ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Every year in the United States, roughly 20,000 workers experience eye injuries on the job that are serious enough to require medical treatment. These injuries cost an estimated $300 million per year in workers' compensation, medical treatment, and lost productivity. However, up to 90 percent of these injuries could be prevented with trusted protective equipment.

Today, the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) announced the publication of ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2025, the updated national standard defining performance, testing, and marking requirements for eye and face protective devices used in workplace and educational settings. The revision is intended to help employers and safety professionals more easily select protection that matches specific hazards, supporting efforts to reduce preventable eye and face injuries.

The 2025 update introduces several key enhancements designed to improve clarity, consistency, and usability across eye and face protection requirements, including:

• Clearer, more standardized product markings to better communicate intended hazard protection
• Updated performance language for impact testing, lens performance, and minimum coverage
• Stronger alignment with related eye and face protection standards, including ANSI/ISEA Z97.62-2021, which addresses blood and other potentially infectious materials
• Editorial and structural improvements that make requirements easier to understand and apply

"ANSI/ISEA Z87.1 has always been about practical protection, not theory," said Michael Vitale, Vice President, Membership & Technical Affairs at The Vision Council, and Chair of the Z87 Eye & Face Committee. "This revision is focused on making the standard clearer and more usable for the people who depend on it — from manufacturers and safety professionals to the workers and students wearing this equipment every day."

While the standard primarily addresses workplace and educational settings, ISEA recognizes that broader consumer adoption of eye and face protection often begins with industry professionals. Construction workers, manufacturers, and industrial employees who wear safety glasses on the job are frequently exposed to the same hazards at home. Flying debris from power tools, chemical splashes from household cleaners, and projectiles from lawn equipment present similar risks in garages and backyards as they do on job sites.

"ISEA and the protective eye and face industry believe that encouraging workers to carry their safety habits home plays an important role in reducing preventable injuries, particularly since nearly half of all eye injuries occur in the home," said Steve Clark, Director of Quality Assurance at Radians, and Chair of ISEA's Eye & Face Protection product group. "When professionals model consistent eye protection use and share these practices with family members and neighbors, it helps normalize safety behaviors and creates a ripple effect that can significantly reduce the risk of eye injuries where people live, work, and play."

The updated standard continues the performance-based approach that has long defined ANSI/ISEA Z87.1 and remains the foundation for eye and face protection referenced in U.S. workplace safety regulations. It also retains options introduced in recent editions, including relaxed optics and anti-fog performance, which are valuable in certain environments such as emergency response and military operations. At the same time, the standard reinforces the importance of hazard assessment and makes clear that no single product is appropriate for every situation.

ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2025 was developed through a consensus process by the ANSI Accredited Standards Committee Z87, with participation from manufacturers, testing laboratories, safety organizations, and government representatives.

The standard is published by ISEA and is available through ANSI, ISEA, and other authorized standards distributors. Employers, safety professionals, and manufacturers are encouraged to review the updated edition and evaluate their eye and face protection programs accordingly.

For more information about protecting your eyes and face and to purchase the standard, visit safetyequipment.org/eye-face-protection.

About ISEA
ISEA is the voice of the safety equipment industry, which protects more than 125 million workers in America. For more than 90 years, we have been a recognized leader in the development of ANSI-accredited safety equipment standards. We advocate on behalf of the industry for policies that improve worker safety, deliver actionable insights into the safety equipment market, develop critical skills for safety sales professionals, and provide a unique forum for collaboration, learning and growth. Visit https://safetyequipment.org/ to learn more.

Organization Contact:
Nicole Randall
Senior Director, Marketing & Communications
International Safety Equipment Association
Mobile: 202-330-2432
nrandall@safetyequipment.org

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SOURCE International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA)