Sunglasses are not considered as protective equipment. Sunglasses are used to protect eyes from being damaged by the harmful UV rays. However, some sunglasses cannot give full protection to our eyes. Safety glasses are impact resistant and can provide adequate protection from particles, splashes and debris which can injure the eye. So safety glasses should be considered as protective equipment.
If you only concern the UV protection,they can be considered as protective equipment as they can block UV rays which can damage parts of the eye and could cause cataracts.