de walt concealer protective goggles ppe eyewear

Eye Protection

If it’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s the value of eye protection. I’ve got sparks and debris in my eyes from time to time and as I’ve gotten older, I’m starting to appreciate how important my eyesight is to me.

I’ve been considering moving to a full face visor but have also discovered some other options, particularly with coal forges in mind. I hadn’t realised that coal forges give off a lot of IR and UV light which can be detrimental to eye-health over the long-term.

Here are some of the options I’m looking at.

De Walt basic safety goggles for forging

Glasses

  • Easy to put on
  • Cheap to replace
  • Can let debris in around the sides
  • Respirator compatible?
Example
DeWalt Goggles for safer working

Googles

  • Easy to put on
  • Cheap to replace
  • Good side protection
  • Possibly not as comfortable as glasses when wearing all day?
  • Risk of fogging up
  • Respirator compatible
Example
Full face PPE protection for bladesmiths

Full face shield

  • Easy to put on
  • Cheap to replace
  • Good side protection
  • Possibly not as comfortable as glasses when wearing all day?
  • Risk of fogging up
  • Wear safety glasses underneath this as sparks can still get under it
Example
Borosilicate Glasses

Borosilicate Glasses

  • Good colour recognition
  • May not offer the same impact resistance
  • Good filtering of sodium flare, UV, and IR light
  • Risk of fogging up
  • May clash with a respirator
Example

To minimise floating airborne hazards, make sure you grind with a dust extraction system if you can.