As an employer, do I have to reimburse for safety glasses?

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The answer is yes. An employer must ensure the safety and health of its employees. When employees come or may come into contact with substances or materials that may emit splinters (or loose particles) during their work, it is important that they wear proper eye protection, in the form of safety glasses. But what about prescription safety glasses and employer reimbursement? We're happy to go through all the steps with you so it's completely clear.

Safety glasses prescription reimbursement by employer in Belgium in 2024

There are two measures an employer can take before he is required to provide safety glasses. First, he must identify what measures have been or can be taken to make eye protection unnecessary. If that is not possible, the exposure time to potential hazards should be reduced. If even that is not possible, according to the Working Conditions Decree, an employee is entitled to safety glasses (prescription) reimbursement by the employer. For this, an employer must first conduct a risk inventory and evaluation (RI&E). 

Safety glasses on prescription

Requirements for prescription safety glasses in 2024

The employer must prevent or minimize hazards and risks to the employee's safety (and health) as much as possible at the cause. If you work in an environment where materials that can cause splinters are handled or where work is done with hazardous substances, for example, safety glasses are mandatory. Also, these locations often have stickers indicating that it is mandatory to wear safety glasses.

If this sticker is not present, the requirement for safety glasses may still be established. Employers usually determine whether employees are required to wear safety glasses. Be sure to inquire about this with your employer.

A number of factors are important when choosing prescription safety glasses. These are the severity of the hazard, the frequency of exposure to the hazard, the effectiveness of the prescription safety glasses and the characteristics of the location where the activity is performed.

EN166 standardization and CE marking

The NEN-EN166 standards list the basic properties that all eye protection equipment must meet. Eye protection consists of two main components. Namely, the lenses (made of mineral glass or plastic) and the frame (made of metal or plastic). Both parts must meet the inspection requirements for the glasses to be called safety glasses.

EN 166 specifies the minimum requirements for a range of performance tests. This standard contains a set of requirements that can be considered a requirement for prescription safety glasses. According to the 2018 Occupational Health and Safety Guide, frames intended for safety glasses should meet the following requirements:

  • General conditions: fitted with safety glass (EN166)
  • Mechanical strength (EN 166): drop test with a ball of 43 grams, drop height 130cm. The requirement must be met at -5 degrees Celsius and at 55 degrees.
  • Flammability requirement
  • Corrosion resistance requirement
  • Skin contact parts must not be allergenic or irritating
  • Glasses must be easily disinfectable
  • Glasses must be able to be fitted by an optician

If all the above requirements are met, the frame is approved. This approval may include the CE mark. Seeh - Hans Anders Business offers prescription safety glasses with these NEN-EN 166 standards and CE mark. Due to the light weight, these prescription safety glasses have the highest wearing comfort. The result? High wearer acceptance.

View all prescription safety glasses with EN 166 certification and CE markings

Free advice on fees

Seeh - Hans Anders Business provides not only prescription safety glasses but also an ordering and management system for complete administrative processing with simple invoicing. We are also happy to provide you with no-obligation advice on the legislation regarding prescription safety glasses. This makes the reimbursement of prescription safety glasses simple and clear.

With 20 years of experience, we would be happy to give you expert advice on prescription safety eyewear reimbursements with no obligation. Feel free to contact us without obligation. Rather order prescription safety glasses directly? Then click here and get a no-obligation account for the Seeh Portal.

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