justincaseme
Feb 11, 2009, 01:06 AM
This is an unusual question. I'm really curious to know how most folks in the construction trades avoid the problem of fogged safety lenses. After trying several combination of glasses, goggles, and dust masks, I'm starting to think it's unusually bad for me. Maybe my eyes leak air as I breath, or maybe the crown of my nose isn't the right shape. I find the only way I can avoid fogged lenses is to let the glasses droop all the way down near the end of my nose. That really leaves my eyes a lot more exposed than I'd like, and it's uncomfortable!
In the beginning, I tried variations on the standard basic masks sold by Lowe's and Home Depot. You know the ones. They all look similar to this.
http://www.rosemarydrive.com/renovation/safety/classicdustmask.jpg
Pair those with laboratory style goggles and it's a recipe for fog! So I tried switching to different pairs of safety glasses, like the kind carpenters usually wear. No good either.
I found some slight improvement when I paired the glasses with medical procedure masks. You can buy these on eBay for cheap. They're also more comfortable and block about the same amount of dust, but they still can't solve the fog issue.
http://www.rosemarydrive.com/renovation/safety/medicalproceduremask.jpeg
There's one solution where I found total success. That's with the 3M 6000 Full Face Mask. This is the only way to go if you're removing an asbestos ceiling, and it's much more comfortable if you need to venture into a tight dusty crawl space. Still, because it's full isolation you need to work harder to breath and it's not something you can wear for long periods. With one of these guys, you end up needing a breathing break every 15 or 20 minutes or else you end up exhausted. Highly recommended, but only good in specific situations.
http://www.rosemarydrive.com/renovation/safety/3m6000.JPG
http://www.rosemarydrive.com/renovation/safety/3m6000person.JPG
So what do the pros like to do? Suppose you have a big pile of boards to cut and you're going to be there a while. Or maybe you're framing a new section of ceiling in a renovation project, and the existing attic is dropping out all kinds of dust and insulation. How do you protect your eyes, protect your lungs, work in comfort, and still be able to see?
In the beginning, I tried variations on the standard basic masks sold by Lowe's and Home Depot. You know the ones. They all look similar to this.
http://www.rosemarydrive.com/renovation/safety/classicdustmask.jpg
Pair those with laboratory style goggles and it's a recipe for fog! So I tried switching to different pairs of safety glasses, like the kind carpenters usually wear. No good either.
I found some slight improvement when I paired the glasses with medical procedure masks. You can buy these on eBay for cheap. They're also more comfortable and block about the same amount of dust, but they still can't solve the fog issue.
http://www.rosemarydrive.com/renovation/safety/medicalproceduremask.jpeg
There's one solution where I found total success. That's with the 3M 6000 Full Face Mask. This is the only way to go if you're removing an asbestos ceiling, and it's much more comfortable if you need to venture into a tight dusty crawl space. Still, because it's full isolation you need to work harder to breath and it's not something you can wear for long periods. With one of these guys, you end up needing a breathing break every 15 or 20 minutes or else you end up exhausted. Highly recommended, but only good in specific situations.
http://www.rosemarydrive.com/renovation/safety/3m6000.JPG
http://www.rosemarydrive.com/renovation/safety/3m6000person.JPG
So what do the pros like to do? Suppose you have a big pile of boards to cut and you're going to be there a while. Or maybe you're framing a new section of ceiling in a renovation project, and the existing attic is dropping out all kinds of dust and insulation. How do you protect your eyes, protect your lungs, work in comfort, and still be able to see?