Let's talk eye safety

J

jawilder

Joined
Jun 27, 2006
Messages
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I've been using standard OTC safety glasses over the years but still occasionally get a piece of sanding grit uncomfortably close to my eyes. It seems to be coming in through the side.

I have a couple of pairs of cheap wrap around safety goggles but HATE them because they fog up too easily and are very uncomfortable. So aside from getting a full face shield could you recommend something that is comfortable, lightweight, durable, and effective?
 
I have been getting the kind of wrap around shaped ones from lowes. They are similar style to say the sporty type sun glasses. Seem to work pretty good.

I think something else that would help is having some kind of shield above the grinder. I find that most of my issues are the stuff that comes off the upper wheel and gets directed toward your face when grinding.
 
I can tell you that as a woodturner and an Optician I have have tried various safety eyewear and found that they all have limits. I eventually ended up with the Trend Airshield pictured below. It give maximum protection for your eyes and the rest of your face and circulates air with a battery powered fan to keep you comfortable. Yes, it's big and it's not cheap but it's one of those no compromise things that solve the problem.

tre_air_pro.jpg
 
SChief454 said:
Trend Airshield pictured below. It give maximum protection for your eyes and the rest of your face and circulates air with a battery powered fan to keep you comfortable. Yes, it's big and it's not cheap but it's one of those no compromise things that solve the problem.

View attachment 362744
Click to expand...

:thumbup: I use the airmate and love it
 
Quote - .........So aside from getting a full face shield could you recommend....... The answer to your question - NO.


I am a firm believer in full face shields and positive pressure air hoods. I have a Trend, an Aircap II, and an umbilical hood for when I am grinding Micarta. .
I have had accidents when a block of wood or other object would fly up and strike the shield....HARD....It was the fact that there was a sheet of acrylic between my face and it that saved me from a bad injury.....safety glasses would not have stopped a bad cut or a big bruise.

If a rotating machine is turned on, I try to always have a face shield on.
 
Given the price of emergency medical care when the inevitable accident happens (much less follow-up surgery, eye or facial reconstruction or maybe even teeth) those full face hoods seem cheap. The Uvex Bionic Shield is very light and comfortable and extends down over your chin. I use that all the time with a Res Po Rater. My next door neighbor's kicks love the look, very high tech

Syn
 
I have a friend who lost an eye to, quite literally, to a 16D framing nail flying off his hammer when he was setting it.
Having been a carpenter for most of my life, I can not count the times nails have Zinged!! by my face.
My friend told me how he seldom thought about the safety of his eyes.
Until he lost one. :eek:
Now, that remaining eye was so valuable to him, he couldn't describe it.
In his words, "if we all took care of our eyes like we only had one, we'd all be a lot better off".
Anything we can do, is better than nothing.
 
Face shields aren't even particularly expensive. I used a $15 one for years. If you're wearing a respirator (which you are, right?) your breath will be directed downwards and it shouldn't fog. Because they aren't tight on your face the way most safety goggles are, moisture on your face won't make them fog, either. And on top of that they provide protection for your whole face, not just your eyes. You can spend a lot of money on a top-shelf face shield like other people are posting, or you can spend very little money on a bottom-shelf one that will protect you just fine.

- Chris
 
After reading a thread the other day about how a piece of steel got in the eye and wasnt removed right away and the steel rusted on the eyeball and caused surgery getting me one of those helmets like SChief posted is at the top of my next purchase list.
Until then I will keep using my saftey glasses. I was having a lot of trouble with my glasses fogging up too, every kind I tried fogged up bad until my last pair, 3M saftey glasses with the bifocals in them. the regular 3m glasses fogged bad but the 3m reading saftey glasses dont fog at all for me.
 
jawilder said:
I've been using standard OTC safety glasses over the years but still occasionally get a piece of sanding grit uncomfortably close to my eyes. It seems to be coming in through the side.

I have a couple of pairs of cheap wrap around safety goggles but HATE them because they fog up too easily and are very uncomfortable. So aside from getting a full face shield could you recommend something that is comfortable, lightweight, durable, and effective?
Click to expand...

Safety comes in layers


PPE
Personal Protective Equipment - the stuff we wear is usually what we think of for safety, but it should actually be the last in a series of steps.

If you can change your work methods, or change the machine to integrate a guard, that should also be done to reduce the chance that the PPE is that last thing to defend you.
 
OK, so I'll try to figure out some way to add a shield to the grinder. It is a GIB. Does anyone have any pictures of shields for 4 wheel grinders?

I am not against getting a full face respirator and have looked into it several times. I would just like to try one on before buying it just to make sure it fits but there aren't any places locally that sell them. Fastenall might but I hate to pay them $250 for something that I can pay $150 for online.
 
If the grinder's on, I've got at least the half mask respirator on. If I'm grinding metal with a fine belt or post heat treat, I wear the cheapo safety glasses. If I'm hogging metal with a coarse belt, I'm wearing the full face shield.
 
I use a pair of real close fitting Rec Specs. They do keep out the grit but I suspect its only a matter of time until something gets through. Mine do fog but I think there are lens coatings that prevent fogging.

I will absolutely be getting a full face shield when I can though. Just one tiny little spec in my eye cost me 190$ to remove. Its just not worth NOT using a full face shield.
 
Check out 3m`s "maxim 2x2 safety goggle". They're sized like regular glasses but have a foam rubber gasket around them to better seal out debris. You can use standard ear pieces or an elastic band (included) to wear them.
 
SChief454 said:
I eventually ended up with the Trend Airshield pictured below.
Click to expand...

wbeatty said:
:thumbup: I use the airmate and love it
Click to expand...

bladsmth said:
I have a Trend, an Aircap II, and an umbilical hood for when I am grinding Micarta. .
Click to expand...

So based on Stacy's statement I'm assuming the Airshield doesn't offer the same lung protection as a P100 respirator? I'm always amazed at how a piece of grit can make its way between my respirator, safety glasses, and ballcap. I wear goggles on top of my safety glasses when hogging, but I need to get a faceshield . . .
 
I work in a metal fab shop and I wear nemisis glasses. I still get small pieces by the eye, but oh well its the name of the game....
 
knife to a gunfight said:
Check out 3m`s "maxim 2x2 safety goggle". They're sized like regular glasses but have a foam rubber gasket around them to better seal out debris. You can use standard ear pieces or an elastic band (included) to wear them.
Click to expand...

When I used to work at a bike shop (read: I cleaned up after the master tech's for a Ducati dealership), I used to wear something similar for the better part of the day, the major difference is I require corrective lens, so the cost for scratch/shatter (read: space age plastic stuffs) proof lens was up there. Mine would fog from time to time depending on the time of year, but some rainx on the inside took care of that.

Whenever I was around the machine shop part of the garage, I wore a full face, I hated it, it was hot and didn't breath well, it always fogged up and was uncomfortable... HATED IT... Then came the day I was watching one of the machinists work a lathe, then the thing he was turning came apart, i took a piece to the face and he took the other to the gut. Thanks to his leather apron he didn't get more than a big bruise, thanks my full face, I don't have any scars on my face, I'm still ugly, but scarless... I still hate wearing those things, but if there's a machine humming around me that doesn't have some kind of safety shroud, I'll be sure to have one on...
 
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Get a full face respirator. No dust in my eyes at all. No finding my glasses.
 
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