Protective eyewear is used across a wide range of industries, ensuring operator safety while preventing lost production time and extra expenditures. Hazardous workplaces vary in scope and need, and businesses require a range of different personal protective equipment (PPE) to keep workers safe without sacrificing efficiency or speed. From heat reflective face shields to chemically resistant eyewear, PPE is available for virtually any hazardous job.
To avoid common eye and face injuries caused by debris, heat, spark, light, and chemical hazards, protective equipment must be constructed of the proper materials and be designed for optimal protection and longevity. Employers who need to protect their workers must carefully assess specific workplace safety needs, choosing reliable, high-quality face shields and eye protection that allow their staff to get the job done safely, on-time, and within budget.
PPE face shields, in particular, are often used for high-heat, welding safety, landscaping protection, and medical and chemical resistance applications.
Popular Types of Personal Protective Equipment
Heat Reflective Face Shields
Heat reflective face shields are primarily used in high-temperature environments where radiant heat or splashes of molten metal can severely injure an operator’s face and eyes. In many cases, a combination of heat reflective face shields and protective eye gear is employed. Face shield lenses are typically made with high-temperature polycarbonate materials, then finished with a hard-coated, metalized gold layer that helps absorb and reflect radiant heat. This provides functional protection during furnace operations, hot dipping, casting, and other processes in which hot sparks or molten metal are prevalent. During high-temperature machining, flying sparks and debris that occur as a result of the material removal process require the use of an impact-resistant, heat reflective face shield.
Welding Face Shields
Welders also depend on face shields and protective eyewear to safeguard against sparks, heat, molten metal, intense light, and other debris. Face shields for welding help prevent burns caused by sparks while limiting the eye-damaging IR and UV light generated by the arc. These types of light can be temporarily harmful — and even permanently damaging — to the retina, seriously affecting workers over the long term. Welding operators must employ face shields that offer optimal protection through a lightweight, comfortable design. Safety glasses can also be used, and are typically combined with face shields when performing arc, stick, and other oxyacetylene welding processes. To meet the unique needs of different welding tasks, welding face shields are available with either variable or fixed shading configurations.
Landscaping Face Shields
Landscaping face shields protect workers from the daily rigors of chopping, cutting, grinding, and other woodworking tasks. Flying chips, debris, and sawdust can seriously injure the face and eyes. Face shields for landscaping applications can be made from various high-impact plastics and, in some cases, can be integrated with UV-protected lenses. Many landscaping face shields can also be mounted to helmets for additional head protection. Face shields for chainsaws are available with steel mesh face protection that safeguards against debris and maintains clear vision. And outdoor face shields, designed for optimal comfort in various environments, can include anti-fog qualities for better visual clarity when working in high heat or humidity.
Medical/Chemical Face Shields
Face shields can be used to protect against chemical hazards, organic medical materials, and other foreign objects. Typically worn over additional protective eyewear, medical/chemical face shields combine lightweight, durable polycarbonate construction with ergonomic function so that workers can perform their jobs safely and efficiently in environments such as hospitals and processing facilities. Medical face shields are available with enhanced or full coverage, as well as drapes and spit shields for use in operating rooms, delivery areas, and other areas that require sterile protection from airborne substances. Chemical face shields are designed with engineered plastics that protect against hazardous chemical splashes from acids, solvents and other dangerous substances.
The Importance of Personal Protective Equipment
Choosing the appropriate personal protective equipment requires a thorough understanding of daily workplace hazards, as well as the functional needs of workers. By selecting top-quality protective eye gear and industrial face shields, businesses can proactively keep their staff safe while preventing productivity losses, extra expenditures, and general stress.
Resources
- Lab Faceshields
- IDC Face Shields
- OSHA – Selecting PPE for the Workplace
- Reflective Industrial Face Shields
- High Heat Face Shields
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