ANSI Z80.3 and Airsoft

[sproc]

We all know that Airsoft glasses/goggles should have an ANSI Z87.1 rating. However, some retailers, who shall remain nameless for now, are selling "Airsoft" goggles that are instead stamped with an ANSI Z80.3 rating.

I am concerned about this because Z80 seems to only deal with optical and UV issues, not impact. If so, these goggles are probably not safe for Airsoft, and should not be sold by Airsoft retailers for that purpose.

However, I'm having trouble finding the details of Z80.3. One can buy a document from ansi.org with those details, but they don't seem to be freely available.

So, are there any eye safety experts here that can shed some light on this? I can't rest easy with the suspicion that unsafe products are being sold either out of ignorance or indifference.

[Beran]

http://www.ansi.org/news_publications/m ... x?menuid=7

One of the primary requirements contained within ANSI Z80.3 is tolerance on the transmittance of UV radiation through the lens, thereby affording the benefit of eye protection from UV radiation.

about 3/4 of the way down. hope that helps.

[sproc]

What I really need to know is if Z80.3 includes impact protection in addition to the known UV and optical stuff.

[Deftanker]

hmmmm Thanks sproc never thought of that. I will double check everything that I have.

[Beran]

everything i see relates to UV protection. there are impact resistant Z80.3 glasses that i found, but they all say things along the lines of "impact resistant AND Z80.3" which leads me to believe that impact resistance is not included in the Z80.3 standard, only UV protection.

[Beran]

http://engineers.ihs.com/document/abstr ... AAAAAAAAAA

This standard applies to all nonprescription sunglasses and fashion eyewear, normally used for casual, dress, and recreational purposes, having lenses of substantially plano power. This standard specifically excludes products covered by ANSI Z87.1-1989 (R1998), ANSI Z80.1-1999, ANSI/ASTM F803-01a and high-impact-resistance eyewear designed exclusively for designated sports use. Sunglass needs for aphakics may not be met by this standard.

there we go.

[sproc]

Thanks, Josh.

It's pretty clear Z80.3 is only for sunglasses and fashion eyewear, not sporting, industrial or military ballistic impact protection.

I've contacted the retailer to let them know they shouldn't be selling Z80.3 goggles for Airsoft (which is implied when they are offered for sale in an Airsoft store), regardless what their supplier tells them about their safety rating. I don't fault anyone for taking a supplier at their word, but when presented with evidence to the contrary, obviously they should cease selling those items. I assume they'll gladly do the right thing and quickly.

But if they don't, I'll post an update and request some help from this community.

And again, if somebody more versed in this field has information saying Z80.3 is fine for Airsoft, please let me know ASAP before I make a jackass of myself.



By the way, it looks like Airsoft will be getting its very own eye safety standard. From the Wikipedia entry on Airsoft:

[M]any organized groups of airsoft players and fields require that eye protection fully seals the area around the eyes, and also meets or exceeds ANSI's Z87.1-2003 goggle standard for eye protection (resists 3 joules of impact energy without damage). However, it is not uncommon for players in less organized games to use shooting glasses, which do not provide complete protection from projectiles. Some players will opt for paintball goggles, which are held to higher impact rating standards, ASTM's F1776. [2] It is worth noting, however, that Z87.1-2003 rated goggles are specifically intended for use in industry and manufacturing, and are not for use in sports.

According to ANSI publications as of June 2006, The ASTM is currently developing a more specific standard for the sport - ASTM Z1535Z - Standard Specification for Eye Protective Devices for Airsoft Sports.

[Osmo]

Way to take the initiative. Safety first.