Testing

Certifications and Testing

Bloc Tactical certifies all its eyewear to the highest international testing standards to ensure maximum safety, durability, and performance in the most demanding environments. By adhering to rigorous global benchmarks such as ANSI Z87.1, EN166, and MIL-PRF standards, Bloc Tactical guarantees that its products provide reliable protection against impact, debris, and extreme conditions. This commitment to quality and certification reflects the brand’s dedication to serving military, law enforcement, and tactical professionals who depend on uncompromising eyewear in critical situations.

EN166 1 FT KN CE

EN166 safety eyewear is divided into different categories based on the level of impact protection they offer. These categories are F, B, and A, which tell you how well the eyewear can protect against different types of impacts. It’s important to know that only certain types of eyewear can meet certain protection levels.

Here’s how the categories break down:

F-Rated Protection (Low-Energy Impact)

F-rated protection is for low-energy impacts, such as small particles moving at slower speeds.
Only safety glasses (like regular glasses with protective lenses) can be rated as F.
Glasses with F-rating protect against objects traveling up to 45 meters per second (about 162 kilometers per hour).
This is useful in environments where small debris or particles might fly around, but the impact isn’t very powerful—such as light industrial work or labs.

B-Rated Protection (Medium-Energy Impact)

B-rated protection is for medium-energy impacts, which involve stronger, faster-moving objects.
Only goggles (which cover more of your face and fit snugly around your eyes) can be rated as B.
Goggles with B-rating protect against impacts up to 120 meters per second (about 432 kilometers per hour).
This rating is common in environments where more forceful impacts might occur, such as construction or workshops, where medium-sized particles or debris might strike at higher speeds.

A-Rated Protection (High-Energy Impact)

A-rated protection is the highest level of impact resistance.
Only full-face shields (which cover the entire face, not just the eyes) can be rated as A.
Face shields with A-rating protect against high-energy impacts up to 190 meters per second (about 684 kilometers per hour).
This level of protection is essential in the most dangerous environments, such as heavy industrial work or welding, where large, fast-moving objects could strike the face.

Why the Ratings Are Different for Glasses, Goggles, and Face Shields:

Safety glasses offer less coverage, so they can only be F-rated (low energy).
Goggles provide a snug fit around the eyes and better protection, allowing them to reach B-rating (medium energy).
Face shields cover the entire face, making them suitable for the highest rating (A) to protect against severe impacts.

In summary:

Safety glasses can only be F-rated.
Goggles can only be B-rated.
Full face shields can reach the highest rating, A.

This ensures that the right type of protective eyewear is matched to the level of danger in your work environment.

ANSI Z87.1-2020

The ANSI Z87.1-2020 standard is the American version of safety eyewear testing, similar to the European EN166 standard. It sets guidelines for testing the strength and protective qualities of safety glasses, goggles, and face shields to make sure they keep your eyes safe in hazardous environments.

Like EN166, ANSI Z87.1-2020 divides protective eyewear into different categories based on how much impact resistance they offer. However, the rating system is slightly different, focusing on Z87 with various markings for different protection levels.

Impact Protection in ANSI Z87.1-2020

There are two primary impact protection categories for ANSI-rated eyewear:

Basic Impact (Z87)
High Impact (Z87+)

Let’s look at how each type of eyewear is rated:

Z87 (Basic Impact Protection)

Z87 indicates that the eyewear meets the basic impact protection requirements.
Safety glasses, goggles, and face shields can all be Z87-rated for basic protection.
To achieve the Z87 rating, the eyewear must pass tests where objects are dropped onto the lenses from a specific height.
Z87-rated eyewear protects against general hazards in environments with minimal risk of flying debris or impact.

