Workers face various health and safety risks every day, and it is the responsibility of employers to ensure proper protection is in place. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) plays a crucial role in this protection. It must be certified under the PPE Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/425), typically achieved by conforming to European (EN) standards. These standards outline the necessary specifications and requirements, ensuring that PPE is safe and effective for use.

Why is Eye and Face Protection Important?
Eye and face protection guards against a range of hazards, including UV radiation, impacts, liquid droplets and splashes, dust, gases, vapours, and molten metal risks. It’s essential to select protection that matches the specific risks of the task at hand and fits the user comfortably.

Key EN Standards for Eye and Face Protection

EN 166:

This is the main standard for personal eye protection, covering design, materials, performance, and user instructions.

Tests for optical class (which affects vision distortion) and robustness (including resistance to ignition) are part of the basic requirements.

It also includes particular tests for high-speed particles (impact), liquid protection, and optical radiation, as well as optional features like anti-scratch and anti-fog lenses.

EN 170:

This standard addresses UV protection, supplementing EN 166.

It uses scale numbers to indicate UV protection levels. For example, a lens marked 2-1.2 provides UV protection with a specific shade level.

Enhanced colour recognition is noted with a ‘C’ in the code.

EN 172:

Focuses on sunglare filters for industrial use.

It divides permissible light transmittance into scale numbers, ranging from ‘5’ for lenses without infrared protection to ‘6’ for lenses with infrared protection.

This standard also ensures that lenses within a certain shade range meet the requirement for safe use while driving.

ANSI Z87.1:

This American standard covers various hazards, including impact and chemical injuries, in industrial and educational environments.

It specifies criteria for testing, marking, selection, and care of eye and face protection.

EN 175:

This standard focuses on eye and face protection during welding and related processes.

It includes requirements for light attenuation, resistance to ignition, and electrical insulation, with additional specifications for high-speed particles and molten metals.

EN 379:

Deals with automatic welding filters, referencing EN 166 and EN 175.

It covers transmittance, viewing area, and the time taken to switch shades during welding.

EN 169:

Specifies the transmittance for welding filters.

Shade numbers for different welding processes, such as gas welding and cutting, are outlined.

EN 1731:

Pertains to mesh eye and face protectors, including browguard and helmet-mounted versions.

It includes tests for coverage, resistance to corrosion, and mechanical strength. Optional tests for protection against high-speed particles are also mentioned.

Conclusion
Choosing the correct eye and face protection is essential for safety in the workplace. It requires understanding the various standards and their specifications, as well as selecting products that meet the specific hazards present in your environment. Always ensure the protection is properly marked with relevant standards and features.

Key Points:

PPE must comply with European standards (EN) for safety and effectiveness.

EN 166 is the main standard for eye protection, covering tests for optical class, impact resistance, and more.

Other relevant standards like EN 170 (UV protection), EN 172 (sunglare), and EN 175 (welding) provide additional specifications.

Correct product markings help identify the level of protection offered.

Mesh eye protectors and automatic welding filters have their own standards (EN 1731, EN 379).

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