Seeing the bigger picture
February 1st 2008

IS it worth spending more then the bare minimum on eye protection? HSM asked two of the leading manufacturers, Bollé and uvex

"It depends on the application," says Graham Abbott, business development director at uvex. "In certain industries and applications the bare minimum will be adequate – contract labour on a short-term job for example. But safety is important to any company, not only in terms of looking after their workforce, but also from a financial perspective: A small investment in better quality products goes a long way to ensuring staff feel valued and protection is both worn and looked after; if you buy cheap and cheerful it tends to get treated as such." According to Abbott, key to an affective eye safety policy is communication, making sure staff buy-in from the outset. Once staff know why they must use protection, the next step is specifying the right kit for the job – and the individual.

"The challenge we face as an organisation producing high quality products is that companies can just state the standard to which they require the spectacles to perform.

For example a construction company wants a product to meet BS EN 166. It's like saying 'we want a car'.

If you're not more specific then the range of prices and quality can be extreme." For example, with regard to the optical clarity requirements of BS EN 166, manufacturers only have to prove clarity through the centre of the lens.

"If you're looking straight ahead, fine.

But peripheral vision isn't really covered by the standard." Abbott says uvex tries to differentiate itself from competitors by making all products above and beyond the minimum EN standard at its German factory. It tests lenses in eight different places and puts equal emphasis on developing anti-scratch and anti-mist lens coatings.

So what should businesses consider when specifying protective eyewear? "Remember that everyone's different.

It might be possible to buy one set of spectacles that is right for 80 % of the workforce. But it's the remaining 20 % who need the training, advice and education – and perhaps a different product." Abbott says uvex increasingly provides support and advice to end users, helping organisations improve their safety culture rather than just selling glasses. As a result, he says customers are more likely to pay more for a higher quality product, although some will always go for the cheapest option. "It's like anything, you can buy a pair of spectacles for a pound or you can pay £10. But we concentrate on making sure the value of the product isn't outweighed by the price." According to Abbott, uvex's two best selling products are the Ultrasonic goggle and the I-vo safety spectacle.

Ian Walbeoff, general manager at Bollé UK, says the PPE market has become more competitive over the last five years or so, leading manufacturers to cover a broader price spectrum. If that's the case, why should firms pay more when they have lots of choice at entry level? "Our experience, across various industries, is that both the employer and the employee is looking for wearer acceptability," says Walbeoff. "If you have to wear safety spectacles or goggles for long periods then you're looking for something comfortable, lightweight and to a degree, stylish. If the employee's happy with the product, they will wear it, and that means the safety officer is happy too. And that's worth spending a little more on than the minimum. Our top end products are around £8, which is a small price to pay if it means they are worn." But stylish? Are employees really bothered about that? "Yes, because well designed and stylish products create user acceptability. That's where we try to leverage our experience in the sports and retail markets, creating safety spectacles more like their leisure equivalents." Walbeoff claims that generally, whenever sales staff go into an environment, "the first thing people do is try them on and look in the mirror".

As an example of the value now found in the PPE market, Walbeoff says Bolle's two best selling products are the Silium metal wraparound and the plastic Contour wraparound, which weighs in at 21 grams, priced between £5.50 and £6. He claims that the Contour has been advertised on E-Bay as cycling spectacles – selling at £20.

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