Health care professionals and people working in laboratories are often exposed to hazards that can cause an array of problems to exposed body parts. This is the reason why lab professionals use gloves to protect their hands, PPE goggles to protect their eyes and special suits to protect other body parts. A medical supply store sells different types of PPE that are critical not only for the safety of the doctor but also for the safety of the patient.
A health care professional in his clinic or a researcher working in a laboratory needs to know how to select a PPE for a specific purpose. The type and level of required protection depend on the type and level of hazard.
Following are the categories of PPE:
- Face and eye protection
- Hand protection
- Body protection
- Hearing protection
- Respiratory protection
There are different types of safety equipment under each category. This article covers the following eye and face protection equipment.
- General safety glasses
- Laser safety glasses
- Chemical splash goggles
- Impact glasses
- Face shields
PPE goggles for eye protection are used to protect eyes from exposure to chemical splashes, flying debris and/or laser radiation.
General Safety Glasses
These PPE goggles must have side shields. They provide a minimum level of protection against hazards present in laboratories. General safety glasses are not effective enough to protect eyes from chemical splashes. These PPE goggles are recommended to protect eyes from salts, buffers or any other solutions that are not likely to damage the eyes.
Laser Safety Glasses
Human eyes are vulnerable to laser beams. The harmful effect depends on the power and wavelength of the laser. This is the reason why it is important to consider laser wavelength and power while selecting laser safety glasses. It is important to be aware of the application. Exposure to powerful lasers does more than flash blinding. It has the potential to cause serious eye injuries.
Chemical Splash Goggles
Splash of infectious substances and other harmful chemicals can reach the eyes of a professional working in the lab. This is where chemical splash goggles are used for eye protection. Chemical splash goggles can also serve the purpose of impact glasses by preventing flying debris from getting in the eyes.
Impact Goggles
These PPE goggles are designed to provide protection from flying debris. Impact goggles have ventilation holes on the sides. One can also use chemical splash goggles at the place of impact goggles.
Face Shields
These shields do not only protect the eyes of the user from chemical splashes but the entire face. These splashes can cause immediate skin damage. Working with sonicating tissue samples or dispensing liquid nitrogen or concentrated acids can be very dangerous without proper protection. It is important to wear them in conjunction with chemical splash goggles. Depending on the task, the user may also require respiratory protective equipment.
Using proper PPE protection is critical to the safety of the user while working with hazardous substances in laboratories. One can buy different types of face and eye protection equipment from online stores.
