Face Shields - ANSI Z87.1, Arc-Rated & Welding Helmets for Hard Hat Head Protection

ANSI/ISEA Z87.1 is the current American National Standard for occupational and educational personal eye and face protection, governing impact resistance, optical quality, coverage, and marking requirements. The "+" mark after Z87.1 (i.e., Z87.1+) indicates the product has passed the more stringent high-impact testing requirements in addition to the basic-impact criteria. In the filter on this page you'll see products marked as "Z87", "Z87+", "ANSI Z87.1", and "Z87.1" — these reflect labeling variations in how manufacturers report the same or similar certifications. When selecting a face shield for a specific hazard, confirm the exact impact and optical class requirements in your site's PPE assessment and match to the product's Z87.1 marking.

Safety glasses and face shields serve different hazard levels. Safety glasses protect the eyes from flying particles and debris but do not provide full-face coverage against splash, larger projectiles, or arc flash exposure. A face shield provides broad-area face and neck protection but is generally not considered a substitute for eye protection in environments where flying particles are a primary hazard — OSHA and ANSI guidance typically requires safety glasses to be worn beneath a face shield for full eye and face protection. Arc-rated face shields (NSA Pureview series) are specifically designed for electrical arc flash environments where face, eye, and arc thermal protection are simultaneously required. Your site's PPE assessment should specify which combination is appropriate.

A passive welding helmet (like the Pyramex WHP100) uses a fixed shade lens — the lens is always dark, requiring the welder to lift or flip the helmet to see before striking an arc. This is the simplest, most economical option, well suited for consistent welding at a known amperage range. An auto-darkening helmet (Pyramex WHAM1020MB, WHAM3030 series) uses sensors and an LCD lens that switches from a clear state to a specified dark shade within milliseconds of arc detection — allowing the welder to see the work and torch position clearly before striking, which reduces setup errors and improves productivity, especially for repetitive precise welds or overhead work. The WHAM3030 series adds multiple sensor coverage (four sensors) and a wider adjustable shade range for more varied welding processes.

The arc rating required for a face shield is determined by the site's arc flash hazard analysis per NFPA 70E or CSA Z462 — specifically, the incident energy level calculated for the task being performed. Face shields rated at 12 cal/cm² (NSA KITHP12PV, H12HTFB, H12HTU) are appropriate for CAT 2 tasks where the incident energy is at or below that threshold. Face shields rated at 20 cal/cm² (NSA KITHP20PV, H20HTFB, H20HTU) cover higher incident energy CAT 2 scenarios. Always confirm the specific incident energy level for each task in your arc flash hazard analysis before selecting PPE — the CAT category alone does not determine which specific arc rating is sufficient for a given task.