Radiation safety is not a joke. It’s not just a theoretical concern, either. If you don’t make sure that your body is adequately protected against potential harm, the consequences for your long-term health and well-being could be significant.Anyone working with radiation on a daily basis already knows that is the case. Your employer organization typically preaches it from the moment of your first day, and even before. But do you know just what type of equipment works best to make sure you actually get the safety you need?That’s especially important for your eyes. They are among the most sensitive areas of your body, and yet, when you work with radiation, also tend to be the most exposed. Finding the right eyewear is crucial to making sure that you don’t permanently damage your sight.Fortunately, accomplishing that goal is easier than you might think. All you have to do is be strategic about the process. Use these 7 steps to find the right radiation safety glasses, and go to work knowing that you’re well protected against any potential harm.

1) Understand Your Exact Needs

First, and before you even start looking at potential glasses, you have to know what you’re looking for. That, in turn, requires a good understanding of the situation in which you will use your new radiation safety glasses. The exact exposure to potential radiation is crucial: if it’s only straight ahead, you might be able to get away with different glasses than you would if the radiation could come from multiple angles.You might work in a cath lab, Fluoroscopy, or other medical and non-medical fields. A wide range of professionals, from dental hygienist all the way to pilot, require protection from radiation. How strong that protection needs to be will define the type of eyewear you’re looking for. When in doubt, speak with your supervisor or a safety expert about your needs.

2) Know the Terminology and Materials

Next, it’s time to gain a closer understanding of the nuances that comes with buying any type of radiation safety gear. That, in turn, means knowing exactly what the various technical terms mean, and how they apply to eyewear. The right material can also make a difference.

Traditionally, for example, lead protects from radiation. Of course, that comes with its own hazards, especially for eyewear. That’s why you’ll see lead equivalency ratings, for materials that approximate the same results in a similar way. Inform yourself about your needs in technical terms thoroughly before actually buying glasses.

3) Browse Through Potential Solutions

Once you understand the basic needs, it’s time to start looking. Here, it’s best to start with a wide-angle search: look for any and all radiation glasses you might be able to find. That alone will help you gain a better understanding of what your options are, and what price range you can expect.Most of your solutions will be through online vendors. Many of them will ‘sell’ their radiation eyewear, but all credible vendors will be reasonably honest about specs. That’s because they know as much as you do: radiation protection is a critical component of safety.

4) Narrow Your Search to Your Needs

Once you have a general and broad understanding of your options, begin to narrow your search. The criteria that once again becomes most important here are the needs you have defined in the first step. Any pair of safety glasses that don’t fit that need should be sorted out.For example, your specific situation may include radiation hazards from all around you. In that case, face shields and goggles make more sense. But if the radiation is only light and comes from straight ahead, a less intense pair may be able to do the trick.

5) Choose the More Credible Merchant

By the time you get to this step, you should already have narrowed your search to a few glasses that seem to suit your needs. Now, it’s time to compare each piece of eyewear according to the merchant you would buy it from.As you can imagine, vendor credibility is absolutely crucial in the field of radiation safety. You simply cannot afford to fall victim to an untruthful marketing claim. Look for client reviews on third-party websites, as well as testimonials that can speak to other customers in your situation successfully working through and with the merchant.

6) Understand Customizations and Add-Ons

Based on the previous steps, you are able to select a pair of radiation safety glasses uniquely suited to your needs that looks primed to hold its promise. Now, it’s time to add the exact customizations you need to make it the perfect fit for you. Above all, that means potential prescription lenses.  Find a merchant specializing in prescription glasses to make sure you can accomplish that goal. At the same time, make sure that you never choose anything that compromises the actual quality of your glasses.

7) Test and Move Forward

Finally, you place the order for your pair of glasses. Now, you wait for it to arrive, but you can still take additional steps to make sure that you are actually protecting your eyes to the degree that they need. That happens as soon as they arrive: test them.The right merchant will have a generous returns policy. That means you have the time to make sure that they are actually comfortable on your eyes, and can help you see clearly without bothering you at your work. That way, you never even have the temptation of taking them off, which could prove fatal the one time you forget to put them back on again.With these seven steps, you can buy safety glasses specifically designed to protect against radiation. The next time you go to work, you will feel safer knowing that your eyes will be protected against any potential hazards. But of course, you still might have questions about the process or potential products. Contact us today to start the conversation, and maximize your success and safety needs.