Bifocal Safety Glasses Polarized Protection to Wear for Work and Outdoor Sports

Unfortunately, eye injuries are some of the most common types of injuries sustained by workers on the job.  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports that some 2,000 eye injuries requiring medical attention are sustained every day. 

Every day, workers across industries are at risk for sustaining an eye injury: blowing debris, chemical spills or splashes, wayward insects, and ultraviolet or infrared exposure are among the hazards faced.  Safety experts and eye doctors believe that 90% of those injuries could have been lessened in their severity or prevented completely by wearing proper eye protection. 


Many eye injuries occur when workers take off their safety glasses for various reasons: fogging, scratched lens, wrong lens color, or eye strain.  However, sometimes protective eyewear is removed because a worker is trying to read paperwork and may need to put on his or her reading glasses.  On an industrial jobsite, taking off your safety glasses to put on reading glasses to double-check an instruction manual or a set of safety instructions puts your eyes at risk unnecessarily. 

Example of glasses fogging. 

MCR Safety’s new polarized bifocal safety glasses are equipped with a MAX 36™ coating, which provides 3X greater scratch-resistance and 6X greater fog-resistance than traditional safety glasses.  We want to take this opportunity to talk to you about our safety glasses with bifocals, with a particular emphasis on our new polarized option. 

Safety Glasses with Bifocals: What are they and why should you wear them?

Multifocal eyeglass lenses,  also referred to as "bifocal safety glasses", "readers", and “magnifiers”, contain two or more lens powers to help you
see objects at all distances.  Many people begin wearing multifocal lenses as they age when find that they can no longer naturally change the focus of their eyes to see at different distances, a condition known as presbyopia.

 
As people age, their eyesight begins to weaken.

Bifocal safety glasses, as the name suggests, are glasses that offer both the necessary safety protection from work hazards and also contain two lens powers so that you can see clearly at a distance and close up.  These glasses allow your eyes to focus on objects that are both nearby (within a distance of 18 inches from your eyes) and further away. 

Bifocal safety glasses, also referred to by many as safety glasses with readers, allow you to keep your eyes protected from eyestrain and environmental hazards 100% of the time as you switch between multiple tasks that require you to be able to see clearly at different distances.   

Safety Glasses with Readers - How do they work?

As we mentioned, these safety glasses contain two lens powers: the bottom part of the lens has a lens power that corrects your near vision and allows you to see objects up close, while the rest of the lens contains a lens power that allows you to clearly see objects at a distance. 

 


You look through the top portion of your glasses when you are trying to see something further away, and you look down through the bifocal portion of the lenses when you are trying to see something that is nearer to you. 

Things to Consider

 
There are several factors to consider when deciding which bifocal safety glasses are the right ones for you or your workers.  Three of the most important factors are strength, style, and lens color. 

Strength 

It’s important to ensure that any pair of bifocal safety glasses that you wear is the correct strength, enabling your eyes to focus so that you can see clearly.  Lens strength is measured in units called diopters, and the strength measurements increase by factors of .25 (e.g., 1.50, 1.75, 2.00).  MCR Safety offers lenses in strengths of 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5. 

 


You can determine the strength you need by trying on safety glasses with lenses of different strengths or by printing an online test.

Style

Like other protective eyewear, safety bifocals come in a wide array of options.  Most are offered in a wraparound design to ensure that they stay on and offer complete eye coverage  MCR Safety’s new polarized bifocal style is an addition to our current award-winning Dominator Magnifier style.  

 
Dominator™ DM3 Was Awarded OHS New Product of the Year in 2016

Our Dominator™ style glasses are one of the most comfortable styles of safety glasses to wear due to the co-injected wire core and independently adjustable nose pads and temple.  By being able to customize these two areas, you can adjust your glasses so that they stay on and do not slide off your face.  For those wearing hard hats, the Dominator™ glasses easily adapt to fit underneath your hard hat, taking pressure off of your mastoid bone and avoiding pressure-induced headaches.

The Dominator™ fits so well, you won’t even know you’re wearing a safety glass.

Lens Color

MCR Safety offers safety bifocal lenses in clear, amber, gray, and brown.  The work that you do and the environment in which you work will determine the best lens color for your needs.

Clear lenses transmit 90% of visible light, and the remaining 10% is blocked by the lenses’ coating.  Clear lenses provide excellent optics for general applications and are the most popular safety glass choice. 

 
DL1 is available in clear lenses and at strengths of 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 diopters.

Amber lenses transmit 80% of all visible light and block virtually all violet and blue light (ISO 12312-1 @ 94% blocked).  Amber lenses are especially great in low-light situations because they offer maximum contrast enhancement and allow objects to “pop out” when you look at them.

KD3 magnifiers are available with either clear, gray, or amber lenses.  Clear and gray are available at strengths of 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 diopters.  Amber is available in 1.5 and 2.0 diopters.

Gray lenses transmit 13% of visible light and reduce the amount of light that passes through the lens.  Gray lenses are commonly used in construction or outdoor applications where sunlight and glare can cause eyestrain and fatigue.

