When you wear eye protection, only your eyes are protected from the impact, leaving the rest of your face unprotected. When you wear facial protection, your entire face is protected, from your forehead to your chin. 

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Materials

Both goggles and facial screens are available in a variety of colors and materials. The most common synthetic materials are polycarbonate (strong against impact) and acetate (often used when working with chemicals, although nowadays, there are also specially treated polycarbonate lenses that offer excellent protection against chemicals). 

In the case of facial protection, another option is that of mesh visors, which can made from synthetic material or metal. They are commonly used in forestry and similar activities. 

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What are the relevant standards? 

Normering
NEN-EN 166	Requirements safety glass, specifications
NEN-EN 167	Optical tests
NEN-EN 168	Non-optical tests
NEN-EN 169	Filters for welding and related techniques
NEN-EN 170	Ultraviolet filter
NEN-EN 171	Infrared filter
NEN-EN 172	Sunlight filters for industrial use
NEN-EN 175	Tools for eye and face protection during welding and related processes
NEN-EN 207	Filters and eye protectors against laser beams
NEN-EN 379	Automatic welding filters

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Types of face protection

Colors
In addition, there are various colors to choose from. That has to be coordinated during the work. Examples are bright, amber (yellow) and smoke (grey/blue/black). Different shades of green are also used. They are used when you are welding yourself, or when colleagues in your immediate environment are welding. 

Various shapes
As far as the goggles are concerned, different shapes are available:

• Standard safety goggles,
• Cover googles, in combination with corrective glasses,
• Cyclops glasses.

Prescription glasses
Many people already wear glass to correct nearsightedness or farsightedness. That can be transferred to safety goggles, to prevent having to wear two pairs of glasses. There are different options:

• Safety goggles with prescription glasses
• Safety goggles with a standard reading part
• Inserts where you can have prescription glasses placed, which you can put behind the safety glass of your goggles. 

Coatings
There are different coatings as well that are applied to the lenses:

• Anti-fog, for additional protection against condensation,
• Anti-scratch, for additional protection against scratching,
• Polarized coatings, against glares, 
• Etc. 

As far as facial screens are concerned, there are also various options:

• The standard facial screens made from polycarbonate and acetate,
• Mesh visors,
• Welding caps.

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Lens marking

The safety features listed above are included in a legally required making on the lens and on the frame, containing the protection specifications of the goggles. On the basis of those protection requirements, you can select your safety goggles. The following issues are included in the lens marking: 

• Application area: type of filtering (2-6_
• Shade: Colorless (C) or tinted
• Protection class: impact of light (1.2 – 6)
• Supplier logo
• Optical class: distortion of the image (1 – 3)
• Mechanical resistance (S, F, B, A, K, N + T)

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Proper use

Before using the goggle, make sure to read the instructions. In addition, it is important to get information about the risks and the protection. The employer has to verify whether the protection is used properly.

The maintenance instructions can be found in the user manual. In addition, cleaning kits are available, including, among other things, cleaning wipes for maintaining the lenses.
 

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Advice

Can't figure it out? Please call me for additional advice. It is important that you make a safe choice!

Maurits - Operational PPE-adviseur
+31 184 434 455  info@veiliggoed.nl
 

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