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

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 the reimbursement by the employer? We're happy to go through all the steps with you so it's completely clear.

Safety glasses prescription reimbursement by employer in 2023

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 a (prescription) safety glasses  reimbursement by the employer. To do this, an employer must first carry out a risk inventory and evaluation (RI&E).

EN 166 standardisation 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 set of performance tests. This standard contains a set of requirements that can be considered as mandatory for prescription safety glasses. According to the 2018 Working Conditions Guide, frames intended for safety glasses must 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
• Components in contact with the skin must not be allergenic or irritating
• The glasses must be easily disinfectable
• The glasses must be able to be fitted by an optician

If all the above requirements are met, the frame is approved. The CE mark may be affixed to this approval. Seeh - Hans Anders Zakelijk offers prescription safety glasses with this NEN-EN 166 standard and CE marking. Due to their light weight, these prescription safety glasses have the highest wearing comfort. The result? A high wearer acceptance.

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

Free advice on compensations

In addition to prescription safety glasses, Seeh - Hans Anders Zakelijk also provides an ordering and management system for a complete administrative processing with simple invoicing. We are also happy to give you 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 are happy to give you expert advice on the reimbursement of prescription safety glasses. Feel free to contact us without obligation. Would you rather order prescription safety glasses directly? Then apply for an account for the Seeh Portal.