Managing Eye Safety PPE Compliance

Checking with your employees once or twice a year to make sure their PPE is fitting comfortably and meeting their needs is a great way to ensure they are properly protected. This can ensure that they will continue to fit well and protect workers should there be any changes in their faces due to weight gain, weight loss, surgery, aging, etc. Eye exams are also recommended every 2 years for adults, and sometimes more frequently for various medical reasons, at the discretion of the optometrist. Lens coatings typically last 1-2 years and should be replaced when they begin to break down (as it will negatively affect an employee's vision).

The number one way to ensure your employee wears their PPE is to make sure it fits them comfortably. EyeSafe BC designed a "Perfect Fit" checklist for assisting in this, which is shared with all their dispensing optometrists. This checklist is based on the guidelines provided in CSA Z94.3.1, combined with eyewear dispensing best practices. There is also an aesthetic component to consider, which usually means providing the employee with a variety of styles, shapes, and colours to choose from. You can find the 2026/27 frame catalogue here, which provides some examples of the options that exist for safety eyewear.

Due to the wide range of possible chemical related hazards, for the best possible answer you will need to cross-reference the specific chemicals of concern vs the available materials for safety eyewear. The most common materials used for safety frames are: (note: some safety frames may use one material for the frame front, and another for the frame temples) The materials used for safety lenses are:

• Plastic (CR-39, also known as allyl diglycol carbonate)
• Trivex (a urethane-based monomer)
• Polycarbonate (most non-prescription safety eyewear will use Polycarbonate lenses)
• HiVex (a relatively newer material which is not commonly available for safety lenses at this time)

Frames w/ Full Seal Gaskets			Frames w/ Rubber Seal Gaskets
ArmouRx	Hilco OnGuard	WileyX	ArmouRx	Hilco OnGuard
6005	OG 225FDD	Boss	6008FS	OG 220FS
6006	OG 240FDD	Breach	6020	OG 800
6007	US 110FS	Sleek
6009	US 120FS
6014
6015
6016

CSA Z94.3 has optional standards for tinted lens sun protection. Tints of 15% or less are still considered "clear" lenses (as defined on Table 1 of the standard), tints up to 60% are considered "Cosmetic", and tints between 60% and 92% are considered "General Purpose" sun protection (as defined on Table 7 of the standard). Please note that tint percentages beyond 92% are not recommended for daylight driving. Sun protection should also include UV protection, and most labs will require/include UV protection when manufacturing safety eyewear with a tint. Most prescription lens labs will also not tint a lens higher than 85-90%.

Photochromic lenses (such as the brand Transitions) are allowed by the CSA and ANSI standards, but whether or not the use of them would cause an additional safety hazard is something that must be determined with a site hazard assessment. Our program has begun offering basic photochromic safety eyewear "testers" for use during these hazard assessments, which we have received positive feedback for. In general, photochromic lenses have made significant improvements in transitions speeds for both darkening and lightening, and in most cases if the worker is not operating heavy machinery as they move from high sunlight to low light spaces, there should not be an issue.

You can find the Occupational Health & Safety regulation details for Northwest Territories here. Please look at 97(1-4) which currently reads: "Eye and Face Protection 97. (1) If there is a risk of irritation or injury to the face or eyes of a worker from flying objects or particles, splashing liquids, molten metal or ultraviolet, visible or infrared radiation, an employer shall provide and require the worker to use an approved industrial eye protector or approved face protector to eliminate or reduce the risk. (2) An employer shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that a worker does not perform electric arc welding if another worker could be exposed to radiation from the arc, unless the other worker is using an approved industrial eye protector or is protected from the radiation by an approved screen. (3) A worker shall not perform electric arc welding if another worker could be exposed to radiation from the arc, unless the other worker is using an approved industrial eye protector or is protected from the radiation by an approved screen. (4) A worker who is required by these regulations to use an industrial eye protector or face protector shall not wear contact lenses." Under the definitions of the Safety Act it defines "Approved" as "approved by the Chief Safety Officer in a code of practice approved and issued under subsection 18(3) of the Act; (approuvé)". The specific codes of practice can be found on the Northwest Territories' Workers Safety and Compensation Commission website. The specific code of practice for Eye and Face Protection PPE is listed and can also be found here. In short: CSA Z94.3-20 (the 2020 version) along with Z94.3.1-16 (the guidelines for selection, use and care of protective eyewear) are the standards that should be used for safety eyewear in Northwest Territories.