Eyewear PPE legislation is changing. Let's take a closer look.

The new comprehensive series of international standards replaces a collection of different national and regional standards – making it easier to choose the right protection and keep employees safer.

The old standard will still be valid for existing safety eyewear until the product’s designated expiry date (usually within 5 years). But no new safety eyewear can be manufactured to the old standard after November 2024.
 

What’s new to look for?

The first change is that the new series doesn’t apply to sports eyewear, or to protectors:

• Which protect against short circuit electric arcs or lasers
• For use during medical applications
• For medically prescribed applications
• Specifically intended for protection against solar radiation
• Intended to protect against ionising radiation.

These types of protection now have their own separate standards.

Protectors used during welding and related techniques, and mesh protectors, have some additional requirements, described in parts 2 and 3 of the new standard. Part 4, covering eye and face protection against biological hazards, is still to be published.

Although many areas covered by the new standard are the same as the old, some parameters are different. For example, there are now six headforms for manufacturers to design from, which should mean a better fit for wearers.

Some optical and physical requirements of the standard have also changed.

Optical requirements

Field of view
Unobstructed vision is important in avoiding safety risks. The new standard requires more measurements from more points of reference – ensuring there’s no restriction of the wearer’s natural field of vision.
 

Luminous transmittance
If a lens isn’t designed specifically to filter light, the new standard requires it to allow more than 80% transmitted light. For certain face shields, and multiple glazed eye protectors, the level is not less than 75%. Previously, all lenses had to allow more than 74.4% transmittance.

Scattered light
All eye protectors should be as free as practically possible of diffusely transmitted light. The new standard uses a new measurement method to ensure quality of vision.
 

Physical requirements

Headbands and harnesses
If the eye protector has a headband or harness, it must fit comfortably and securely when the wearer is turning or tilting their head, or jumping on the spot.
 

Basic, High speed and high mass impacts
- Requirements for the basic level of protection from impact have increased, from a 22mm diameter steel ball to 25mm, and from 43g to 66g.

- Velocity speeds and impact levels for the optional high speed impact resistance have changed, together with the addition of a requirement for protection zones. The higher the impact speed, the larger the protection zone required.

- The high mass impact test is now incorporated in the standard as an option, having previously been lifted from American standard ANSI Z87.1.
 

Resistance to thermal exposure
Equivalent to the previous ‘Stability at elevated temperature’ test, this requirement almost doubles the duration of exposure, to 120 minutes.
 

Penetration of vents and gaps
This brand-new test requirement requires ventilation or gaps between component parts to have openings no larger than 1.5mm diameter
 

Optional requirements

The new standard includes several new optional requirements. These will only be assessed if they apply to the type of protector, or if the manufacturer claims the characteristic for their product. The requirements range from resistance against fogging to protection against large dust particles, and from protection against streams of liquids to use in explosive atmospheres.

Look no further

With so many changes to consider, choosing the correct eyewear PPE for the employees and the application is an even more critical challenge. One way to be sure you make the right choice every time is to rely on the know-how of a trusted advisor, and to purchase only from a reputable supplier.

Which means look no further than ERIKS.

For more information on Safety Equipment, or get in touch with your local ERIKS Service Centre, who will be happy to discuss your options.

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