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2 styles we can bring in · PortwestSafety glasses and goggles.
Impact spectacles, splash goggles and tinted lenses for outdoor work. A short range we can show, and a much wider one we can bring in — tell us the hazard and we quote against the right EN mark.
Portwest
Profile safety spectacle (PW34)
EN 166EN 172
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Portwest
Fossa spectacle (PW15)
EN 166EN 170EN 172
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No prices here on purpose. These are the styles we can bring in; what they cost depends on the quantity, the sizes and the standard you need, so we quote against your actual order rather than publishing an average.
EN 166 is the base, and then it depends on the hazard
All eye protection starts at EN 166, which sets the optical class and the impact rating. The impact letter is what matters day to day: S is increased robustness, F is low-energy impact at 45 m/s, B is medium energy at 120 m/s, A is high energy at 190 m/s. Grinding and cutting want B as a minimum, and a spectacle frame cannot usually carry B — that is goggle or faceshield territory.
Spectacles, goggles, faceshield
Spectacles stop things coming straight at the eye and nothing else. Goggles seal to the face, so they are the answer for dust and for liquid splash. A faceshield protects the whole face but does not seal, so for splash work it goes over goggles rather than instead of them. Welding is a separate standard again: EN 169 for the filter shade.
Tint is not sun protection unless it is marked
A dark lens with no marking is a fashion lens. EN 170 covers ultraviolet filters and EN 172 covers sunglare filters for industrial use; those are the marks to look for on anything worn outdoors all day. And never issue a tinted lens for indoor or low-light work — it causes the thing it is meant to prevent.
Eye protection: the questions people actually ask
What does EN 166 mean on safety glasses?
EN 166 is the general standard for personal eye protection. It covers the optical quality of the lens and the impact performance of the whole product, and the marking tells you which. The letters S, F, B and A are impact ratings in increasing order — S is increased robustness, F is 45 metres per second, B is 120, A is 190. Anything without an EN 166 mark is not safety eyewear.
Do safety glasses or goggles protect against dust?
Goggles do, glasses mostly do not. Dust and fine particles get round the open sides and top of a spectacle frame; only a goggle that seals to the face keeps them out. The same applies to liquid splash. If the hazard is airborne rather than flying, specify a goggle.
Can I wear safety glasses over my prescription glasses?
Over-spectacles designed for the job exist and are marked for it, and they are the right answer for occasional use. For anyone in eye protection all day, prescription safety eyewear is more comfortable and more likely to stay on. Ordinary prescription glasses are not eye protection, whatever the lens is made of — they are not tested to EN 166.
What eye protection do I need for grinding?
At least B-rated impact protection, which in practice means a goggle or a faceshield rather than a spectacle — most spectacle frames cannot carry a B mark. For disc cutting and angle grinding, a faceshield over safety spectacles is common, because the shield takes the large debris and the spectacles stay on when it is lifted.
Are tinted safety glasses suitable for outdoor work?
Only if the tint is actually certified. Look for EN 170 for ultraviolet filtering or EN 172 for sunglare filtering for industrial use — an unmarked dark lens is a fashion lens and may distort colour and contrast. And do not issue tinted lenses for indoor or dusk work; reducing the light someone can see by is not a safety improvement.
How do you stop safety glasses fogging?
Buy an anti-fog coated lens in the first place, and add indirect ventilation if it is a goggle. Fogging is the single biggest reason eye protection ends up on a forehead instead of over the eyes, so paying a little more for the coated version is usually the cheapest compliance you will ever buy. Never cure fogging by drilling or cutting a vent — that voids the certification.