Are Steampunk Goggles Safe?
 

So when the teaser was released, and I saw the kids in the teaser wearing Steampunk Goggles. One of the FIRST things I did was google to see how much it would cost to buy some Steampunk goggles for use in the competitions this year. But then I wondered if FIRST would consider them safe enough?

So at first they do seem inherently safer than just regular safety glasses or possibly even some safety goggles, but I see a two potential problems with maybe 20% of people in the pits wearing these to fit this year's theme.

1) The lack of peripheral visibility

FIRST doesn't have a problem with mascots walking around the pits (to the best of my knowledge), but a larger quantity of people actually working on mechanical stuff wearing these could be a safety hazard. I am pretty there will be a large enough loss in visibility that I won't have our drive team wear them.

2) Tint in the lenses of the goggles

I think FIRST has some oficial rules on this, but I am not sure they are really enforced to a full extent due to a lack of prevalence. This is again in theory another visibility problem now potentially on a larger scale than before.

For the record, I personally think they are safe enough, in all forms, but hoped CD and maybe FIRST can clear up how we should approach these goggles before I have the business team look at buying a lot of 80 for the competitions.

Thanks!

Re: Are Steampunk Goggles Safe?
 

I don't know if this is exactly what you'd be looking for, but last year I wore a pair of normal safety goggles that were painted gold with metal pieces epoxied all around it. Everyone loved them at competition, and we're probably gonna make more.

Re: Are Steampunk Goggles Safe?
 

I had steampunk goggles last year and I asked the pit organizers that exact question. The answer, unsurprisingly is that these types of goggles aren't safe.

They cited what you've said to the tee: the lack of peripheral vision and also a rule that required your eyes to be visible to others (no tint).

Re: Are Steampunk Goggles Safe?
 

The tint could have a meaning...maybe something will be bright? As for actual event use, no peripheral vision could be an issue, and the tint could limit visibility. If they would comply with the minimum rating FIRST requires, they might be legal. There are steampunk welding goggles, but IDK how much projectile protection they offer. There are clear ones here, but I don't think they're safety goggles.

Re: Are Steampunk Goggles Safe?
 

Probably not unless you can find some that someone bothered to rate as Z87.

Re: Are Steampunk Goggles Safe?
 

For what it's worth, while they may or may not be legal as safety glasses, Steampunk goggles are perfectly legal as forehead protectors.

Re: Are Steampunk Goggles Safe?
 

Had a friend wear them a the championship once, he was asked to take them off multiple times

Re: Are Steampunk Goggles Safe?
 

While it may be fine and dandy that the glasses seem safe enough, the admin manual explicitly states on page 5 of section 4:

Re: Are Steampunk Goggles Safe?
 

Any safety glasses have to meet the ANSI Z87.1 standards and be UL listed and or CSA rated.
This would include any Steam Punk goggles if you are using them in the proscribed areas.

They do make Steam punk goggles that meet these standards. Here is an example of ANSI rated Steam Punk goggles (according to the website)

http://www.pro-steampunk.com/_p/prd3...ggles-%23bb-57


The safety manual states:

Wear ANSI-approved, UL Listed, or CSA rated non-shaded safety glasses. Lightly tinted Yellow, Rose, Blue, and Amber tints are FIRST approved. Reflective lenses are prohibited,
your eyes must be clearly visible to others. The use of anything other than ANSI-approved, UL-Listed, or CSA rated eye protection is prohibited.

What it means by your eyes must be clearly visible to others is open to interpretation. By their very nature, side shields (which are required) limit the visibility of your eyes to others. In fact any kind of safety glasses limit this.

This should be brought up when the new rules come out. Does visible mean from the front? I think this will be a problem considering the Steam Punk theme.... better ask Frank
and the GDC after the rules come out.

Re: Are Steampunk Goggles Safe?
 

You want to be looking for oxy-acetylene welding goggles. Most of them have a shade lens and a clear lens, you can remove the shade lens or get one like shown above that flips out of the way. The ones above are ANSI approved.

Re: Are Steampunk Goggles Safe?
 

