Eye and Face Protection Classes in Canada: What CSA Z94.3 Requires (2026)

CSA Z94.3 sorts eye and face protection into seven classes, from spectacles at Class 1 through goggles, welding helmets, hand shields, hoods and face shields to respirator facepieces at Class 7. Each class carries letter subdivisions describing what it is tested against. The class is the specification; the lens tint is a preference.

One difference from the American standard matters more than any other for Canadian buyers. CSA requires side protection on all spectacles, while the US standard requires it only on spectacles that are impact rated. A pair marked to the American standard is not automatically acceptable here.

The seven classes

Classes describe the form of the protector and what it has been tested to handle. Letters within a class narrow it further.

Class	Device	Subdivisions
Class 1	Spectacles with side protection	A impact; B impact and radiation
Class 2	Goggles	A direct ventilation for impact; B non-ventilated for impact, dust and splash; C both plus radiation
Class 3	Welding helmets	Various configurations
Class 4	Welding hand shields	Various configurations
Class 5	Non-rigid helmets and hoods	A impact-resistant window; B dust, splash and abrasive materials; C radiation; D high heat
Class 6	Face shields	A impact and splash; B radiation; C high heat
Class 7	Respirator facepieces	A full facepieces for impact and splash; B loose-fitting hoods or helmets; C both with radiation

Alongside the classes, the standard categorises hazard types from A through H, covering flying objects and particles, heat and sparks, chemical splashing, abrasive blasting, and light and optical radiation. Selection works by matching the hazard to the class rather than by picking a comfortable pair and hoping.

The current edition is CSA Z94.3:20, reaffirmed in 2025, published as a National Standard of Canada. It is the ninth edition, superseding versions from 2015, 2007, 2002, 1999, 1992, 1988, 1982 and 1969.

Side protection: the Canadian difference

This is the detail most likely to catch out a buyer sourcing from American suppliers or reading American guidance.

Both CSA Z94.3 and the American ANSI Z87.1 set test methods and minimum performance requirements for impact resistance, ignition, refractive power, resolving power, prismatic deviation, haze and luminous transmittance. The frameworks look similar and diverge in ways that matter.

The American standard only requires side protection on spectacles that are impact rated. The Canadian standard requires side protection on spectacles generally. CSA also specifies a minimum field of view for goggles and for Class 7A and 7C respirator facepieces.

So a pair of glasses legitimately marked to the US standard may lack side protection the Canadian standard expects. Check for side shields or a wraparound design, not just for a standards marking. Where respirator facepieces are involved, the eye protection question and the respiratory one overlap, covered in our guide to respirator fit testing under CSA Z94.4.

Where the certification mark has to appear

Eye protection is one of the categories where certification is genuinely verifiable, and the marking requirement is more demanding than most buyers realise.

The manufacturer or supplier certification mark must be present on all approved safety lenses, on frames including both the front and the temple, on removable side shields, and on other parts of the glasses, goggles or helmet. A mark on the lens alone does not do it.

The word certified also has a specific meaning here. To be considered certified to the CSA standard, testing and evaluation must be carried out by CSA Group, or in a testing laboratory that is qualified and routinely audited by CSA Group. That is a stronger claim than a manufacturer stating conformance, and it is the distinction we work through in our guide to CSA certified versus CSA compliant.

Testing procedure is worth knowing too. For non-prescription protectors, the specified tests are conducted on the whole assembled product rather than on individual components. For Class 1 protectors with prescription lenses, performance criteria and test procedures are applied to lenses and frames separately.

Tinted lenses and traffic signal recognition

Here is a requirement almost nobody outside the standard knows exists, and it matters directly to anyone working near roads.

Z94.3 contains a section specifically on sun protection for outdoor workers, and its transmittance requirements include properties related to traffic signal recognition, alongside luminous transmittance, mean transmittance and ultraviolet transmittance. Photochromic and polarised lenses are addressed separately.

The reason is straightforward once stated. A tint that shifts colour perception can make a red or amber signal harder to identify correctly, which for a road crew or a driver is a safety failure created by the protective equipment itself. A tinted lens chosen purely for glare comfort may not have been assessed for this.

If your crew works roadside, treat lens tint as a specification rather than a preference. Our guide to traffic control person equipment covers the rest of that kit.

For general outdoor work, the Sellstrom X330 series with a hard-coated smoke lens is a tinted option, while indoor and mixed work is better served by clear lenses such as the Sellstrom anti-fog clear lens safety glasses or the Honeywell Uvex Astrospec with clear lens. Confirm the class and markings against your hazard before ordering for a crew.

What changed in the ninth edition

The 2020 revision made several changes worth knowing if you are working from older guidance or older stock.

