29 Jan 01/29/2019

Oil and Gas Construction Concrete Metal Fabrication Refinery Pipeline Transportation Drilling

Protective eyewear changing the way you see: The Checklite® CL4 Series Safety Glasses

At MCR Safety, we start every day with one goal in mind: keeping our customers safe. That means helping to find which of our products are right based on each worker’s unique needs. We have got you covered. We continue to manufacture products that offer the most effective protection, style, and fit.

Today, we’d like to talk to you about our Checklite® CL4 Eyewear line and why it is the best choice to both enable you to see what you are working on and to keep your eyes protected. The CL4 series of glasses is affordable, offers a premium design, and comes with a variety of lens options. These glasses are also comfortable, cost-effective, functional and, most importantly, they protect your eyes.

CL4 worn at an oil refinery using earplugs as a lanyard.

OSHA reports that eye injuries alone cost more than $300 million per year in lost production time, medical expenses, and worker compensation. Workers sustain a total of nearly 2,000 eye injuries every day and the average eye injury costs around $3,600. The proper eye protection can help keep you safe.

If you read our blog post, Top Oil and Gas Hazards That Require PPE, you know that impaired vision is a concern across the board, no matter where you’re working or what you’re doing, outdoors or indoors. Flying dust and debris, swinging or falling objects, liquid chemical splashes and splatters, electrical sparks, fire, and compressed air are just a few of the hazards that may be routinely encountered by workers in the oil and gas industry.

OSHA requires that workers wear eye and face protection when they are exposed to or at risk of exposure to flying objects, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors, or potentially injurious light radiation.

Why Choose the Checklite® CL4 Eyewear?

Here are the top 5 reasons to choose Checklite® CL4 eyewear:

1) Stylish Design

The CL4 glasses have a hollowed-out, lightweight frame that allows maximum air flow. You may even forget that you’re wearing them! They are designed with a bayonet temple for greater comfort. You can easily slip them on, even if you’re wearing other headgear like a hardhat or protective earmuffs. (Above is an image of our CL417 glasses, which have a silver mirror lens.)

2) Earplug-Retaining Technology

Everyone who wears earplugs at work knows how important they are to keeping your ears and hearing protected. In addition, those who wear earplugs also know how easy it is to lose them. CL4 glasses are designed to eliminate this problem! They allow you to use your earplug cord as the lanyard for your glasses, so you won’t lose your earplugs or your glasses, and will always have them close at hand. You’re essentially using a free lanyard that keeps your eyewear close by. We consider this a nice bonus!

The above image is another example of the CL4 being used with earplugs as a lanyard.

We’re heading into the peak months for turnarounds at refineries across the country. Extra safety precautions must be taken because workers are deviating from their typical routines during maintenance shutdown periods. You can keep both your earplugs and eyewear together during turnarounds thanks to the CL4’s earplug-retaining technology.

3) Cost-Effective Price

We know companies often seek the lowest cost option when it comes to protective eyewear. The challenge has always been accommodating that sought-after request, while manufacturing protective eyewear that employees will wear.

Keep in mind, if an employee does not like the look of a style, he or she is likely to take the glasses off. That’s a risk, as injuries occur that way. Read up on our Workmens' Comp blog and you’ll know why this is a financial risk.

Our CL4 glasses not only protect workers’ eyes, are comfortable to wear all day long, and look great, they also have an affordable price point. Essentially, users get more for less when purchasing the CL4!

Worker wearing the CL417

It is understandable that employers are looking for cost-effective, safe eyewear for their employees, but they shouldn’t be lured in by cost alone. Some manufacturers’ cost-cutting methods risk worker safety. All of MCR Safety’s protective eyewear must meet or exceed the American National Standards Institute’s standard (ANSI Z87.1-2015) that distinguishes between two impact levels: Basic Impact (indicated by Z87 marking) or High Impact (indicated by Z87+ marking).

Other manufacturers’ cost-cutting methods may lead to glasses that are uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time. Remember that we mentioned the CL4’s bayonet temples and lightweight frame? These glasses are more comfortable to wear than those with thicker temples that begin to put pressure on the wearer’s head.

4) Lens Variety

No matter what kind of lens you’re looking for, we’ve got it, including glasses with Duramass® anti-fog coating (CL410AF, pictured here).

Worker wearing the CL410AF

There are 8 varieties of CL4 lenses:

CL400 – Clear, uncoated
CL410 – Clear
CL410AF – Clear AF
CL412 – Gray
CL413 – Light Blue
CL414 – Amber
CL417 – Silver Mirror
CL419 – Clear Indoor/Outdoor Mirror lens

The color dictates the lenses’ Visible Light Transmission (VLT), or how much visible light is passing through a particular lens. ANSI provides guidelines for clear and filter (non-prescription) lenses in its Z87.1-2015 edition. For instance, the VLT of a clear lens must be between 85% and 100%.

