Hands On: LENS TIPS
Problem Solvers
by Karlen Cole McLean, ABOC, NCLC

Home safety eyewear can be a successful market niche. Shown: Titmus style EXT10

Home safety safety eyewear was never as successful as some predicted it would be. Here are a few typical obstacles as well as a rundown of approaches for overcoming patient concerns and objections. Each of these reinforces the importance of safety eyewear.

Problem: Today's safety frames are so attractive that patients wear them for everyday.

Solution: Permanently attach sideshields to all safety eyewear to increase their protection and designate them as strictly for safety use.

Problem: Patients with poly and Trivex lenses mistakenly think their eyewear is also good for safety uses.

Solution: Show patients safety frames--the markings, the bevel, the construction--and let them know that, while safety lenses do help in an everyday environment, only eyewear designated for safety gives them maximum protection.

Problem: It's hard to educate people about home safety.

Solution: Display home safety frames in your office with conversation-prompting signage. Advertise home safety wherever you can--in your local newspaper, flyers, Yellow Pages, and on your practice Website. You can even speak at local events like gardening clubs and local unions to let people know about the importance of vision protection.

Problem: We're unsure how the new ANSI Z87.1--2003 standards affect the home safety market.

Solution: The standards are for occupational eye protection, but they can also overlap into home safety. Contact the OLA at 800-477-5652 and the VCA at 703-548-4560 for comprehensive information on the new standards.

Problem: Patients don't want to pay for a pair of safety eyewear.

Solution: Bring up a simple statistic that illustrates the importance of home eye safety. Ask questions and you'll likely discover that there is an area of home safety risk that you can discuss with each patient. It's your duty to warn patients of risks to their visual health.