How To Keep Your Eyes Safe At Work During The Summer Season

Summer brings warmer days, brighter skies, and longer working hours outdoors. While many of us know the importance of protecting our skin from harmful UV rays, eye protection can sometimes take a backseat. However, safeguarding your eyes during summer months is equally vital. Excessive exposure to UV rays can result in temporary discomfort, and potentially serious long-term damage.

Why UV Protection Matters for Your Eyes

With the thinning of the ozone layer (the Earth’s shield from UV rays) combined with the lack of cloud cover in the summer months, the sun's rays are usually much stronger contributing to a high UV rating. It is incredibly important to take precautions and protect your eyes from the bright harmful rays of light. Not taking the precautions to protect your eyes could lead to a whole range of risks associated with eye damage. Short term effects from high UV exposure often present as sore and irritated eyes. However, long term effects can be much more serious and can include photo keratitis, cataracts, pterygia and eye cancers. If the lens of the eye is exposed to ultraviolet light for an extended period of time, there is the risk of losing transparency which can lead to impaired vision and even sight loss.

Key Factors Affecting UV Exposure

Several factors influence your risk of UV exposure at work, including:

• Time of day: UV rays are strongest between 10 am and 4 pm.
• Duration: Longer periods outside increase risk.
• Environment: Reflective surfaces like water, sand, metal, and roofing materials intensify UV exposure.

Choosing The Right Safety Eyewear

Selecting appropriate safety glasses for summer work is essential. Here’s what you should look for:

• Fit: Glasses with a snug, wraparound style effectively prevent UV rays from entering around the edges.
• Lens tint: Select tints that match your working conditions—darker lenses for bright, direct sunlight, and lighter or yellow lenses for varied light conditions.
• UV Protection: Opt for lenses offering high UV protection, ideally blocking 99-100% of UV rays.
• Anti-fog properties: Essential for strenuous tasks, anti-fog lenses help maintain clear vision, improving both comfort and safety.

The Benefits Of Polarised Lenses

If you work in a high glare environment then polarised lenses are an essential for eye safety. Bolle Safety’s injection moulded polarised technology is almost unbeatable. These lenses block 99.99% of UV rays which is over and beyond the europeans standards. Featuring an optically correct polarising film that is embedded into the lens, it cannot be removed or scratched off.

Recommended Safety Glasses from SHD Medical

At SHD Medical, we've expanded our collection to include trusted brands like Uvex and Honeywell, complementing our existing Bollé range.

• Uvex Pheos CX2 Sonic Goggles: Ideal for demanding environments, these goggles offer outstanding UV protection, excellent comfort, and a stylish design.
• Honeywell Millennia 2G Safety Glasses: Featuring yellow lenses, these glasses enhance visibility in varying light conditions and provide optimal protection.
• Bollé B-Line BL10CF Safety Glasses: Smoke lenses reduce glare effectively, making them ideal for bright outdoor conditions.

It is imperative that you look after your eyes, after all, you only get one pair.  Damage can be prevented with something as simple as a pair of safety sunglasses.  Visual impairment could be devastating especially if it could have been avoided.  If you experience any discomfort or strain then it is always best to get checked out and remember that eye protection is required all year round, not just during the summer.  You can browse our full range of safety glasses here.

Sources:

https://www.bolle-safety.com/page/summer-sun-safety-glasses
https://www.uvex-safety.co.uk/en/products/safety-eyewear/