In North American safety, there are a couple of big standards to pay attention to when it comes to safety eyewear – ANSI Z87.1 in the United States and CSA Z94.3 in Canada.
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Like ANSI Z87.1, the CSA Z94.3 standard addresses safety eyewear regulations that help ensure eye safety on the job.
Of these standards, one is not necessarily better than the other. But regardless of where you or your workers are wearing eye protection – whether in the U.S., Canada, or elsewhere – ensuring the safety eyewear being used complies with a standard like CSA or ANSI is essential to help mitigate injury.
Let’s dive into the main questions we hear about what CSA means for your safety eyewear in a typical industrial setting.
Updated in 2020, the CSA Z94.3 standard applies to eye and face protectors for all occupational and educational purposes involving hazards to the eyes or face.
Specifically, this standard defines the test methods and provides guidance on the selection, care, and use of said eye and face protectors, and addresses the following:
Additionally, the standard recommends protectors for typical hazards, including flying objects and particles, splashing liquids, molten metal, and ultraviolet, visible, and infrared radiation.
If there is a risk for eye or face injuries at your worksite, appropriate protection should be provided and worn.
There are seven classifications of eye and face protective devices in the CSA standard to help you choose what’s best for your environment and application:
This is different than ANSI, which instead has a variety of optional tests that are designed for specific applications/settings.
CSA eye and face protection selection per hazard
If you want to select proper eye and face protection based on the nature of the hazard, follow the recommendations in the table here from the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety.
At HexArmor®, we focus on general use or typical industrial safety eyewear in classes 1A, 2B, and 6A.
For any safety glasses to meet CSA safety standards, they must pass two main tests that are most referenced in relation to the ANSI standard: the Impact Resistance test and the Ignition Resistance test.
Several additional tests are needed to certify to the standard, some of which include refractive power, resolving power, prismatic deviation, and transmittance. The full list can be found within the standard itself.
Note: CSA Z94.3 does not have testing requirements for dust and splash like ANSI Z87.1 Learn more about ANSI Z87.1 here.
The manufacturer or supplier certification mark must be present on all approved safety lenses, frames (front and temple), removable side shields, and other parts of the glasses, goggles, or helmets.
To be considered “certified” to the CSA Group standard, the testing and evaluation must be done by CSA Group or in a testing lab that is qualified and audited routinely by CSA.
When a product “meets” CSA Group standards, CSA has not reviewed the testing data or certified the product. Instead, the testing has been conducted independently, and the test should be made available upon request.
Certified products must carry the mark of CSA, SEI, or any other certifying body that tests and certifies products to CSA as a third party on the lens or temple.
For safety eyewear that meets the CSA Z94.3 standard but has not been tested by an accredited lab qualified by a certifying body, you may only see "Z94.3" on the lens or temple.
For example, HexArmor® safety eyewear that has been certified to the standard will show the following:
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Additionally, CSA Z94.3 does not include additional lens markings like EN166 (the European safety eyewear standard) and ANSI Z87.1.
Even if you understand what all the markings mean, you still may need help selecting the right eyewear for your application.
Check with your safety manufacturer to see how your eyewear is being made, how it scores in the CSA Z94.3 testing, and what applications your safety eyewear is ideal for. HexArmor® can help with this.
Here are the CSA Z94.3 classes that apply to HexArmor® products:
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Let us know if you need help – our Solution Specialists are ready to work with you. Call 1.877.MY ARMOR or send us a message.
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There are so many options for safety glasses on the market today, it can be difficult to choose the correct ones for your needs. Finding the perfect pair not only helps provide protection against hazardous situations but they may also enhance your work experience and quality of work. It is crucial to be properly protected in jobs that require it.
To make sure you get the best protection you can, here are four common mistakes to avoid when buying prescription safety glasses.
Whether you may be dealing with high velocity debris or exposure to eye-damaging chemicals, you want your safety glasses to be the high quality they can be to protect you. The best way to ensure this is to look for the Z87 (USA) or Z94 (Canada) markings when shopping.
Many forget to do so and end up with less than ideal glasses for their needs. As their name implies, the American National Standard Institute (ANSI) & Canadian Standards Association (CSA) set safety standards for a vast number of products. Both organizations are comprised of industry experts for a given field and in the case of eye/face protection the respective standards are known as ANSI Z87.1 & CSA Z94.3. So be sure to look for safety glasses bearing their markings.
Depending on what you’re working with, it’s important to understand your particular needs. If you spend a majority of your work outside in the sunlight, you may benefit from polarized lenses to reduce blinding glare from reflective surfaces such as water, ice and snow.
However, polarized lenses and photochromatic lenses (light reactive lenses that darken when exposed to UV light) may not be ideal for those who work indoors or with backlit screens since they can reduce visual clarity in these scenarios. Anti-fogging coatings, sprays and wipes are recommended for those who wear tight fitting or wrap safety frames.
Especially, styles that feature rubber gaskets/seals and for those who work in hot & humid environments. Having your glasses fog up while working in a hazardous environment is extremely dangerous.
Each job that requires safety glasses has different conditions, and therefore different safety needs. Not all safety glasses are alike, and therefore it’s crucial to choose ones that fit your specific working needs.
If you’re working with materials that may damage your eyes from multiple angles, it’s best to consider wraparound pairs. If falling debris is of concern consider styles that come with a brow-guard. Chemical hazards are best guarded against with fully sealed safety eyewear such as googles.
Regardless of the quality of safety glasses in terms of lenses and frames, if a pair does not fit properly, its protective abilities are greatly diminished.
Before ordering a pair, be sure to take the proper facial measurements and compare them with the sizing provided. It’s best to work with an optician who’s familiar with safety glasses who can help you find frames that fit properly. Without a proper fit, they could be liable to slide off, leave gaps or even cause discomfort making you less inclined to wear them.
Make sure they are the right size! Often, if you wear regular prescription glasses, you can reference the sizes marked on your current frames to help get you started.
If you can avoid these mistakes, you are on the right track to finding the perfect pair of safety glasses for your working needs. Be sure to take your time to consider all of these factors before selecting your best pair. Remember, the better your are protected, the better your work experience and the safer you will be in your work environment.
Now that you know what to look for, check out our selection of prescription safety glasses.
If you have a business that needs help sourcing quality prescription safety eyewear for employees be sure to contact us to find out how we can help you set up a corporate program with package pricing and access to thousands of eye care providers across the country.
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