Safety

VSP contract laboratories are required to comply with ANSI standards for lens production.  Effective 3/11/2020, certified safety eyewear is defined as lenses and frames that meet all of the following criteria (per ANSI Z87.1-2020 American National Standard Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices):

Prescription Lenses

There are two categories of lenses in the new standard: Standard Safety and Impact-rated Safety.

  • Standard Safety Non-Plano Lenses: Shall be 3.00 mm minimum thickness except those lenses having a plus power of 3.00D or greater shall have a minimum thickness of 2.5mm.
  • Impact-rated Safety Non-Plano Lenses: Shall not be less than 2 mm thick at their thinnest point.

Lens Markings

  • Manufacturer's logo - complies with Standard Safety test requirements
  • + – Complies with Impact-rated Safety test requirements
  • All markings must be permanent

Standard Safety Non-Plano Lenses

  • Shall be capable of resisting impact from a 25.4mm (1 in.) steel ball, weighing 68 g (2.4 oz) shall be freely dropped from a height of 127 cm (50 in.) onto the lens at a point in line with the eyes of the headform. Four (4) complete devices shall be tested for each lens material and coating, two on the left viewing area and two on the right viewing area. The lens shall not fracture.
  • Glass lenses shall be tested 100%.
  • Plastic lenses shall be statistically sample tested.

Impact-rated Non-Plano Lenses

  • Shall be tested to determine the ability of prescription lens materials, combined with individual coatings and processes applied to those materials, to withstand impact from high velocity, low mass projectiles.  The lenses shall be mounted on a test holder and shall be capable of resisting impact from a 6.35mm (0.25 in.) diameter steel ball traveling at a velocity of 45.7m/s (150ft/s).
  • Three lenses shall be tested.
  • Failure consists of any posterior displacement of the lens completely through the test holder; any fracture of the lens; any detachment of a portion of the lens from its inner surface; or full-thickness penetration of a lens.
  • If all test lenses pass, then any non-plano lens of the same or greater thickness at its thinnest point, which is made by the same manufacturer, from the same material with the same coatings may bear the "+" mark.

Frames

Constructed so that if impacted from the front, lens will not come out the back of frame.  All safety frames for prescription eyewear must be tested with 2.0mm Impact-rated lenses.  Frames that meet the Impact-rated requirement must bear the mark Z87-2+, and may only be used for Impact-rated Safety applications. Frames marked Z87-2 (without the “+”) are for Standard Safety applications and may only be mounted with Standard Safety lenses.

Impact-rated Safety Lens Mounting Qualification

  • Complete devices using representative test lenses meeting the Impact-rated Safety Lenses requirements and having the thinnest lens thickness to be used by the manufacturer, in no case less than 2.0 mm (0.079 in.), shall be capable of resisting High Mass and High Velocity impact. For each type of lens retention system offered for sale, one set of ten (10) complete devices shall be tested, (six (6) high velocity and four (4) high mass). Failure of any one device as a result of these tests shall constitute failure for a set.
  • For High Mass Impact, the complete devices shall be tested to determine the ability to meet the protector acceptance criteria when impacted by a pointed projectile weighing a minimum of 500g (17.6 oz.) dropped from a height of at least 127 cm (50.0 in.).
  • For High Velocity Impact, the complete device shall be tested to determine the ability to meet the protector acceptance criteria when impacted by a 6.35mm (0.25 in.) diameter steel ball traveling at a velocity of 45.7m/s (150ft/s).
  • A complete device shall fail if any of the following occurs:
    • Any part, fragment, or material visible to the unaided eye becomes detached from the inner surface of any complete device, as determined by inspection of the device or of the contact paste
    • Fracture
    • Penetration of the inner surface either by the projectile passing completely through the lens, frame, or housing component, or by rupture of the inner lens surface
    • Lens not retained
    • For the High Velocity test, the unaided eye observes any piece adhering to the contact paste or observes contact paste on the projectile or complete device.

Side Shields

The cost of frame side shields should be added to the wholesale cost of the frame and indicated in the Frame Cost box on Eyefinity or the Materials Invoice form by the doctor or laboratory.