Face Shield
Medtecs - Safeguarding Every Tomorrow
A face shield is a type of personal protective equipment (PPE) designed to provide protection to the wearer against viral particles. Unlike masks, which only cover the nose and mouth, a face shield is designed to cover the entire face, extending from the top of the head to the chin and covering the ears horizontally. By providing full-face coverage, face shields offer an additional layer of protection against viral spray particles, making them a valuable tool in preventing the spread of infectious diseases.
Structure
There are two methods used to manufacture face shields:
- Extrusion
- Injection molding.
Generally speaking, faceshields cut from extrusion sheets provide better impact resistance than injection molded faceshields
Materials
When it comes to selecting face shields, the most important consideration is the lens plate. The quality of the lens plate ultimately reflects the clarity and impact resistance of the face shield. Cheaper materials with poor clarity often result in dizziness and fatigue after a period of time. Here are some common materials for face shields:
- Polycarbonate (PC)
- Glycol Modified Polyethylene Terephthalate (PETG)
- Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
Regulation & Standards
ANSI (American Standard)
- Mark Z87: Basic impact: Faceshields shall be capable of resisting impact from a 25.4 mm (1 in) diameter steel ball dropped from a height of 127 cm (50 in).
- Mark Z87+: High impact: Faceshields shall be capable of resisting impact from a 6.35 mm (0.25 in) diameter steel ball traveling at a velocity of 91.4 m/s (300 ft/s).
EN 166 (European Standard)
These shields are for protection against high-speed particles and must withstand the impact of a 6 mm nominal diameter steel ball, striking the oculars and the lateral protection at the speed stated.
- Mark A: 190 m/s.
- Mark B: 120 m/s.
- Mark F: 45 m/s.
- ref. EN166
CSA (Canadian Standard)
Z94.3-15 Eye and Face Protectors Class 6 relates to face shields, and is divided into 3 sub-classes
- 6A – Impact, piercing, splash, head, and glare protection.
- 6B – Radiation protection. Also for low heat, splash, glare, and light non-piercing impact protection.
- 6C – High-heat applications and light non-piercing impact protection only.
ref. CSA Z94.3-15
