Eye, face and breathing protection: reading EN 166 and FFP ratings

Grinders throw sparks and grit, saws throw chips, shredders throw twigs, and sanding and welding fill the air with particles you can’t see. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is the last line of defence against all of them — but only if it is the right kind and it fits.

When PPE is needed

HSE’s guidance for workplaces says PPE may be needed when risks remain after engineering controls and safe systems of work have been applied — for example from breathing in dust, mist, gas or fume; flying particles or splashes getting into eyes; skin contact with corrosive materials; and excessive noise. Under the PPE at Work Regulations, employers must provide it free of charge where a risk assessment shows it is needed, make sure it is fit for purpose, maintained and stored properly, and train people to use it. The law was amended in 2022 to extend these duties to “limb (b)” workers.

At home nobody makes you, but the order is the same: guards and extraction first, then PPE.

Safety glasses and goggles: EN 166

uvex explains that EN 166 sets the general requirements for personal eye protection, and that eyewear is marked to show what it has been tested for. The markings to look for:

• Mechanical strength: S = increased robustness; F = low-energy impact (45 m/s); B = medium-energy impact (120 m/s); A = high-energy impact (190 m/s); T = tested at extreme temperatures (−5 °C / +55 °C).
• K = resistance to surface damage by fine particles (scratch resistance); N = resistance to fogging.
• On the frame, 3 = liquids (drops and splashes), 4 = large dust particles (over 5 µm), 5 = gases, vapours, smoke, fumes and fine dust (under 5 µm), 9 = molten metal and hot solids.

uvex also publishes a guide to the newer EN ISO 16321-1:2022 standard for eye and face protection, which you will see on some newer products. In this guide, the uvex i-works glasses are certified to EN 166 and EN 170 (UV filters), and the uvex OTG plus over-specs — designed to fit over prescription glasses — to EN ISO 16321-1.

Face shields

A face shield covers more of your face than glasses do. Check its marking against the same standards before you rely on it. Search Amazon for face shields.

Welding: filters and fume

Welding needs specialist eye protection. uvex explains that EN 169 covers filters for welding and related techniques, with higher electrical currents requiring higher protection classes. Use a proper welding helmet or shield with the right shade for your process and current — check the welder’s and the helmet’s manuals. Search Amazon for auto-darkening welding helmets.

Welding fume is a serious health risk. HSE says occupational lung disease, including lung cancer, is the most common health risk from welding, and that welding can also affect the eyes and skin. HSE reports that the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified all welding fume as able to cause lung cancer, that an independent expert committee commissioned by HSE agreed, and that HSE issued a safety alert in February 2019 about mild steel welding fume and cancer. HSE also notes that many welders get “metal fume fever”, often linked to welding galvanised metal, and that ozone from TIG welding stainless steel and aluminium can irritate the airways. Control the fume at source with ventilation or extraction, not just a mask.

Dust masks: FFP1, FFP2 and FFP3

Disposable filtering half masks are tested to EN 149. uvex summarises the classes:

• FFP1: filters at least 80% of particles; for particles that are neither toxic nor fibrogenic.
• FFP2: filters at least 94%; for harmful dusts, smoke and particles.
• FFP3: filters at least 99%; the highest class, for toxic particles, dusts and smoke.

Other markings: NR means a mask is for one shift only, R means it is reusable, and D means it passed the dolomite dust clogging test. The uvex silv-Air c 2310 in this guide is an FFP3 mask marked NR and D, with an exhalation valve.

Fit matters as much as the rating

HSE’s wood dust guidance says that where you need respiratory protection you should select the right mask and cartridge, make sure it fits properly by having it face-fitted and by being clean-shaven, and look after it or change it regularly as the maker says. That is why HSE mentions being clean-shaven: a disposable mask relies on sealing against your skin.

Dust needs extraction too

For woodwork, HSE says to capture dust at the machine with extraction and to wear a mask as well for very dusty jobs such as sanding — the mask is in addition to extraction, not instead of it. See wood dust and dust extraction.

A quick kit list for a home workshop

1. Safety glasses marked EN 166 (or EN ISO 16321-1) with an impact rating that suits the job.
2. A face shield where flying material could hit your face.
3. FFP2 or FFP3 masks for dusty jobs — and extraction.
4. A welding helmet with the right filter if you weld, plus fume control.
5. Hearing protection: see noise and hearing protection.