During the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve had to adjust to living life from behind a face mask or visor. We all know how frustrating it can be when your glasses or visor steam up, either in school or in everyday situations such as going to the shops. It truly is an everyday struggle for glasses wearers!
Safety in Science lessons is of the upmost importance. So what can be done to reduce the chances of safety goggles and glasses steaming up in the lab?
Choose the right face mask to prevent goggles misting up
Students and staff should be encouraged to wear high quality face masks which have the metal nose bridge clip built in, such as FFP2 and FFP3 masks. This will reduce the amount of vapour escaping via the top of the mask. FFP2 anti-virus face masks offer a single use, surgical grade option and are preventative against low levels of dust and droplets. Meanwhile FFP3 filtering particulate respirators are over 99.5% effective at filtering viral particles to reduce exposure to infectious disease spread via airborne particles, including viruses.
How to choose anti-mist or anti-fog safety eyewear
When choosing goggles and glasses for your Science department, it is important to seek out products which are known to be anti-mist or anti-fog safety eyewear.
Platinum coated anti-mist eyewear
Whilst anti-mist goggles will provide some reduction in the amount that they steam up during use, the recent development of platinum coating is currently the best solution on the market. It can be found on the Bollé Safety Atom Goggles and Bollé Contour Spectacles. The Platinum coating is baked on during the manufacturing process, over three days, to the entire lens. It has been proven to prevent them from steaming up. Even when carefully held over a steam generator or kettle during the testing process!
Goggles with the platinum coating must only be cleaned using water-based cleaners. An alcohol or chemical based cleaner would be too aggressive and start to remove the platinum coating, and thus reduce its effectiveness.
Platinum coated goggles and glasses do come at a higher cost due to the manufacturing process. However, they offer a solution to any loss of visibility during Science experiments due to steamy safety goggles caused by having to wear a mask or face shield.
