Safeway Eye-ware

FIRST General Forum
1

I was wondering if anyone knew a good place to get side shields for glasses.

2

I ordered from Amazon because I just needed a quick set, but you can probably order from an actual provider and get a nice bulk deal (example)

Just from experience:

  • My old team’s mentor just purchased roughly 30 and hands them out to people with glasses at the beginning of competition and collects them at the end. It was the best thing ever.

  • If you’re purchasing them for your team, I’d recommend purchasing the rubber-ish ones over the hard plastic ones. The rubber-ish ones can handle thicker frames a little bit nicer, and I suppose that’s a trend now a days.

  • Sunny G.

3

Side shields on regular glasses are not safety glasses, and do not conform to FIRST’s safety rules.

To whit, from the safety manual:

Wear non-shaded, ANSI-approved, UL-Listed, or CSA rated eye protection in the following
areas:
• When doing any work on the robot including, grinding, drilling, soldering, cutting,
welding, etc.
• At FIRST events:
• Anywhere in the pit area, including walk ways and pit stations
• On the Playing Field
• On the Practice Field
• Any area posted with signs requiring the use of eye protection

Unless your everyday spectacles are ANSI-approved, UL-Listed, or CSA rated eye protection, you’re not wearing safety glasses, you’re wearing glasses.

4

My ANSI-approved prescription safety glasses cost me about $300. IMHO my vision is worth at least that.

You are welcome to fake it, but at your own risk.

5

The most comfortable safety glasses I have been able to find that go over normal glasses are these: http://www.elvex.com/OVR-Spec.htm

I’ve gotten them as low as $8 a pair before.

6

Thanks,
This is really helpful.

7

Look at McMaster Carr panorama glasses, part number 55035T301. They fit over glasses better than any I have seen and this particular number is also fog free! Cost about $9.00 plus change. These are black frame, but they also come in blue, or red/white/blue. You can order extra lenses and reuse the frames, which adjust for angle of view. Other colors have different numbers, so call up the number then look at the catalog page to see the others.

Next to my very expensive prescription safety glasses, these are the best I have seen. (I do a lot of shop work all the time, so prescription safety glasses is cost effective for me.)

Dr. Bob
Chairman’s Award is not about building the robot. Every team builds a robot.

8

1519 has started doing a bulk order at the beginning of every season from Safety Glasses USA. The selection is hard to match. They have quite a few choices of side sheilds, as well as glasses which fit over prescription glasses.

9