SIST EN 168:2002

SIST EN 168:2002 is the Slovenian adoption of EN 168:2001 from CEN for personal eye-protection. It specifies non-optical test methods for eye-protectors whose performance requirements are defined in other European Standards, so it is used when you need to verify strength, durability, and resistance to heat, flame, particles, splashes, dust, fogging, and similar hazards. It is aimed at manufacturers, test laboratories, and conformity assessors working on spectacles, goggles, face-shields, frames, and oculars.

What does SIST EN 168:2002 specify?

SIST EN 168:2002 specifies non-optical test methods for eye-protectors, and it allows alternative test methods if they can be shown to be equivalent. The document does not set the product requirements itself - those are in other European Standards.

SIST EN 168:2002 is organised as a sequence of test clauses covering mechanical strength, environmental resistance, hazard-specific protection, and fit-related checks. Optical test methods are taken from EN 167, and terms are defined in EN 165.

What are the key requirements of SIST EN 168:2002?

Mechanical strength and impact resistance

Clause 3 covers increased robustness for unmounted oculars and complete eye-protectors and frames. The specimens are impacted with a 22 mm steel ball at normal, high, and low temperature conditioning, so the test checks whether the product can tolerate sudden impacts in use.

Clause 4 covers the minimum robustness of oculars with filtering effect and cover plates under a static load of 100 N. In practice, this shows whether tinted filters and cover plates can resist deformation or cracking when loaded during handling or wear.

Clause 9 covers resistance to high-speed particles and the same test at temperature extremes. The method uses a 6 mm steel ball and defined impact points, which makes it relevant for products used where fast-moving particles can strike the eye-protector.

Clause 11 checks resistance to penetration by hot solids using a heated steel ball. That matters for work around hot fragments or spatter where penetration is the main risk.

Heat, flame, corrosion, and weathering

Clause 5 checks stability at elevated temperature at 55 °C, so products can be examined for distortion after heat exposure. Clause 6 checks resistance to ultraviolet radiation, which is important for materials that may embrittle or change with sunlight or industrial UV sources. Clause 7 checks resistance to ignition on exposed parts, and clause 8 checks resistance to corrosion on metal parts after salt exposure.

Protection against specific hazards

Clause 10 covers protection against molten metals in two ways - non-adherence of molten metal and the area of coverage of face-shields. This is used to verify both material behaviour and whether the face-shield covers the eye-region sufficiently.

Clauses 12, 13, and 14 cover droplets and liquid splashes, large dust particles, and gases and fine dust particles. These are practical wearer-protection checks, because they show whether the product seals and shields the eye area in particle-laden or splash-prone environments.

Clause 15 covers resistance to surface damage by fine particles, and clause 16 covers resistance to fogging of oculars. These tests matter because they affect visibility, surface clarity, and whether the wearer can keep using the protector without impairment.

Fit, coverage, and vision

Clause 17 defines the head-form used in the tests. Clauses 18 and 19 assess field of vision and lateral protection, which helps confirm that the design gives usable viewing area and side shielding when mounted as intended.

What terms does SIST EN 168:2002 define?

• Ocular - the lens or viewing element being tested, including unmounted oculars.
• Eye-protector - the finished personal eye-protection product, or the complete assembly under test.
• Head-form - the reference head model used to mount the protector and carry out the tests.
• Visual centre - the point on an ocular used to aim impacts when the test calls for it.
• Field of vision - the viewing area measured to check how much of the eye region remains visible.
• Lateral protection - the side shielding that prevents access to the impact region from the side.
• Fogging - the loss of optical clarity caused by condensation on the ocular surface.

Who uses SIST EN 168:2002?

SIST EN 168:2002 is used by manufacturers of personal eye-protection, test laboratories, and conformity assessment bodies. Quality teams and technical buyers use it to define acceptance tests for spectacles, goggles, face-shields, and related frames. It is also useful for product development, inspection, and test reporting when checking against the performance standards for eye-protectors.

What changed in SIST EN 168:2002 from the previous edition?

SIST EN 168:2002 replaces EN 168:1995.

Which standards are used with SIST EN 168:2002?

• EN 165 - gives the vocabulary used for personal eye-protection terms.
• EN 166 - gives the product specifications and supports the definitions and test references used throughout this standard.
• EN 167 - gives the optical test methods and is referenced for optical-related measurements used alongside these non-optical tests.
• ISO 565 - gives the sieve sizes used for the test dust in the large dust particle test.

What does the SIST EN 168:2002 document contain?

The document contains detailed apparatus and procedures for impact, heat, flame, corrosion, dust, splash, fogging, and coverage tests. It includes figures for the holding devices, head-form, dust and gas chambers, fogging set-up, and field-of-vision layout, plus Table 1 for the particle size distribution of the test dust. Clause 15 includes a calculation for surface-damage evaluation, and Annex A explains how to state uncertainty of measurement in the test report. Annex ZA links the clauses to EU Directive requirements for personal protective equipment.