AS/ NZS 1337.6 Prescription Safety eyewear sets down the principles that prescription eye protectors must provide against low or medium impact as set out in AS/NZS 2228.1.

The four critical elements in compliant prescription eyewear.

1. Appropriate Frame – the frame meets minimum lens dimension requirements of AS/NZS 1337.

–       Low impact sufficient to cover 2 ellipses 42mm wide and 32mm high centered on a 64mm pupil distance (PD).

–       Medium impact sufficient to cover 2 ellipses 42mm wide x 35mm  high.  Additionally, protection from side impact is mandatory.  Where this is achieved by the use of side shields, these must be permanently attached (for example, riveted on or moulded with the side rather than screwed on).

1. Appropriate lens material and thickness

–       Any material that meets the performance requirements of the standard may be used for low to medium impact protection, with the exception of untempered or high index (including chemically tempered) glass, which should not be used as the front-most or the rear-most element in any eye protection.

1. 3.    Appropriate Fitting

–       With the availability of thermoplastic materials such as polycarbonate, lens fracture under impact is rarely an issue.  The problem of a lens being dislodged from the frame is a more common problem.  A lens must be held securely and should not be able to be dislodged under impact but shall not be held so tightly that the surfaces are distorted.

1. 4.    Labelling and assuring compliance

–       Prescription eye protectors shall have a manufacturer’s name or logo on the frame and lenses.  This has the dual affect of allowing the user to identify the manufacturer in the event of product failure and also allows the manufacturer what is not their product or when their product has been altered for instance reglazed frames).

–       Lenses must be appropriately marked

–       There are three levels of compliance

1. Certification using the Standards Mark – the Standards Mark is the highest level of assurance in which manufacturers are supervised and audited.  The exact requirements to be involved in such a scheme are not part of the Standard but are negotiated with a compliance authority such as SAI Global or BSI Benchmark.
2. Self-Certification with third party systems certification and third party testing – The extent of necessary system certification and third party testing is not set down in the standard but might become an issue in a court case.
3. Self-Certification using internal procedures and checks only- Self-certification is not precluded in the standard but it would be difficult to justify in the event of litigation.

This information is from the Occupational Optometry Guide, Optometry Association of Australia.

It should be noted that the lens companies insurance certificate of currency is limited to Australia and New Zealand, outside Australia and New Zealand the insurance is void.  All products are fully covered in Australia and New Zealand.