Third, students who still insist on wearing contact lenses should be provided a pair of non-ventilated chemical splash goggles. These goggles will keep out irritating vapors and make a chemical splash to the eye nearly impossible. Finally, in cases where students insist on wearing contact lenses, we suggest getting the parents involved. Send home a letter informing the parents of the hazards related to wearing contact lenses in the chemistry laboratory. The letter should be read and signed by both the parent and student.
Some states have their own regulations pertaining to contact lenses.
We recommend you consult your state department of education for any specific regulations or guidelines concerning the use of contact lenses in the science laboratory. Science teachers must establish a policy concerning the use of contact lenses in the science laboratory. No matter what policy is set, the use of properly adjusted chemical splash goggles offers the best eye protection in a chemical laboratory and will greatly reduce all eye accidents. We hope the information provided in this article will help you design a contact lens policy for your school's science laboratories. If you want more information, a recent series of review articles has been published.