Face Shields
Face Shields are essential protective gear designed to protect workers’ faces and necks from potential face hazards or injuries at the workplace. They prevent chemical or other harmful liquid splashes, flying objects, and other hazards coming up to the eyes and face.
Usually worn with masks and respirators, face shields come in different shapes, shades, materials, and tints to suit different tasks and workspaces. Wearing the appropriate face shield is critical to protect from harsh objects and prevent harmful face injuries.
Here are some key features to consider to select the right face shield.
OSHA recommends conducting a workplace hazard assessment before choosing face shields for employees. Eye and face protective gears are recommended for employers working in critical industrial environments who get exposed to hazards like foreign objects, chemicals, acids, molten metal, chemical gases, vapors, or UV radiation.
Applications such as drilling, welding, woodworking, and environments with harmful fluid exposure pose respiratory, chemical, and impact risks, and they require proper face protection.
Lens Material
Face shields are typically designed with durable materials such as polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), polycarbonate, acetate, propionate, nylon, or steel mesh. It’s significant to choose the appropriate and most suitable material for a workplace and application.
Polycarbonate is the best material of all, providing the best impact and heat resistance. It prevents chemical splashes and protects against extremely cold temperatures.
The lens should be able to provide excellent visibility as visual strain could impact workers’ productivity. Acetate provides the best clarity lens with scratch resistance and offers protection from chemical splashes and impacts.
However, propionate is the best material and stronger than acetate if you are looking for superior impact protection.
Above all, the most economical option is the face shield made of polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG).
There are also specialty lenses available such as:
- Arc lenses to protect workers against arc flash
- UV filter lenses for protection from UV radiation
Working with molten metal makes workers exposed to UV and IR radiation. Shaded welding face shields protect from those harmful radiations.
Steel or nylon mesh lens materials provide good airflow and protect workers from impact with objects such as wood debris. However, they don’t provide protection from vapors and dust.
Comfort and Fit
A face shield should fit comfortably, and headgear plays a significant role in getting the right fit. It is generally adjustable with a top band for depth and a flexible headband for the circumference. Depth plays a key role in the stability of the face shields.
Anti-fog Coating
Fogged lenses are dangerous and annoying, especially while working in harmful work environments. Fogged lenses reduce the workers’ visibility and increase the risk of accidents in workplaces.
Face shields with thin-film coatings prevent fogging at high and low temperatures. The thin-film coatings are made of hydrogels and polymers, which absorb moisture and divert it to the side of the lenses.
Check for the anti-fogging ability of lenses tested under the European EN166/168 standard.
Anti-scratch & Anti-reflective Coating
Face shields should have lenses protected with anti-scratch and anti-reflective coatings. The anti-scratch coating provides extra durability and resistance against abrasion. It also makes the face shield easy to clean. The anti-reflective or anti-glare coatings dissipate heat and prevent reflection.
UV Protection
Face shields with UV protection are recommended for workers working with high-intensity UV sources. They are specially designed to block UV transmission and overall UV wavelengths.
Adaptability to Other Protective Gears
It’s also important that the face shields should work with head protection and other protective gears too. They need to be worn comfortably with safety glasses, goggles, and respirators, including an N95 mask.
Certifications & Price
Make sure the face shields pass all the required tests and standards, such as impact resistance, protection, and lenses. Examine the safety markings, ANSI Z87.1-2015 marked on the face shields, and the lens quality should be Z87.1-2010 standard.
Face shields should have all these certifications, irrespective of the price. Always be aware of too-good-to-be-true offers, as counterfeit face shields are easily available, too, and they can jeopardize safety.
Care & Maintenance
Regarding care and maintenance, check for the durability of face shields. They should be cleaned easily after use and prevent wearers from touching their faces. Reusable face shields are generally resistant to disinfectants, are washable, and serializable.
Look out for all these key features when shopping for face shields. While face shields are available online from many retailers, Bison Life is the best choice to buy the best-quality face shields.
Bison Life is one of the topmost and reliable retailers that offer supreme-quality face shields at the best face shield prices. They offer different types of face shields like clear face shields, medical face shields, Covid face shields, etc. Some of the top picks include:
- Full-face Protector Face Shield
- Safety Headgear with Clear Polycarbonate Face Shield
- PET Reusable Safety Face Shield
- Hard Visor Reusable Face Shield
- Reusable Face Shield with Ratchet
- Clear Face Shield
- Replacement Clear Face Shields, etc.
Pick the best and appropriate face shield from different types and shades at bisonlife.com.
FAQs:
There are different face shields made of different materials, and each has its protection benefits. Face shields made of materials such as polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), polycarbonate, acetate, propionate, nylon, or steel mesh are durable and can prevent potential face injuries.
Use a clean cloth saturated with EPA registered disinfectant solution to wipe the face shield. Wipe the outside of face shields carefully with a towel and water or alcohol to remove residues. Air dry with clean absorbent. Perform hand hygiene finally.
Avoid touching the face shields. Take them off and wash your hands immediately. Dispose of face shields safely by placing them into a bag or container and transferring them to the place where the mass disinfection and cleanings occur. Wash hands finally.
