ANSI, the American National Standards Institute, writes the standards that eyewear must meet. ANSI sets the rules for quality control in eyeglass manufacturing. Its safety eyewear standard is Z87.1, and its dress eyewear standard is Z80.1. So a pair of prescription safety glasses is judged against an ANSI standard.
The safety standard is about strength. ANSI Z87.1 requires prescription safety lenses to have a minimum edge or center thickness of 2.0 to 3.0 mm, depending on the lens material. Everyday dress eyewear has no set thickness rule. Instead those lenses must pass the Food and Drug Administration impact test, standard 21CFR801.410. In that drop ball test, a five-eighths-inch steel ball falls onto the lens from 50 inches. The lens passes if it does not fracture or shed material. ANSI also limits how far a finished lens may stray from the doctor's written prescription, which is how an optician checks power, cylinder axis, and add power. Every glass lens must be drop ball tested before it is glazed into the frame. Plastic, high-index, and polycarbonate lenses may be tested in batches instead.
Remember the name with the standard: ANSI writes the eyewear standards, and Z87.1 is the safety one. Knowing who sets eyewear standards is a core part of the COA optics and spectacles content area.
Incorrect Answers
- B. OSHA is the federal workplace safety agency. The textbook links it to bloodborne pathogen rules in the office, not to writing lens standards.
- C. HIPAA is a federal law about patient privacy and health information. It has nothing to do with lens strength.
- D. JCAHPO certifies ophthalmic personnel, including the COA credential. It tests people, not eyewear.
Testing Pearls
- ANSI Z87.1 = safety eyewear. ANSI Z80.1 = dress eyewear.
- Safety lenses need 2.0 to 3.0 mm minimum thickness, by material.
- The drop ball test is an FDA impact standard: a 5/8-inch steel ball from 50 inches.
- Every glass lens dispensed must be drop ball tested before it is glazed into the frame. Plastic and polycarbonate lenses may be batch sampled.
- JCAHPO certifies staff; HIPAA protects privacy; OSHA covers worker safety.
References
- American Academy of Ophthalmology. Ophthalmic Medical Assisting: An Independent Study Course. Chapter 12, Fundamentals of Practical Opticianry.
- American Academy of Ophthalmology. Ophthalmic Medical Assisting: An Independent Study Course. Chapter 1, Introduction to Ophthalmic Medical Assisting.
