Medical practitioners like doctors, nurses and technologists are often exposed to electromagnetic radiation in their work. Prolonged exposure to radiation has been known to cause detrimental effects on one’s health. These consequences include various forms of cancer and even eye cataracts.
Furthermore, radiation poisoning which is accompanied by weakness and nausea can result from exposure. As such, these practitioners are mandated to use protective wear as they carry out their duties. Leaded eyewear therefore plays a crucial role in protecting the body’s most vital organ and the one mostly exposed to radiation.
Glasses used for radiation protection are nothing like ordinary glasses. They are not only made from lead, but they also have lead embedded in the material. This makes them safe, considering that pure lead is regarded as toxic. The protective aspect of leaded eyewear is in the fact that lead is capable of absorbing and scattering any radiation and inhibiting it from entering the body.
In workplaces where radiation is commonplace, guidelines protection must be implemented. Employers are expected to provide protective eyewear for employees working in these hazardous environments. While looking to purchase protective eyewear for employees, there are vital considerations that must be followed. First, comfort is important, as the leaded glasses should be used without any complications. Ideally, they must be light, as this makes them comfortable for workers to wear.
In addition, they should have a fitting and secure nose piece. To ensure the utmost comfort, adjustable features can be included so that they are more user-friendly. This way the user will not need to adjust them constantly and unnecessarily. Secondly, the glasses need to offer peripheral protection to the user. It is thus important to avoid buying regular glasses, which only protect the front and leave the side exposed.
Protective eyewear also has to offer the utmost protection. This means that the leaded glasses should protect the user at a lead correspondence of 0.75 mm or even more for the greatest protection. Also, splash protection features should be intact for maximum protection. Another factor to consider is the durability of the glasses and this should be emphasized as durable materials allow longer use.
The use of protective eyewear is crucial in protecting medical professionals from harmful effects. Therefore, involved workplace employers need to ensure that they provide protective eyewear, which is comfortable, durable and ergonomic in order to offer maximum safety.