Z87+ (High Impact Protection)

Z87+ is for high impact protection, which is more rigorous and provides stronger protection than basic impact.
Only certain types of eyewear can meet this higher rating, based on how they cover the face:
To achieve the Z87+ rating, eyewear must pass more demanding tests:

Different Types of Eyewear and Z87 Ratings

Safety Glasses: Both basic impact (Z87) and high impact (Z87+) protection can apply to safety glasses. Glasses that meet Z87+ are suitable for environments where debris or small particles may hit at high speeds.
Goggles: Goggles, which fully enclose the eyes, can also be rated as either Z87 or Z87+, depending on their impact protection. They are more secure than glasses and often used in environments with a higher risk of flying debris.
Face Shields: For the highest protection, face shields can also carry either a Z87 or Z87+ rating. Face shields are often worn over safety glasses or goggles to give extra protection for the whole face, especially in environments with heavy, fast-moving particles or harmful substances.

Why the Ratings Matter

Z87 (basic impact) eyewear is suitable for environments with minimal impact hazards.
Z87+ (high impact) eyewear is designed for high-risk environments with fast-moving debris or severe impact risks.

In short, the ANSI Z87.1-2020 standard ensures that eyewear is tested for either basic or high impact protection. Eyewear rated Z87+ offers the highest level of impact resistance, while basic Z87 protection is suitable for lower-risk environments. Safety glasses, goggles, and face shields can all meet these ratings, depending on the level of protection needed.

MIL-PRF-32432A INC CLAUSE 3.8.3 CHEMICAL RESITANCE

The MIL-PRF-32432A standard is a military specification for protective eyewear. It sets even higher standards than civilian safety eyewear standards like ANSI Z87.1 or EN166. This specification is designed to protect soldiers and other military personnel in harsh combat environments, where they face extreme hazards such as flying debris, shrapnel, and ballistic threats.

What is MIL-PRF-32432A?

MIL-PRF-32432A is the U.S. military's standard for eyewear protection, specifically for ballistic eyewear. This means eyewear that can withstand very high-speed impacts and severe conditions, far beyond what regular safety glasses are designed for. Protective eyewear that meets this standard ensures that soldiers’ eyes are protected against the dangers they might face on the battlefield.

What Gets Tested Under MIL-PRF-32432A?

Eyewear tested under this military standard goes through rigorous tests to ensure it provides the highest level of protection. Here’s what’s included in the testing:

Ballistic fragmentation protection: The eyewear must protect against high-velocity projectiles, simulating conditions where shrapnel or debris is flying around.
Optical clarity: Lenses must provide clear, undistorted vision.
Environmental durability: The eyewear is tested for how well it holds up in extreme weather conditions, including heat, cold, humidity, and sand.
Impact resistance: Similar to civilian standards, the eyewear must resist shattering when hit by high-speed objects.
Chemical resistance: Military eyewear is also tested for resistance to chemicals that may be encountered in combat environments.

Impact Protection Categories: MIL-PRF-32432A

While civilian safety eyewear (like ANSI or EN166) primarily focuses on general impact protection, MIL-PRF-32432A emphasizes ballistic protection, which is far more demanding. Here are the main protection levels tested under this standard:

1. Ballistic Protection

The most crucial part of MIL-PRF-32432A testing is ballistic protection. This test simulates the kind of high-speed impacts that occur during explosions or gunfire, where shrapnel or fragments can be flying through the air.
To pass, the eyewear must withstand a projectile traveling at 640 to 725 feet per second (about 195-220 meters per second).
For comparison, ANSI Z87+ tests impact resistance at 150 feet per second, so MIL-PRF-32432A tests impacts at over four times the speed.
This ensures that the eyewear can protect against high-velocity fragments, a critical feature for military personnel in combat zones.

2. Blunt Impact Resistance

The standard also includes tests for blunt force impacts, ensuring that the eyewear does not shatter or break when struck by larger, slower-moving objects that could occur in combat.

3. Optical and Environmental Testing

Optical clarity: The eyewear must meet stringent requirements for visual clarity, meaning no distortion or vision problems, even after being exposed to tough conditions.
Environmental conditions: The eyewear is tested in extreme conditions—high and low temperatures, humidity, dust, and even saltwater. This makes sure that the eyewear performs consistently, no matter the environment.

What Types of Eyewear Can Meet MIL-PRF-32432A?

