The world's popular safety glasses standards such as ANSI Z87.1 EN 166 CSA Z94.3 AS/NZS 1337 set requirements for product quality and protection. Compliance with standards helps workers feel more secure about the product's protective features. Let's learn about these standards with An Nhien through this article.

I. The important role of goggles in protecting the eyes

Safety glasses play an important role in protecting the eyes from hazards and injuries that can occur in many different work activities. Below are some of the important roles that safety glasses play in protecting the eyes.

 

1. Protection from liquids and chemicals: In industrial work environments, safety glasses help prevent liquids or chemical vapors from coming into direct contact with the eyes, helping workers avoid injuries during work in environments with toxic substances.
2. Protection from UV rays: Safety glasses lenses usually come in 3 colors: black, white and gray, which are UV-resistant, helping to protect the eyes from the harmful effects of sunlight or artificial light sources that can emit UV rays, helping to prevent eye diseases such as conjunctivitis, cataracts, etc. caused by UV rays.
3. Protection from impact and injury: In activities such as construction work, repair work, etc., safety glasses help prevent impact and injury to the eyes due to collision with materials, objects or equipment while working.

 

The important role of goggles in protecting the eyes

4. Protection from dust, sparks and flying objects: In activities such as cutting, drilling, grinding metal or wood, safety glasses help prevent sparks, dust, small pieces of wood or metal from flying and causing eye damage.

5.  

   Contribute to creating a safe working environment: Using safety glasses not only helps protect the health of the user but also, combined with other safety solutions, contributes to creating a safe working environment, helping to reduce eye-related work accidents.

II. Common safety glasses standards in the world

Safety eyewear standards are regulations and requirements for the quality, design and performance of safety eyewear to ensure the safety and protection of the user. Below are some important standards related to safety eyewear

1. ANSI Z87.1

ANSI Z87.1  is the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard for safety glasses. This standard specifies requirements for impact resistance, UV protection, chemical resistance and other factors to ensure eye safety.

2. EN 166

European standard for safety glasses – EN 166 Similar to ANSI Z87, EN 166 also sets requirements for materials and safety assurance for users of safety glasses.

Common safety glasses standards in the world

3. CSA Z94.3

CSA is the Canadian Workplace Safety Authority (CSA) standard for safety eyewear, similar to the above two standards, CSA Z94.3 defines the requirements necessary to protect eyes during work.

4. AS/NZS 1337

One of the standards equivalent to EN 166, AS/NZS 1337 is an Australian and New Zealand standard related to safety glasses, defining the requirements for impact resistance, UV protection, and eye protection of safety glasses.

5. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)

OSHA is the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration that has its own regulations on the use of safety glasses during work to keep users safe.

Compliance with safety glasses standards is important to ensure safety and effective eye protection during work.

III. Basic requirements in labor protection glasses standards

Basic requirements in safety glasses standards include:

1. Impact resistance: Safety glasses should be able to withstand impacts from falling or flying objects without breaking or causing eye damage.
2. UV protection: Make sure your safety glasses have UV protection to prevent damage from the sun and other sources of UV light.
3. Chemical resistance: They should be able to resist common chemicals used in the workplace to protect your eyes from their harmful effects.

Basic requirements in labor protection glasses standards

4. Comfortable and suitable design: Safety glasses should be designed to be comfortable for long-term use and fit the user's face.

5.  

   Easy to clean and maintain: Safety glasses should be easy to clean and maintain to maintain the effectiveness and safety of the product.

IV. Some symbols shown on the glass

Some symbols shown on the glass: (data quoted from EN 166 standard – source www.deltaplus.eu):

• S: Test with ∅22mm iron ball at 5.1 m/s (18.36 km/h). Applicable to glasses only.
• F: Test with ∅6mm iron ball at 45 m/s (162 km/h). Applicable to glasses, goggles and protective masks.
• B: Test with ∅6mm iron ball at 120 m/s (432 km/h). Applicable to glasses and protective masks only.
• A: Test with ∅6mm iron ball at 190 m/s (684 km/h). Applicable to protective masks only.
• T: Resistance to impact at low and high temperatures -5°C/+55°C (added after the symbols F, B, A. Example: FT, BT, AT)

Some specific symbols shown on the glass

Some symbols shown on frames

• 3: Ability to prevent liquid droplets from entering the eyes (goggles' tightness), liquid splashes.
• 4: Ability to prevent coarse dust particles
• 5: Ability to prevent fine dust particles and gases
• 8: Ability to resist short-circuit arcing. Only applicable to protective masks.
• 9: Ability to prevent high-temperature liquids and molten metals. Only applicable to goggles and protective masks.
• K: Scratch resistance.
• N: Anti-fog ability
• Excluding hazardous elements such as nuclear radiation, X-rays, lasers and infrared rays produced by low-temperature sources.

V. Conclude

Compliance with standards and selection of appropriate safety glasses are important factors to protect health during work. For advice and purchase of genuine safety glasses that meet international safety glasses standards, please contact An Nhien Company immediately.