Question about Impact Resistance

[Steve Machol]

I've often wondered if there are any other countries that have impact resistance requirements for eyeglass lenses similar to the regulation in the United States. Since I work for a multi-national lens manufacturer, I'm often surprised that my coworkers in other countries forget that we are limited in what we can offer in the U.S. because of the FDA impact regulations.

Are there any other countries with similar requirements? If not, are there active efforts to make this a requirement in the future? I had heard that the European Union was considering instituting impact requirements. Has anyone else heard of this?

------------------
Steve
OptiBoard Administrator

[David Wilson]

Ah, Steve, a subject close to my heart.
I can tell you that there are no requirements for impact resistance for 'dress' spectacles in Australia or New Zealand, although there should be! You guys have had such a requirement since the FDA brought it in in 1972, as I understand it. I have also been reading the posts about the proposed changes to ANSI standards regarding impact resistance. Australia and New Zealand (who share most of their standards) do have requirements for impact resistance for industrial eyewear.

The ANSI requirement for dress wear is a 5/8 inch steel ball dropped from 50 inches. The proposed requirement uses a 1/4 inch steel ball fired at various impact speeds (they are suggesting, I believe, that the material must survive an impact speed of 100 mph, or about 50 meters per second). Last year Jalie published some figures (in the Optician magazine) for common materials using this method (I also included them in a book I published last year).

Regards
David

[This message has been edited by David Wilson (edited 06-18-2000).]

[Steve Machol]

I received some information concerning this subject from Dick Whitney at AO.

According to Dick, there are no plans to impose a test like the US Requirement. The ISO strength test for lenses is found in ISO 14889 - Ophthalmic Optics - Spectacle lenses- Fundamental Requirments for uncut finished lenses. In that standard, which is intended to cover fundamental safety issues, there is a static load strength test. Section 4.4 of this standard specifies the test requirment. It does not equate to testing the lens strength as per the FDA 5/8 inch ball from 50 inches for dress eyewear. This static load test passes most product, even what would fail the FDA test.


------------------
Steve
OptiBoard Administrator

[This message has been edited by Steve Machol (edited 07-04-2000).]

[David Wilson]

Steve,
Interesting news. I have just ordered that ISO standard as it happens. I have also just bought ANSI Z80.1 from ANSI over the net. Incidentally, if you are keen on trivia I found two errors in Z80 (one being the ubiquitous typo), the spelling of ophthalmic on page iv. The other is in the typical layout of a progressive on page 27. The add is shown on the nasal side whereas it is invariably on the temporal side. I hate to point these out, knowing that most of the documents I produce have similar errors.

Regards
David Wilson

[Steve Machol]

Interesting about the type in Z80.1, particularly since our very own Demonic Minion Darryl Meister is on the ANSI Standards Committee. :D

------------------
Steve
OptiBoard Administrator

[David Wilson]

Things slip past all of us, Steve. The very same typo is on the front page of the last issue of Wavelength (my newsletter). I proofed the text but didn't check the contents page. Given the contribution Darryl is likely to have made (and the probability that the error was not his doing)I think he can be forgiven this time.
Regards
David