In many work environments, UV rays an invisible but serious occupational risk. Prolonged exposure to UV radiation, for example from the sun, can cause serious damage to the eyes, such as cataracts whether photokeratitis. This makes UV protection not only a personal choice, but often also a legal obligation for employers. According to the Working Conditions Act employers must take adequate protective measures when UV radiation poses an occupational risk. This obligation is laid down in the regulations for personal protective equipment (PPE), including eye protection. You can read more about this on the Occupational health portal. In this blog, we'll discuss the benefits of UV-protected safety glasses and why they're a smart choice for anyone who works in challenging lighting conditions.

UV radiation as an occupational risk

According to the Working Conditions Act an employer is obliged to protect employees against occupational risks, including exposure to UV radiation. If employees are regularly exposed to sunlight during their work and this exposure cannot be prevented, the employer must provide UV-protective sunglasses such as PPE. This falls under the responsibility of the employer to ensure safe working conditions.

The importance of UV protection is great, as prolonged exposure without protection can lead to permanent eye damage. Safety glasses with UV protection can help to significantly reduce this risk.

Benefits of UV-protected safety glasses

1. Complete protection against harmful radiation

UV-protected safety glasses filter harmful UVA and UVB rays, keeping your eyes protected all day long. This is essential for employees who work outside, such as construction workers, gardeners, and other professionals who are exposed to direct sunlight.

2. Clear vision in all lighting conditions

In addition to protecting against harmful rays, UV-protected goggles keep your vision sharp and clear, even in bright sunlight. This prevents eye fatigue and ensures that you can stay focused and efficient.

3. Comfort for long days

UV protective goggles reduce eye fatigue and headaches that often occur during prolonged exposure to bright light. This increases comfort during long working days, which improves both safety and productivity.

Photochromic lenses: The ideal combination of comfort and protection

In addition to standard UV protection, safety glasses with photochromic lenses an extra advantage. These lenses automatically adapt to lighting conditions, making them darker in bright sunlight and lighter in less intense light. This means you have optimal vision all day long, without having to change glasses.

Photochromic lenses are not only useful, they also retain the natural colors thanks to the grey sun lenses. This is crucial in work environments where accurate color identification of safety colors is essential, such as on construction sites or in industrial environments.

Benefits of photochromic lenses:

• Automatic adjustment to light intensity: Provides optimal visibility, both indoors and outdoors.
• Realistic color rendering: Important for tasks where color identification is critical to safety.
• Full UV protection: Helps prevent long-term damage to the eyes, even when working outdoors frequently.
• Comfort and safety combined: No more hassle with multiple glasses, photochromic lenses offer seamless comfort in all lighting conditions.

For more information about safety glasses with photochromic lenses and other coatings, check out our eyeglass lens coatings.

Safety glasses and PPE: Who pays the costs?

When UV radiation is an occupational risk, it is the employer responsibility to make UV-protected safety glasses available as PPE. If exposure to sunlight cannot be prevented, for example by organizing the work differently, the employer must cover the costs of the glasses.

As an employee, do you need safety glasses with photochromic lenses, but is UV radiation not a work risk? Then these glasses can fall under the workwear category, provided they meet the correct strength.

FAQs

When should an employer provide UV-protected safety glasses?

According to the Working Conditions Act, an employer is required to provide UV protective goggles when workers are regularly exposed to UV radiation and this exposure cannot be prevented.

What are photochromic lenses and when are they useful?

Photochromic lenses adapt to lighting conditions. They are particularly useful for employees who frequently switch between indoor and outdoor environments, as the lenses automatically darken or lighten.

Are UV-protected safety glasses reimbursed by the employer?

Yes, if UV radiation constitutes an occupational risk, the employer must provide the glasses as PPE. If there is no occupational risk, the glasses may fall under work clothes and the compensation depends on agreements with the employer.