Glassblowing Safety Glasses

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Glassblowing is a type of glasswork where air pressure is used to modify the shape of a hollow piece while heat is used to enhance the elasticity of the glass. The heat source may be from a kiln, or from a torch. Kilns apply a general heating to the entire piece while torches can be used to heat only a small area enabling the glassworker to create intricate and complex designs. When applying heat with a kiln or a torch, the eyes may be exposed to a high intensity of invisible infrared light. For kiln workers the eyes are exposed to particularly high and dangerous levels of Infrared light when looking into the "glory hole", i.e., the entrance to the kiln. Over time this exposure can lead to the formation of "glassblower's cataracts" which will eventually require a surgical intervention to treat. Torchworkers generally experience less exposure to infrared radiation however the localized application of heat to the glass can result in a hot spot with considerable IR emission. For classical "hot-shop" glassblowing using a kiln as the only heat source, the need for sodium flare blocking may not be relevant in which case any standard welding shade lens between Shade #3 to Shade #5 is usually sufficient for protecting the eyes. However, in some cases a hybrid technique may be practiced using both a kiln as heat source in combination with a torch for localized heating and working of the glass, such as when constructing larger sculptures with multiple components. Whenever a torch is involved, the need for glassblowing safety glasses that include sodium flare blocking is beneficial. Sodium flare blocking glasses are commonly used in lampworking, however many such products lack sufficient protection for the glassblower due to insufficient infrared light blocking. The ideal type of safety glasses for use in glassblowing should include both infrared blocking and sodium flare blocking, thus enabling the use of the glassblowing to be used in a wide range of conditions and types of

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