Many of our eyewear styles offer different lens options. The Checklite® CL4 offers a wide variety.

VLT Transmissions

Here is an overview of the VLT transmissions for the Checklite® CL4 glasses, in descending VLT level:

Clear – 90% of light is transmitted
The remainder of light is blocked by the coating on the lens. A clear lens provides excellent optics for general applications. Across a variety of industries, it is the most popular lens because it allows the majority of light to pass through the lens while not distorting the visible color spectrum. It also absorbs 99.9% of UV radiation.

Amber – 80% of light is transmitted

Amber lenses are excellent for maximum contrast enhancement, particularly in low-light situations. This lens color blocks virtually all violet and bluelight, emphasizing visual contrast by enhancing bright colors. Amber is great because it makes objects “pop out” when you view them, making amber lenses an excellent choice for inspection work.

Light Blue - 68% of light is transmitted
This lens reduces glare from artificial light such as halogen and fluorescent. Light blue is an option for those wanting outdoor lenses because they effectively block out some light but not enough light to where you can’t work.

Clear Indoor/Outdoor Mirror - 36% of light is transmitted
Our clear lenses with a silver mirror coating on the outside are a suitable choice for workers who move between inside and outside environments, like forklift operators. These non-transitional lenses allow more visible light through and may be used indoors to reduce the glare from artificial light sources such as halogen or fluorescent, while also protecting eyes from the sunlight outside.

Gray - 13% of light is transmitted

Gray lenses further reduce the amount of light that passes through the lens. Gray is commonly used by construction workers or others who work outdoors where sunlight and glare can cause eyestrain and fatigue.

Silver Mirror - 9%-13% of light is transmitted
These offer a gray lens with a mirrored coating on the outside. The “mirror” coating reflects light, reducing the amount of light that passes through the lens. Silver mirror lenses are commonly used in construction or other outdoor occupations where sunlight and glare can cause eyestrain and fatigue.

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All of MCR Safety’s CL4 glasses block 99.9% of harmful UV rays and, as we mentioned, the CL410AF also has Duramass® anti-fog coating.

5) Additional Benefits

For all of the reasons we’ve listed above, the CL4 line of glasses is a great option to have on hand as part of your visitor safety equipment. You’ll want to be able to offer your visitors the same protection that you offer your workers. Supplying your workers with CL4 glasses and having a few extra on hand for your visitors will help to keep everyone’s eyesight safe, without decimating your bottom line.

Usually, visitors need only the bare minimum in terms of features and only require their eyes be protected for a short amount of time. Someone who is visiting a facility does not need scratch-protection, since they will be throwing them away once the visit ends. Our CL400 glasses are just the ticket and you will find an even lower cost with this style.

Our CL400 glasses with an uncoated lens

Checklite® Series

The Checklite® CL4 Series is an extension to MCR Safety's popular selling Checklite® CL1, CL2 and CL3 series safety glasses. We offer multiple lenses, small framed glasses, and lined glasses! Click here to view all the Checklite options available.

CL1 CL2 CL3CL4

Eyewear Buying Guide

MCR Safety has been developing and manufacturing protective eyewear since the early 1980s. Over that time, we have come out with many styles, options, and variations: over 730 total protective eyewear sku’s. Be sure to check out our Eyewear Guide, Eyewear Online Catalog, and Eyewear Protection web page for further information.

Eyewear Buying Guide

Eyewear Protection Page

Online Eyewear Catalog

Keeping Your Eyes Safe

MCR Safety specializes in protecting people from workplace hazards.
When it comes to keeping workers safe from flying debris and flying projectiles, our safety glasses are second to none.

We hope we’ve helped you see why our Checklite CL4 series of glasses is right for you and your workers. Do you have questions about the CL4 or want to know where you can purchase these glasses? Contact us! We’re happy to answer your questions and we’ll be happy to help you find the perfect PPE gear for your needs.

The CL4 can be used across many industries. Check out a specific industry by clicking the above image.

For over 40 years, MCR Safety has proven to be a leader in gloves, glasses, and garments. Whether it’s on a shop floor, an oil rig, or a construction site, we are there providing solutions to workplace hazards. We Protect People!

Learn more about MCR Safety by checking out our most recent video. For more information, browse our website, request a catalog, find a distributor, or give us a call at 800-955-6887.

Safety Professional Handbook

Get industry knowledge on finding the right PPE for your job and understanding safety standards like OSHA. Stay Safe!

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Eyewear Buying Guide

Each year, more than 2.5 million eye injuries occur. Protect yourself by finding the right eye protection for the job.

DOWNLOAD

About the Author

Anthony Webb

"Marketing Analyst"

Anthony has been with MCR Safety for over a decade, with positions ranging from sales, purchasing, new product development, training, and marketing.

QSSP Certified / 30 hr OSHA Certified.

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