Ignition resistance requirements for non-prescription eyewear were clarified and refined, while the flammability requirements and their testing were removed. Minimum frontal coverage for non-prescription eyewear was revised, as were the side protection requirements. Cover lenses and cover plates were added for Class 2 protectors, and the published change list for the ninth edition also notes added guidance for aftermarket components and accessories.

Welding saw specific attention: automatic darkening welding filter requirements were revised, along with the procedure for testing angular dependence of luminous transmittance in automatic welding filter lenses. The speed of the steel balls used in impact resistance testing was also revised.

That last change is a reminder that impact test conditions are not fixed across editions. A protector certified to a 2007 edition was tested against different parameters from one certified in 2020, which is a reason to check the edition rather than only the standard number.

The aftermarket accessories point deserves a note of its own. Adding components a protector was not tested with, including some prescription inserts and clip-ons, can change how the assembly performs. Since non-prescription protectors are tested as a complete assembled product, altering the assembly moves it away from what was certified.

Prescription lenses are their own problem

Ordinary prescription eyeglasses are not protective eyewear, and the fact that they are made of a lens material is not the point. They have not been tested as protectors, and their frames are not built to retain a lens under impact.

Z94.3 handles prescription protection as a distinct case. For Class 1 protectors with prescription lenses, lenses and frames are assessed separately rather than as an assembly, and the standard covers marking of prescription lenses, compliance of prescription lenses, and quality control in their manufacture.

The ninth edition also made special allowance for the role of ophthalmic professionals in adjusting and modifying spectacles to fit the individual wearer, which recognises that a protector adjusted into a poor fit stops protecting.

Practical options are prescription safety eyewear certified as such, or an over-the-glasses protector or goggle worn over ordinary prescription lenses. Whichever route, the protector needs its own certification.

Compatibility with the rest of the kit

Eye protection is worn alongside everything else on the head, and the interactions are where protection quietly degrades.

Earmuff cushions and spectacle temple arms compete for the same space. A temple arm running under a cushion lifts the seal and opens a leak path that no hearing attenuation rating accounts for, which is one reason thin flat temple designs exist. Our hearing protection guide covers that side.

Hard hat brims and face shield brackets, respirator facepieces and spectacle frames, and winter headwear all create similar conflicts. Our hard hat safety guide and our guide to cold stress at work in Canada cover those combinations.

Where chemicals are handled, splash protection sits alongside hand protection in the same assessment, covered in our guide to choosing chemical resistant gloves. For the wider kit see our safety glasses guide for industrial workers, the complete PPE checklist for Canadian workers, and our guide to PPE requirements for Canadian construction sites.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the CSA Z94.3 eye protection classes?

Seven classes. Class 1 spectacles with side protection, Class 2 goggles, Class 3 welding helmets, Class 4 welding hand shields, Class 5 non-rigid helmets and hoods, Class 6 face shields, and Class 7 respirator facepieces. Letter subdivisions within each class describe what the device is tested against, such as impact, splash, radiation or high heat.

Is ANSI Z87.1 eyewear acceptable in Canada?

Not automatically. The two standards test similar properties but differ in requirements. The American standard requires side protection only on impact-rated spectacles, while the Canadian standard requires side protection on spectacles generally, and CSA specifies a minimum field of view for goggles and Class 7A and 7C respirator facepieces. Confirm the requirement with your employer.

Where should the certification mark appear on safety glasses?

On all approved lenses, on the frame front and the temple, on removable side shields, and on other parts of the protector. A mark on the lens alone is not sufficient. Certified means testing and evaluation by CSA Group or by a laboratory qualified and routinely audited by CSA Group.

Do tinted safety lenses affect traffic signal recognition?

They can, which is why CSA Z94.3 includes transmittance requirements related to traffic signal recognition within its section on sun protection for outdoor workers. A tint chosen only for glare comfort may not have been assessed for it. Treat lens tint as a specification for anyone working near roads.

Are prescription glasses enough for workplace eye protection?

No. Ordinary prescription eyeglasses are not tested as protectors and their frames are not built to retain a lens under impact. Options are certified prescription safety eyewear, where lenses and frames are assessed separately, or an over-the-glasses protector worn over ordinary lenses.

Which edition of CSA Z94.3 is current?

Z94.3:20, reaffirmed in 2025, the ninth edition. It superseded editions from 2015, 2007, 2002, 1999, 1992, 1988, 1982 and 1969. Changes included revised side protection and frontal coverage for non-prescription eyewear, revised automatic darkening welding filter requirements, and a revised steel ball speed for impact testing.

This guide is general workplace safety information, not legal or optometric advice. Eye and face protection selection depends on the hazards present, and requirements are set by provincial and territorial regulation. Confirm yours with the occupational health and safety authority in your jurisdiction.