a particular product, and there's an accident, he can blame you for picking the wrong product.

Under ADA you are required to make "reasonable accommodations" for a disabled employee. What's reasonable? It's whatever an attorney convinces a jury it is. 

Spending some money on whatever glasses work best for him may mitigate any future claims over the issue.


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## jbfan

cabletie said:


> Finding a place that sells prescription safety glasses locally is hard. Mail order is probably not the best way to by glasses. Most work sites allow the use of side shields on the regular glasses. My employer supplies the side shields. The prescription would be the responsibility of the employee.
> 
> As far as I know the guys wearing the side shields do not have the Z71 rated lenses or whatever the safety rated number is. I don't know what the liability is if someone wears the shields on regular glasses and gets hurt.
> 
> I've had a mild prescription my whole life, and just wear the regular safety glasses. I did look into prescription safety glasses a long time ago. It wasn't worth the long ride to try them on in person. I basically only wear glasses while driving, and then it's a cool pair of Ray-ban's.


Any place that sells glasses sell prescription safety glasses.


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## foothillselectrical

jbfan said:


> Any place that sells glasses sell prescription safety glasses.


...and they're cheap!


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## varmit

I have worn high prescription lenses all of my life and as I got older I needed bifocal lenses. My current, long term employer pays 100% for my glasses. Maybe I am lucky in that respect? 

Googles will not work all day every day. 
a. They will fog up constantly.
b. The cheap lenses in goggles distort vision.
c. The goggles will will shift around and push the glasses out of place, interfering with vision and safety. 
d. The extra weight and pressure, on the nose and face will cause pain and suffering.

I am not sure of an answer to your situation. The frames can be less than $50. The lenses are the expensive part. My last lenses were $215 each ($430).


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## V8BoatBuilder

I had a set of prescription saftey glasses made at Lens Crafters, right in the mall. They had to send them out rather than do them in-store, but wasn't more than a few hundred.

They have saved my eyes more than once, wish I had done it sooner rather than mess with googles over glasses.


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## PokeySmokey

Here is a possible solution where Safety Goggles are required:

https://www.3mcanada.ca/3M/en_CA/co...escription-Insert?N=5002385+3292224111&rt=rud


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## zoltan

LawnGuyLandSparky said:


> look like something a 1960's shop teacher would wear.


AKA "birth control glasses"


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## Southeast Power

LawnGuyLandSparky said:


> AFAIK, the side shields are no longer accepted anyway.


We are on a very heavy safety program project at the moment and they do accept side shields for every day work but a face shield when grinding, etc.


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## MechanicalDVR

zoltan said:


> AKA "birth control glasses"


Some highly attractive 'females' are highly attracted to nerds, surprising I know.


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## cabletie

Southeast Power said:


> We are on a very heavy safety program project at the moment and they do accept side shields for every day work but a face shield when grinding, etc.


I just left an almost two year project that was just as big on safety as all the other jobs I'm on. I was there when I made the post about side shields. The GC has a full time safety guy that does nothing else. He never had a problem with them. Before that job was finished, my employer also hired a company that does safety inspections on all the jobs were on. 

The "impossible to find" generic side shields can be bought by the box full at Uline. A simple search can probably find more. 

I'm only on commercial jobs. Maybe it's different with heavy industrial?


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## lighterup

Switched said:


> I just ordered a couple of goggle type units that can go over the top of the glasses. I can see these being a huge pain in the butt long term, but he needs the proper gear.
> 
> We just had an eye injury and I am not willing to use side shields attached to the normal glasses, as you mentioned, I bet they are not approved in that manner.


When I had my prescription glasses made , I also had prescription
safety glasses made with bifocals on the top and bottom...this way
if I'm on a scissor lift looking up ( say at a ballst) I can read through
the bottom of the glasses as well.

The safety prescription glasses would be the way to go for him.
They are way better than wearing goggles over glasses IMO don't
fog up either. In lieu of buying those ones that fit over glasses maybe 
offer that money you would have spent to him for purchasing safety
script glasses(???)


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## manchestersparky

Why not just offer the googles OR a certain dollar amount toward prescription safety glasses ? Give the employee the option to use the free googles or foot a major part of the bill for the prescription lenses.

Should the employee choose the prescription lenses tell him / her that you will need verification that the new glasses are safety rated


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## brian john

I have OSHA approved prescription, progressive bifocals safety glasses, with removable side shields, any optometrist can get them. Cost about $660.00.


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## lighterup

brian john said:


> I have OSHA approved prescription, progressive bifocals safety glasses, with removable side shields, any optometrist can get them. Cost about $660.00.


Almost the same except side shield? Mine are one 
piece , nothing removable


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## stiffneck

zoltan said:


> AKA "birth control glasses"


The brand I use is "UVEX" and they fit over fairly large prescription eye wear, but will scratch plastic lenses.


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## u2slow

Best thing I've found lately... hardhats with flip-down safety glasses; tinted or not (i.e. Petzl). This is my current preference when I'm subject to full PPE. I wear prescription lenses 100% of the time.





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## HertzHound

I was looking at the Petzl hard hats a few months ago when I was ready for a new hard hat. I liked that option that it had the lens that folds up into the protective cover. Very expensive. What I was wondering, was the chin strap. Is it removable? If you can remove it, does it loose its OSHA acceptance? I’d hate to buy it and have some safety Nazi tell me I can’t wear it without the stupid chin strap. You know, the same guy that says you can’t wear the hard hat backwards.
I wound up buying a Lift Safety carbon fiber. They had blems at half price on their web site. So it was like $50 off because it had a nick in the finish. No big deal. In a few months it will be loaded with stickers, nicks and scratches. 
I don’t know because I never tried on a Petzl, but I’m guessing that the Petzl has a better suspension system? The Lift Safety doesn’t want to stay on as good as my old cheap plastic one.


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## u2slow

The Petzl is expensive - a downside. Work was offering them, so I obliged. The fit is more like a rock climbing or boarding/bike helmet, and that's what the chin strap style is. I don't mind it actually. I haven't looked into using it without. The headgear tightens/loosens with a thumbwheel on each side above your ears. It has slider vents too you can open when its hot.


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