Whether your child is involved in a science experiment, participating in a game of racquetball or mowing the lawn, wearing child's safety goggles provides protection against possible eye injuries.
The Importance of Safety Goggles
Each year thousands of children are rushed to hospital emergency rooms with eye injuries. Many of the injuries are the result of participating in sports related activities. Sadly each year some of these injuries results in permanent eye damage or blindness. The National Eye Institute reports that ninety percent of sports related eye injuries could have been prevented if the children were wearing protective goggles. Protective goggles are not just for children that wear corrective lenses. Protective eyewear is available in both prescription and non prescription styles.
Although protective goggles are commonly worn by students participating in science experiments in classrooms and science labs throughout the country, they are not worn nearly as often when children are playing sports or are involved in activities at home that have the potential for causing eye injuries. For example, children often want to help their parents with outside yard work and lawn care. Many parents do not realize that a stone thrown up from a lawn mower can cause severe eye damage. If an older child is using a lawn mower, or any child is outside when a lawn mower is in use, they should be wearing protective goggles. Other examples of activities when a child should wear safety goggles include:
- Using any type of tool
- Activities that expose the eyes to excessive small particles or dust
- Paintball
Sports Related Eye Injuries
The two sports responsible for the highest number of eye injuries are basketball and baseball. Examples of other types of sports activities that have the potential of causing injury to the eyes are:
- Water sports
- Snow sports
- Softball
- Soccer
- Tennis
- Racquetball
- Paddleball
- Handball
- Badminton
- Lacrosse
- Squash
- Fencing
- Archery
The American National Standards Institute
In the United States all safety goggles and glasses must pass a number of safety tests and conform to strict criteria regarding safety standards. The industry standards are mandated and supervised by the American National Standard Institute, known as the ANSI. Whether you are purchasing safety goggles or glasses for a child or an adult, it is important to make sure that they are approved by the ANSI.
What to Look for in Safety Goggles for Children
Safety goggles for children are manufactured in a wide variety of types and styles. When choosing safety goggles for your child, there are several important aspects to consider.
Lenses
Most safety goggles have clear polycarbonate lenses providing protection from impact. Since they are impact resistant, polycarbonate lenses do not shatter reducing the risk of eye injury from shards of broken glass or plastic if an impact does occur. The lenses are generally coated with a scratch resistant coating and provide UV protection. Polycarbonate lenses are the industry standard for safety goggles and glasses.
Fit and Comfort
If safety goggles do not fit a child comfortably, they may not wear them. Make sure that the goggles have padding where it is needed. Many safety goggles have soft padding around the bridge of the nose, the temporal regions and the sides providing a protective and comfortable fit. Safety goggles are also available with shock absorbing padding and frame materials that are hypoallergenic.
Where to Find Child's Safety Goggles Online
While many online retailers offer both prescription and nonprescription safety goggles for children, there are many others that only sell nonprescription goggles. Some of the nonprescription styles of safety goggles are made to fit over a child's prescription eyeglasses.
Prescription and Nonprescription Goggles
Nonprescription Goggles
Protect your youngster's eyesight by making sure they wear child's safety goggles when participating in sports and other activities that may cause eye damage.
