Think of sunglasses and we tend to think of fashion statements.
But while they may be ‘cool’ they are as vital to safety at work as good old fashioned work boots or high visibility jackets. We asked our friends and suppliers at Infield Safety Ltd who specialise in protective eyewear, to share some of their wisdom about why protecting our eyes from UV (ultraviolet) rays is so important.
It seems there are a host of eye conditions that can be caused by exposure to UV rays. Photokeratitis, pinguecula and pterygium (also known as surfer’s eye) are all short term conditions which can be caused by or worsened by exposure to UV rays. Longer terms concerns include melanoma of the eye, cataracts and AMD -- age-related macular degeneration which causes you to lose central vision, usually in both eyes.
Our eyes are affected by two different forms of UV light, UV B rays and UV A rays. UV B light is absorbed by the cornea and causes damage to the whole eye as well as surrounding tissue. This kind of light can contribute to pingueculae, pterygia and photokeratitis as well as skin cancer and premature aging of surrounding tissue. UV A passes through the cornea and can cause damage to the macular and cornea, increasing risk of AMD and cataracts. Of all cancers above the neck, five to ten per cent are on the eyelids
And while we tend to reach for our sunglasses when the sun is bright, in reality, UV rays can be more damaging to our eyes on cloudy days, due to a scattering effect on the light. Even simple reflections such as sunlight reflected off wet roads or white painted walls can dramatically increase the amount of UV rays our eyes are exposed to. For example, if you’re painting a white house, the UV rays you are exposed to are increased by 22 per cent.
With 20 million eye procedures taking place each year, it seems we definitely need to get better at protecting our eyes. Here are some tips:
1. USE EYE PROTECTION ALL YEAR ROUND. A good quality pair of sunglasses or protective eyewear is a vital piece of workwear even in the winter if you work outside.
2. CHECK YOUR EYEWEAR BLOCKS UV RAYS. Make sure you wear eye protection with good UV protection. Infield’s safety eyewear is UV protective as standard.
3. COVER THE SKIN AROUND YOUR EYES. Make sure your eye protection doesn’t just cover your eyes but the soft skin area around them, which is also vulnerable to UV rays.
Raptor Safety Spectacles: The revolutionary wrap-around lens provides a close fit and fully protects the area around the eyes.
4. USE CLEAR LENSES WHEN VISIBILITY IS LOW. If you work in variable light conditions, consider clear eye protection to block UV rays on cloudy days while still allowing good visibility.
Terminator Safety Spectacles are available in a wide choice of frames with interchangeable lenses, including clear lenses or darker tints.