Steampunk goggles are perfectly safe for well over 50% of the floor space of an event.

Pits and playing field, perhaps not... but everywhere else, enjoy dressing up. https://learn.adafruit.com/steam-punk-goggles/overview

Jason

Re: Are Steampunk Goggles Safe?
 

I have the same feeling about people Wearing them as safety glasses/ goggles. As safety captain i feel that they would hurt more than help. The lack of visibility in the pits could be dangerous. My team is not wearing them as glasses/ goggles but as decoration on top of heads/ hats. that way they can still dress the theme and still be safe. I would also like to note that teams sometimes allow their students to wear tinted glasses or goggles, which also hinders visibility. I feel that the Safety Advisers should get onto them about it. but that is just me.

Re: Are Steampunk Goggles Safe?
 

Typically when assessing something new I stay with the question "is it worse than the existing". Steam punk founta do limit peripheral but no more than most safety glasses and no more than what my parents have who wear glasses.

That said, I don't think the steam punk glasses linked to before meet the requirements of rule z87. I think any glasses actually had to have been tested /accredited by those groups. As much as I wish it otherwise, I don't see that steam punk site having met that.

I plan on trying to get the question asked of the gdc.

Re: Are Steampunk Goggles Safe?
 

Maybe these would be allowed, they are ANSI approved. They appear to have two lenses, an approved clear cover lens, and an approved shaded lens (which is way too dark for anything but oxy-acetylene weding, although too light for electric arc welding).



https://www.forneyind.com/store/deta...round_shade_5/

they are not "steampunk", since being "steampunk" requires adding a bunch of random junk to something.

But they might be the look you're after, in a way that you can actually use at a competition.

Re: Are Steampunk Goggles Safe?
 

I was told once by the pit safety glasses police - when I wore my reflective lens safety goggles to an event - that protective lenses must allow other folks to see your eyes. Though I was at first put off by this "rule", upon reflection (no pun intended), I saw that it makes good sense.

Re: Are Steampunk Goggles Safe?
 

Just a reminder to all: The "Pit Safety Glasses Police" are volunteers that have give up their time to make the events a success. They happened to draw one of the short straws at the event. No one likes this particular job. They were give a very small set of rules to follow(enforce) and a very short training session to come up to speed (30sec). But guess what! The rules are the exact rules published at kickoff. If teams were 100% compliant to these rules there would be no need for this service. --Rant concludedhttps://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/images/smilies/safety-smile.gif

Are Steampunk Goggles Safe?
 

There's actually a rule against tinted lenses, so that's probably why you were asked to take them off and get clear ones.


These were my first thought upon seeing this thread.

Re: Are Steampunk Goggles Safe?
 

I was researching costumes and found this thread.

Thanks to the Forney Industries link, I found the same pair, with Amazon Prime shipping, for the same price (the headband is even the same so I think it's the same company).

https://smile.amazon.com/Black-Weldi.../dp/B002DLYR8A

Re: Are Steampunk Goggles Safe?
 

Unlike the Forney Industries glasses which have ANSI Z87.1 clearly marked on the lenses (as required by ANSI), the amazon glasses have no such markings on the lens, the page makes no mention of ANSI Z87.1, and the reviews mention how cheaply made they are. Based on that, I believe they are neither safe nor legal.

Re: Are Steampunk Goggles Safe?
 

I have a friend who has a pair of steampunk safety goggles that he wears as a joke sometimes. I would say check the rating for the goggles and then make a judgement call on whether they present other hazards.

Re: Are Steampunk Goggles Safe?
 

Personally I'm not worried about the potential safety rating of any tinted steampunk goggles I might end up wearing. I'll just keep, as always, an extra pair of normal safety glasses in my pocket for when I venture into the pits or near the field.

Then again, I'm usually up in the stands with the scout team for most of the competition, so that makes this a bit easier to pull off.

Re: Are Steampunk Goggles Safe?
 

Simple solution.

Wear your Steampunk goggles like a headband while in the pits, and use regular safety glasses.

Best of both worlds.