Flying particles and chemical splash are the two top causes of eye injuries in the workplace, but the majority of injuries could be prevented with proper eye protection, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Workers today have a plethora of safety glasses and goggles to choose from but that wasn't always the case. Industry first recognized the need for safety glasses and this need was pushed forward by military applications from World War I and later.
Powell Johnson invented and patented the first eye-protection glasses in 1880 for use by furnace men, iron puddlers, firefighters, and others exposed to the glare of strong light.
By 1909, the Julius King Optical Company collaborated with American Optical to produce the first safety goggle called SaniGlas that provided even more protection; the goggles came with folding sideshields and spring bows for easier on/off action.
In 1913, America Steel Foundries presented a chart displaying 110 safety goggles with one or both lenses shattered, evidence that in two years eye accidents reduced by 75 percent.
In 1914, the American Optical Company advertised prescription lenses for the goggles of workmen with defective vision to eliminate their need for wearing goggles over glasses.
Today, eye and face protection standards are set by OSHA. Federal regulations require employers to provide eye protection in hazardous conditions, including those where the eye or face can be exposed to flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gasses or vapors, or potentially injurious light radiation.,
Improvements in safety applications have followed technology and need. The first drivers and airlines pilots in open-air cockpits required side shields to protect their eyes. Safety glasses and goggles followed, protecting wearers from heat, radiation or UV light, direct or indirect ventilation, non-vented for protection against the passage of dust, mist, liquid, and vapors. 071.txt