A few months ago, I was using a weed whacker to clean up the garden. Usually, a garden service does the job but they were unavailable during the holidays. I had no safety equipment on, other than a pair of garden gloves, and when the inevitable happened and a stone shot up at my face, it almost caused serious damage.
Don’t get me wrong, the welt on my skin was bad enough. But it hit a few inches from my eye which was completely exposed.
Now, a weed whacker is not heavy duty equipment. And yet it can still cause catastrophic harm. It amazes me that some people at construction sites go about dressed in their civilian clothes, with no protection. Their eyes are exposed to concrete dust at the very least, and potentially flying objects.
What safety glasses should you wear at a construction site? Here’s what you need to know.
Prescription safety glasses
Many prescription glasses wearers are wary of safety glasses, as they imagine they will have to go over their normal glasses. However, you can actually get prescription safety glasses. These can come as sunglasses, sports glasses, or just regular eyeglasses to wear at a construction site.
Of course, you will need to choose your safety glasses according to the construction site. If you need to wear heavy goggles, you might be okay with a regular pair to go over your normal eyeglasses. On the other hand, you may find that prescription safety glasses are the perfect fit when walking into heavy wind carrying dust and other projectiles.
When do you need to wear safety glasses?
When you are on someone else’s construction site, you are best advised to wear heavy duty goggles as you are not well-acquainted with the risks present. Any delay is costly as it can take a long time to sell a new home and have an impact on your when your mortgage starts. However, on your own construction site or during a home renovation, you can use your discretion. That does not mean you should risk going without for what you consider small projects. Rather, you can decide which pair of safety glasses is suitable.
Not all jobs do require safety glasses, but be sure to put yours on when doing any of the following:
- Using a chainsaw
- Sanding
- Grinding
- Using a circular saw
- Using a wood chipper
- Melding
- Nailing
- Mixing cement
- Any task that exposes you to dust or flying objects
When you start doing the job, it might not seem like you need the safety glasses, especially when you are “only” dealing with dust. However, as you work and perspire, dust can easily run into your eyes. Furthermore, a single splash of cement and chemical mixtures can damage your eyesight permanently.
Even those who work in construction every single day sometimes make mistakes that cause major damage to their being. If you're not sure whether a task requires safety glasses, rather be safe than sorry. Your eyes are one of your most important organs and are also very vulnerable. Considering that you can now easily get prescription safety glasses, there is no excuse to go without.
