Eye Protectors

Professional eye protection is crucial in a number of working environments where workers face such risks as chemical splash, flying debris, excessive dust, glare, UV radiation, biohazards, and more. It is usually the employer’s responsibility to supply employees with adequate eye and face PPE, but safety goggles are also available to the general public for personal use. In this sensitive product category, the importance of comprehensive quality control cannot be overstated, as even a simple mechanical failure can lead to dangerous exposure, injury, or even loss of sight.

Professional eye protectors and safety glasses are classified as Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) according to European Directive 89/686/EEC, and included in Categories II or III, depending on their design. Eye protectors include such products as:

• Safety glasses – clear, tinted, prescription
• Safety goggles – impact resistant, splash-resistant, dust-proof
• Overspecs and face shields
• Welding goggles

QIMA testing and quality control services help you meet all applicable requirements for safety eyewear and eye protectors. This includes international standards, regional regulations, and your in-house specifications. We help you understand the requirements of your destination market and ensure that your safety eyewear complies with them.

Dedicated Eyewear Testing Labs and Inspector Resources

QIMA offers a two-tier process to safeguard the quality of your eye protectors and safety glasses. On-site inspections provide you with a detailed report of your products’ mechanical properties and workmanship, while our HOKLAS certified laboratories conduct a wide variety of tests to check the optical and chemical characteristics of your safety eyewear.

QIMA labs are certified to perform tests to the ISO/IEC 17025 standard for Eyewear and Ophthalmic Products, and issue reports with HOKLAS and ILAC endorsement, which are also recognized by the British Standards Institution, SAI Global, and Benchmark Product Certification.

We provide lab tests and quality control to ensure compliance of your eye protectors to all applicable international standards, including:

• Europe: EN 166, EN 172, EN 1731, EN 167, EN 168
• USA: ANSI / ISEA Z87.1
• Australia: AS 1337.1, AS 1337.6
• China: GB/T 14866, CSA Z94.5
• Japan: JIS T 8141 / 8147
• New Zealand: NZS 1337.1, AS 1337.6

HOKLAS Certified Lab Testing for Eye Protectors

Our fully accredited labs offer the widest available selection of tests for mechanical, optical, and chemical characteristics of your eye protectors and safety glasses, including, but not limited to:

• Anti-fog, for EN166 and EN 168
• Dimensional requirements (incl. goggles), for EN 166, ANSI/ISEA Z87.1, and AS/NZS 1337.1
• Eye protectors for prescription use, for EN166 and AS/NZS 1337.6
• Haze, for AS/NZS 1337.1, ANSI/ISEA Z87.1, and ASTM D1003
• High-velocity test (6.35mm steel ball), for ANSI/ISEA Z87.1
• Impact resistance to drop-ball (25.4 mm steel ball), for ANSI/ISEA Z87.1
• Impact resistance to high mass, for ANSI/ISEA Z87.1
• Increased robustness, for EN166 and EN168
• Infrared filters, for EN171, AS/NZS 1338.3, and ANSI/ISEA Z87.1 (table 8)
• Lateral protection, for EN166, ANSI/ISEA Z87.1, and AS/NZS 1337.1
• Low impact resistance test, for AS/NZS 1337.1
• Luminous transmittance (non-filtering oculars), for EN 166, ANSI/ISEA Z87.1, AS/NZS 1337.1, and CSZ Z94.3
• Medium / high / extra high impact resistance tests for AS/NZS 1337.1 and AS/NZS 1337.6
• Mesh eye and face protectors, for EN1731 and AS/NZS 1337.1
• Minimum robustness, for EN166 and EN168
• Ocular surface quality, for EN 166, ANSI/ISEA Z87.1, and AS/NZS 1337.1
• Optical power (eye-protectors with non-prescription lenses), for EN166, EN167, ANSI/ISEA Z87.1, AS/NZS 1337.1, CSA Z94.3, and QB/T14866
• Penetration test on plastic lenses, for ANSI/ISEA Z87.1 and AS/NZS 1337.1
• Prismatic imbalance, for EN166 (safety glasses), ANSI/ISEA Z87.1, and AS/NZS 1337.1
• Resistance to chemical splashes on goggles, for EN166, ANSI/ISEA Z87.1, and AS/NZS 1337.1
• Resistance to corrosion, for EN 166, EN 168, AS/NZS 1337.1, and ANSI/ISEA Z87.1
• Resistance to fine particles damage, for EN166 and EN 168
• Resistance to high-speed particles (45m/s, 120m/s and 190m/s), for EN 166 and EN 168 (6mm steel ball)
• Resistance to high-speed particles at extreme temperatures (45m/s, 120m/s and 190m/s) for EN 166 and EN 168
• Resistance to ignition, for EN166 and ANSI/ISEA Z87.1
• Resistance to optical radiation, for EN 166 and EN 168
• Resolving power, for ANSI/ISEA Z87.1
• Scattered sight, for EN 166, EN 167, and AS/NZS 1337.1
• Sunglare filters, for EN172, AS/NZS 1337.1 (table 1), and ANSI/ISEA Z87.1 (table 9)
• Thermal stability, for EN 166, EN 168, and AS/NZS 1337.1
• Transmittance properties and variations (filtering oculars), for EN 166, EN 169, EN 170, EN 171, EN 172, AS/NZS 1337.1, AS/NZS 1338.1, AS/NZS 1338.2, AS/NZS 1338.3, and ANSI / ISEA Z87.1
• UV filters, for EN170, AS/NZS 1338.2, and and ANSI/ISEA Z87.1 (table 7)
• Welding filters, for EN168 AS/NZS 1338.1 and ANSI/ISEA Z87.1 (table 6)

All testing programs can be tailored to your manufacturing needs and supply chain specifics. Get in touch with us, and our specialists will be happy to provide you with a quote.

• Spectacle frames
• Optical lenses
• Ready-to-wear reading glasses
• Fashion sunglasses
• Ski goggles and performance eyeglasses