AS/NZS 1337 Safety Glasses,How to Choose the Right Eye Protection for Your Job

Walk into any hardware store in Auburn and you will find a wall of "safety glasses" at prices from $5 to $150. Some are certified to the relevant Australian Standard. Many are not. The difference matters,choosing the wrong protector for your hazard is not a technicality, it's a risk.

What AS/NZS 1337 Actually Means

AS/NZS 1337 is a joint Australian and New Zealand standard that sets the minimum performance requirements for eye and face protectors used in occupational settings. Products certified to this standard have been independently tested for impact resistance, optical clarity, and construction quality. The standard number should appear on the lens and/or frame of any compliant product.

Key Markings to Understand

• F (Low Energy Impact): Minimum standard. Suitable for dust protection and low-risk environments. Not suitable for grinding or flying fragment work.
• B (Medium Energy Impact): Suitable for most construction tasks with flying particle risk. The most common marking on site-quality safety glasses.
• A (High Energy Impact): Required for heavy grinding, masonry cutting, and other high-fragment-velocity tasks. Full wraparound or face shield format typical.
• 3 or 4 (Liquid splash resistant): Required for chemical splash hazards. Frame must seal against the face,standard open-frame safety glasses do not qualify.
• W (Welding filter): Welding-specific shade rating. Must match the welding process (MIG, TIG, oxy) in use.
• UV (UV protection): Filters UV radiation. Essential for outdoor workers.

Common Mismatches to Avoid

• Using Low Energy (F) rated glasses for grinding,insufficient impact protection
• Using standard safety glasses (open frame) for chemical splash,does not seal against the face
• Using tinted welding lenses for general grinding,shade may be too dark for safe navigation
• Using non-AS/NZS 1337 marked products believing they meet the standard,they do not