Wearing Sunglasses in Your Forklift

It is commonly recognized that wearing sunglasses is an essential part of protecting your eyes from the harmful effects of the sun. Simply put, staring directly into the sun can cause blindness, and this is particularly destructive while operating a forklift, where you need to be fully aware of any potential obstacles that exist around you. In this post, we discuss what you need to be aware of when considering whether or not to wear sunglasses while operating a forklift.

Protect Your Eyes on Days Like this

Glasses are a must

When considering whether to wear sunglasses, you first need to simply be cognizant of the importance of wearing safety glasses while on the job. This is generally common knowledge among the forklift cognoscenti, but it is actually required by the OSHA that operators where safety glasses in any area where eyes are at risk. This description means that safety glasses are a must not only in obvious situations, such as when you changing batteries, but also when simply driving the forklift.

Sunglasses or Tinted Safety Glasses?

Just as you need to wear glasses when driving a forklift, it is crucial that you wear tinted safety glasses when operating a forklift. These are not necessarily the same thing as sunglasses, but they function in an analogous manner. With tinted safety glasses (as with normal sunglasses), you will not be blinded by the sun when entering outdoors, but it will also not take you any time to adjust your eyes after moving back indoors. In addition to protecting your eyes from the sun, tinted safety glasses offer the durability benefits of regular safety glasses. Because they are made from polycarbonate and consist of a safety frame and safety lenses, they are incredibly durable and will withstand collision.

Unfortunately, if you are accustomed to transition lenses, these are probably best avoided while behind the wheel of your forklift. The big issue with transition lenses is simply the adjustment period that your eyes (and lenses) require when transitioning from outdoors to indoors. Driving a forklift is dangerous even when you have full vision, so you simply can’t withstand even momentary periods of blindness. In addition, with transition lenses (or even normal sunglasses) you just don’t get the durability that you get with safety glasses.

In the end, while you don’t necessarily want to wear your everyday sunglasses while operating a forklift, you should absolutely wear tinted safety glasses. These can even be fitted for a prescription in the event that you normally wear prescription glasses. Just remember: safety glasses give you all the benefits of sunglasses, with the durability of safety glasses.