Face shields and safety glasses – accredited testing and certification

Face shields and safety glasses are also referred to as eye protection, eye protectors, safety goggles, and face visors.

In collaboration with our European partner, we offer accredited testing of face shields and safety glasses in accordance with the European standards EN 166, EN 167 and EN 168 for personal protective equipment (PPE). Based on this, we can prepare the conformity assessment, and then your product can be CE marked.

Do face shields and safety glasses need to be CE marked?

Yes. If you want to market and sell face shields and safety glasses in the EU they must be CE marked.

With a CE marking, you can provide proof to customers and authorities that your product meets the requirements for quality, safety, and performance in accordance with the standards.

What requirements do face shields and safety glasses need to meet?

The European standard EN 166 covers all types of face shields, including eye protection not intended for professional use. The standard specifies the requirements for several performance tests as well as some additional basic requirements for the product.

EN 166 is closely linked to the standard EN 167, which specifies the optical test methods, including field of view, scattering, transmission and refractive properties, as well as EN 168, which specifies the non-optical test methods, including robustness and resistance to heat, fire and corrosion.

What responsibility do you have as a manufacturer, importer or distributor of face shields and safety glasses?    

If you import personal protective equipment, such as face shields and safety glasses from a manufacturer outside the EU for sale on the European market, you must ensure that the product is CE marked by a notified body in Europe. If this is not the case, you as the importer are responsible for getting this done.

This rule applies whether you distribute the product to a retailer in the EU or whether you are a distributor yourself. Once the product is CE -marked, you will be registered as the manufacturer of the product,. This makes you responsible for the safety and quality of the product and the enclosed documentation.

How to get your face shields and safety glasses CE marked

In order to have your face shields and safety glasses CE marked, the manufacturer must prepare the necessary technical documentation for the product – see description in Annex of the Regulations on Personal Protective Equipment.

Accredited testing of face shields and safety glasses is required so that you can document that the product complies with the requirements of the standard. FORCE Technology is accredited for the testing of personal protective equipment in accordance with EN 166. This ensures that the test report and documentation can be used in the subsequent certification process.

After an approved test, a Notified Body, such as FORCE Certification, must prepare a conformity assessment. If approved, the Notified Body issues a CE marking for your product, which means that the product can be marketed and sold on the European market.

Accredited test laboratory ensures the quality of your personal protective equipment

FORCE Technology is accredited by DANAK (65 and 8) for testing personal protective equipment.

We offer accredited testing of your product as well as preparation of documentation that meets the requirements of the standard, so your product is ready for CE marking. Then you can have a CE certificate issued by a Notified Body, such as FORCE Certification.

We also offer a review of documentation for importers, so you can be sure that the documentation meets requirements and is credible.

If you require additional information or want your product tested, feel free to contact us.