Only specific types of protective eyewear are capable of passing the tough standards set by MIL-PRF-32432A:

Ballistic safety glasses: These glasses look similar to regular safety glasses but are made with materials and designs that allow them to meet ballistic protection standards.
Ballistic goggles: Goggles offer more coverage and can also meet the requirements for both impact and ballistic protection.
Full face shields: In some military settings, full face protection is required, and face shields can also meet MIL-PRF-32432A standards for protecting the entire face from ballistic threats.

Why MIL-PRF-32432A Is Important

The MIL-PRF-32432A standard is crucial because it ensures that the eyewear worn by military personnel can withstand the extreme hazards found in combat. Unlike civilian safety eyewear, which is designed to protect against common workplace hazards, ballistic eyewear is tested to protect against much more dangerous, high-speed threats.

In summary:

Ballistic-rated eyewear under MIL-PRF-32432A is tested to stop projectiles traveling at speeds up to 725 feet per second.
The eyewear also undergoes testing for blunt force impacts, optical clarity, and environmental durability.
This eyewear is specifically designed for military personnel, offering a much higher level of protection than civilian-rated safety glasses.

This makes MIL-PRF-32432A the gold standard for protective eyewear in dangerous, high-risk environments like military operations, law enforcement, or tactical settings.

STANAG 2920

The STANAG 2920 V50 test is a ballistic protection standard used by NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) to evaluate the performance of personal protective equipment, including ballistic eyewear. It’s specifically designed to test how well the eyewear can protect against high-velocity impacts, such as shrapnel or fragments from explosions.

What is STANAG 2920?

STANAG 2920 (Standardisation Agreement 2920) is a military ballistic testing method used to measure the protection level of materials and equipment, like helmets, vests, and eyewear, against ballistic fragments. The V50 test under STANAG 2920 is one of the most important tests for assessing the protective performance of ballistic eyewear.

What is the V50 Test?

The V50 test measures the speed at which a fragment will penetrate the protective eyewear 50% of the time. It’s called "V50" because the "V" stands for velocity, and "50" represents the point where half the projectiles penetrate, and half are stopped by the eyewear.

Higher V50 values mean the eyewear offers better protection, as it can stop faster, more dangerous fragments. For example, if a pair of glasses has a V50 rating of 200 metres per second (m/s), it means that projectiles travelling at that speed will penetrate the eyewear 50% of the time. To provide sufficient protection, the eyewear should ideally have a V50 rating that exceeds the expected velocity of any debris in the environment.

What Types of Protection Does STANAG 2920 Provide?

STANAG 2920 focuses solely on ballistic protection, especially against high-speed fragments that are common in military combat zones. Unlike standards such as ANSI Z87 or EN166, which test for general workplace hazards like low-energy impacts or chemical splashes, STANAG 2920 is designed to handle extreme conditions. It ensures that the eyewear can withstand flying debris and shrapnel that might be encountered during explosions or gunfire.

Why is STANAG 2920 V50 Important?

STANAG 2920 V50 is particularly important for military and law enforcement personnel, where the risk of encountering ballistic threats is high. This test ensures that ballistic eyewear can withstand the types of fragments and debris that are common in battlefield conditions, such as those produced by explosions, artillery, or gunfire. The V50 test also provides a standardised measurement for comparing different protective equipment, helping military organisations select the best product for their personnel based on the expected threat level.

Key Points:

STANAG 2920 is a NATO standard that tests how well protective eyewear can resist high-speed ballistic impacts.
The V50 rating tells you the speed at which 50% of projectiles penetrate the eyewear.
The higher the V50 value, the better the protection.
This test is designed for military and tactical eyewear that needs to handle extreme conditions like shrapnel and ballistic fragments.

In summary, STANAG 2920 V50 testing ensures that ballistic eyewear can provide reliable protection against high-speed projectiles, which is crucial in combat or tactical environments. The V50 rating helps determine how well the eyewear can stop ballistic threats, making it a key standard for military-grade eye protection.

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