The new Riley Navigator X eyewear range from Safety Mate is keeping Australian miners cool, calm and protected this summer.
As we reach the peak of the summer season, miners across Australia are in need of quality eye protection that keeps them safe not only on the ground, but also from the sun.
According to the Australian Cancer Council, exposure to UV radiation over long periods can result in serious damage including squamous cell cancers on the surface of the eye. And this is compounded by the fact Australian miners are at risk of eye injuries in their day-to-day duties.
Around 50,000 eye injuries are reported in Australia every year, according to Federal Government statutory authority Comcare. What’s more, eight per cent of all workplace injuries are related to eye damage, with an estimated 60 per cent of all such injuries occurring in the mining, construction, agriculture and forestry industries.
Between the sun’s rays and the risks on the ground, protective eyewear is a must.
But traditional eye protection like safety glasses is often uncomfortable to wear, requiring constant adjustment lest a full day’s wear lead to pinching or headaches.
In addition, conventional safety glasses aren’t exactly known to be stylish, another factor that is unlikely to inspire effective use of personal protective equipment (PPE) over a long shift in the sun.
That’s why the creators of Navigator X are determined to change the game.
“Too often, we’d see people on work sites take a pair of safety glasses and find the closest mirror to see how they looked,” Safety Mate said. “It became clear that people wanted more than safety and performance – they wanted style, too.
“And you’d better believe we went for the trifecta: looks, performance and safety, all wrapped into one.”
Safety Mate teamed up with Riley Eyewear five years ago to deliver a solution to all of these issues with its Navigator range of safety glasses.
The companies worked together for more than a year on the range to ensure it ticked all the boxes.
Now, Safety Mate and Riley Eyewear are back with their latest range: Navigator X.
The range features anti-fog and anti-scratch capabilities thanks to Riley Eyewear’s FlowTec dual-lens coating, which protect the wearer’s eyes from some of the harshest industrial and hazardous environments.
This special coating also provides 100 per cent UVA and UVB coverage, ensuring miners have clear vision no matter how bright it gets, with each lens engineered to filter some of the highest energy wavelengths of visible light up to 400 nanometres.
The range is available in seven different lenses: clear, polarised, grey, LED, emerald revo, arctic blue revo, and the market-first HD. They will also soon be available in prescription.
Comfort and looks combined
Navigator X eyewear is designed to eliminate discomfort to pressure points on the head and face so workers can wear the glasses for prolonged periods without constant adjustments.
This is thanks to the range’s rubberised, non-slip nosepiece and flexible side arms tips that sit gently but securely in place all day.
Navigator X glasses also feature a transparent frame and side shield for increased peripheral visibility and reduced risk from side impacts – a critical feature on a mine site, where optimum visibility is essential.
“For a long time, safety didn’t go hand-in-hand with looking and feeling good,” Safety Mate said. “We wanted to challenge that idea, so we got on with it and now offer some of the most cutting-edge, best-looking safety glasses in the industry.
“The range you see today is the result extensive research and development by specialist product designers and safety experts with decades of experience.
“In other words, it’s pretty damn good.”
A global edge
Each pair of Navigator X glasses has been manufactured from ethically sourced bio-based materials, reducing carbon emissions during the manufacturing process. Glasses in the Navigator X range are built to handle tough conditions – just like their wearers – and are designed to meet the world’s highest safety standards, including AS/NZS, EN166, ANSI Z87.1.
By wearing Navigator X glasses, workers can rest assured they’re protected by world-class engineering and design.
“Together, we pushed the boundaries of what safety eyewear could look like,” Safety Mate said. “We’re talking best-in-class manufacturing, zero compromise on safety, and a second-to-none attention to detail.
“This hunger for innovation continues to drive the company today.”
Safety Mate has raised the bar on what safety eyewear can be, and it’s far from finished.
The Navigator X range is proof that safety glasses can be as stylish as they are functional, offering a glimpse into the future where innovation, protection, and style converge to usher in a new era of safety eyewear.
This feature also appears in the January-February issue of Safe to Work.