From construction workers to first responders to welders, dealing with fogged eyewear is incredibly frustrating. Lens fogging is also a significant safety issue. Anyone working outside in warm weather understands the struggle with fogging eyewear.
Several solutions exist for this problem. Before getting to those, let’s first look at the leading causes of fogging eyewear.
Why do lenses fog?
We’ve all seen a glass of cold water “sweat” in the sun. This sweating occurs because of the temperature difference between the inner and outer surface of the glass. Fogged eyewear results from the same process. A temperature difference between the inner and outer surfaces of the lens causes them to “sweat.”
Key Factors Contributing to Fogged Eyewear
- Ambient heat: The temperature of the surrounding environment.
- Tight eyewear: Snug eyewear causes a lack of air flow, a problem commonly associated with goggles and wraparound lenses.
- Increased humidity: The more moisture in the air, the more likely lenses will fog. High levels of humidity increase fogging problems on hot and humid days.
- Human exertion: Working hard causes the body to heat up and produce sweat. The added heat and moisture contribute to lens fogging.
Safety Issues Caused by Fogged Eyewear
Anyone with an eye for safety realizes the significant issues caused by fogged eyewear. Independent research, as reported in OH&S, confirmed this.
Fogging is the number one vision-related barrier to wearing safety glasses. In fact, 28% of safety professionals believe fogged eyewear contributed to injuries in their workplaces.
Non-compliance often comes when workers remove safety glasses because of fogging.
4 Solutions for Fogged Eyewear
While no product provides 100% fog-proof protection, solutions exist to significantly reduce and/or delay lens fogging.
1. Change your eyewear design. A style allowing more air to flow around the lens may be all you need to reduce and/or delay fogging.
2. Apply anti-fog spray. Some employers report the almost 100% elimination of problems caused by fogging eyewear after workers use an anti-fog spray with their safety eyewear. Knowing How to Use Anti-Fog Solutions is key to eliminating fogged eyewear.
3. Buy Anti-Fog Eyewear. Many options exist now within available anti-fog safety eyewear. Anti-Fog lenses come in nearly any lens tint or style, even bifocal and polarized.
4. Go extreme. For most, glasses with anti-fog coating are enough to solve the problem. Others, such as those who wear both prescription eyewear and safety eyewear and those who work in extreme heat, sometimes need a more radical solution. In such cases, Extreme Anti-Fog Goggles, with their dual-pane lenses that eliminate condensation and built-in fans that forcefully remove moisture and reduce fogging, may help.
Don’t fall victim to fogged eyewear, one of the biggest frustrations with safety eyewear as well as the main reason for non-compliance. Consider the possible cause of your particular fogging problem, then take the necessary steps to eliminate it.