BK1 is available with either clear or gray lenses and at strengths of 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 diopters.

Brown lenses transmit 13% of all visible light and help wearers distinguish color while reducing glare and brightness for outdoor applications.  These lenses meet the traffic signal recognition requirements of ANSI Z80.3.  Like the gray, brown is commonly used in construction or outdoor applications where sunlight and glare can cause eyestrain and fatigue.

The Dominator™ DM3 magnifier is available in brown or clear lens colors and at 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 diopter strengths.

Safety glasses with Bifocals - Now in Polarized!

Wearing bifocal safety glasses can help protect your eyes and still allow you to see things at a variety of distances.  They are a real eye saver.  And now they’ve been upgraded with even more technology!  As mentioned earlier, we’re now offering magnifiers that are polarized!  A polarized lens blocks out glare and reflected light, allowing workers to see potential hazards in their surroundings, no matter what their working conditions are. 

 
Our DM3 polarized style comes in a stylish carbon fiber frame.

We are proud to be able to protect workers with the benefits of wearing both a diopter feature and polarized feature in a single lens.  The DM3 offers premier style and excellent functionality.  Here are some highlighted features of this glass:

• Magnifiers are available in 1.5 and 2.0 diopter strengths.
• Co-injected wire core and independently adjustable nose pads and temple.
• MAX™ 36 coating provides a 3X greater scratch-resistance on the outside of the lens and a 6X greater fog-resistance coating on the inside.
• Carbon fiber look provides a premium stylish design. 

Industries and Applications 

Almost all industries have workers who can benefit from wearing safety bifocals.  However, when you add polarized lenses into the mix, even more workers can potentially benefit Workers in water treatment facilities, utilities, metal roofing, construction, and offshore drilling occupations can all find benefit in polarized bifocal safety glasses. 

Industrial applications where polarized glasses are potentially needed, due to a need for either larger print and/or glare reduction:

• Writing down parts numbers and serial numbers
• Fine detailed manufacturing work and working with small items
• Carpentry measurements and markings 
• Reading a tape measure
• Seeing the nail head on a construction site
• Work in snow environments 

Sports and Fishing

MCR Safety cares about you when you’re not working, too.  If you enjoy playing sports, don’t underestimate the benefits of safety glasses.  Z87 polarized safety glasses come in handy during a wide array of recreational activities.  Backpacking, Canoeing, Hunting, and Kayaking are some activities where having your eyes protected is definitely a good idea.

Safety magnifiers can keep you safe while fishing, too. Polarized glasses are great for protecting your eyes from the sun’s glare and its reflection off the water, allowing you to more easily and comfortably be able to see into the water.  They can also protect your eyes from flying fish hooks that may pop up if the big one gets away or from a partner who is casting into the water.  Choose a wraparound style for complete protection. 
  

MCR Safety Magnifiers Resource Page

Check out our page dedicated to Safety Magnifiers to find out everything you need to know about MCR Safety’s magnifier options.  While you’re there, download a copy of our Safety Magnifiers Guide.

 
Magnifier Guide

You can also print our test to determine the strength of magnifier that’s right for you.  We offer magnifiers in 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 diopters. 

Best Polarized Safety Glasses

MCR Safety manufacturers a wide selection of safety glasses.  In the event you prefer a polarized style without bifocals, check out our polarized safety glass page.  With the addition of our new SR417BZDC, we have over 12 polarized styles in our lineup.  Which one is best?  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder…

SR417BZDC

Where to Buy Safety Glasses?

A common question our customer service team recievines centers on where to buy safety glasses, especially where to buy safety glasses with bifocals.  MCR safety sells PPE through distributors.  Please leave us a comment below and we will have your preferred distributor quote.  You can also see if is is offered on our Buy and Try site.

Leave us a comment

We Protect Eyes in Magnified Style

If you need to wear bifocals while you work, MCR Safety has you covered.  Our magnifier lenses feature two power levels so that you are able to see clearly both near and at a distance without straining your eyes.  It’s important to choose safety glasses that are the correct strength for you.  It’s equally important to choose the right color and style!  Wearing polarized bifocals is the perfect style choice for industrial workers and sports enthusiasts!

Keep in mind the environment that you’re going to be working in and the task that you are going to be working on.  We offer magnifier lenses in clear, amber, brown, and gray, perfect for all lighting environments.  We’re also excited to offer polarized magnifiers, designed to reduce the impact of glare and reflection whether you’re on the road or on the water.
 
For over 45 years, MCR Safety has proven to be a world-leader in gloves, glasses, and garments.  Whether it’s on the shop floor, an oil rig, or a construction site, we are there providing solutions to workplace hazards.  It’s all part of our commitment to protect people. 

No matter your industry, we have the personal protection equipment you need.  At MCR Safety, We Protect People!

To learn more about MCR Safety or to get more information about our products, browse our website, request a catalog, find a distributor, check out our most recent video, or give us a call at 800-955-6887.