Safety Glasses - ANSI Z87.1 Standards

NEW ANSI/ISEA Z87.1 - 2010 STANDARDS

The International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) has announced that the The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has approved and issued new standards for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection (ANSI Z87.1-2010). This standard went into effect on April 13, 2010 and supersedes the previous standard (2003).

Even though the scope of the standard is largely unchanged, a number of modifications have been instituted that impact safety eyewear products and the methods that companies use to choose eye protection for their employees.

IMPORTANT CHANGES:
The format for Z87.1 has been changed; however it continues to be a performance-based standard.
Whereas historically, the standard has been organized by protector type, now it is organized based upon known hazards. The change involves aligning those identified hazards with eye and face products offering protection based on the specific performance criteria. Organization by hazard type involves the addition of new product testing methods, requirements, and most importantly, expanded product markings that align the protector's capability to the hazards being encountered. Employers now must match these markings to the specific hazard addressed.

The following are the major areas affected:

IMPACT AND COVERAGE
Eye and face protection products were previously classified as either basic or
high-impact. The new standard (Z87.1-2010), mandates that the products are either
non-impact or impact-rated. Impact-rated protectors must meet the authenticated high velocity and high mass tests, and, most importantly, defined, continuous lateral coverage is now mandatory. The products satisfying these requirements will carry the Z87+ mark on both the frame or housing and the lens. Prescription products meeting this standard will be marked with Z87-2+.

CHEMICAL SPLASH AND DUST
New test methods and product requirements have been instituted for eye and face protectors intended to provide protection against chemical splash, dust, and fine dust particles. Products meeting the designated requirements will be marked D3, D4, or D5, respectively, on the housings or frames. Those products providing more than one use category will be marked accordingly.

OPTICAL RADIATION
Classifications and marking requirements are now added for lenses to delineate their radiation filtration properties and the hazards for which they are intended to provide protection.
The following shade/scale numbers indicate the levels of protection based on the intensity of the hazard:
Welding Filters W – Shade #, i.e. W10
Ultra-violet (UV) Filters U – Scale #, i.e. U6
Infa-red (heat) Filters R – Scale #, i.e. R4
Visible Light (Glare) Filters L – Scale #, i.e. L2.5
An example of the markings: The marking BDZ87+U6D3D4 indicates an impact-rated goggle that provides superior UV filtration and protection against dust and splash hazards.

NEW SIZE REQUIREMENTS
Now provisions is made for products designed for smaller head sizes and will be marked with the letter H.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS)

Why is the Z87.1 standard changed?
ANSI (American National Standards Institute) requires that standards be evaluated periodically and either reaffirmed in their current form or updated to reflect technical advances and industry changes.
To reiterate, this new standard is now organized by hazard rather than product category.

When is the change to the new standard in effect?
ANSI/ISEA 787.1 – 2010 is now incorporated in the OSHA regulations regarding Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirements and is immediately instituted as the latest version of the standard.

Where can one go to have questions answered about the changes to the standard?
Questions may be directed to ISEA via the association's website, www.safetyequipment.org .

Where can one get copies of the standard?
Copies may be obtained through ANSI at www.ansi.org or ISEA at www.safetyequipment.org