ASTM F659-98e1 Standard Specification for Ski Goggles and Face Shields

The standard “ASTM F659-98e1 Standard Specification for Ski Goggles and Face Shields” developed by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) describes the minimum requirements for alpine ski goggles and face shields to provide reasonable protection against foreign objects striking or lodging in the eye or surrounding soft tissue and to minimize fogging and vision restrictions that distract or obstruct the skier and thus cause accidents.

The scope of this standard includes requirements for materials, lens size, optical properties, lens power, field of view, labeling, identification and test procedures for goggles and face shields for alpine skiers. Contact lenses, sunglasses and corrective eye wear are not included in the scope of this standard.

For the purposes of this standard, the following definitions and terms apply:

• The central viewing area refers to the portion of the lens that lines up with the user’s line of sight when looking straight ahead. The area is circular in shape. For the purposes of this specification, it is assumed to be 38 mm in diameter. The center of the central viewing area will be the point where the line of sight intersects the lens mounted on the Alderson headform.
• Diopter is the unit of measurement of the refractive power of a lens with a focal length of 1 m.
• Spectacles refer to glasses, sunglasses, or goggles with two separate lenses attached (but excluding contact lenses).
• A face shield refers to an eye protective device that is attached to a helmet or headband and covers the wearer's eyes and face at least to a point approximately at the tip of the nose, and whose predominant function is to protect the eye.
• Frame refers to the part of eyeglasses or spectacle lenses that contains the lens housings. Frame can be associated with padding.
• Glasses refer to an optical device worn in front of the eyes, the main function of which is to protect the eyes from external factors without obstructing peripheral vision. They provide protection from the front and sides and may or may not form a complete seal with the face.
• Headband refers to the part of the device consisting of a supporting band or other structure that encircles or is attachable to the head or protective helmet.
• Headform optical parameters refer to the basic dimensions for headforms as provided in the figure.
• The midsagittal plane refers to the anterior-posterior plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the body.
• Spherical power is the average of the maximum meridian astigmatic power and the minimum meridian astigmatic power of a lens.

All parts of an eyeglass or face shield should be free from sharp edges or projections that could cause injury or discomfort to the wearer. Exposed lens edges should have a minimum radius in the cross-sectional plane around the entire circumference to limit the ability to puncture the skin. Lens retention should be adequate to hold the lens in place and the frame should be constructed of material that is not in itself hazardous for puncture. Facial contact surfaces should have sufficient softness (recommended width 10 mm) and flexibility to minimize injury to the body surface in the event of hard impacts.

A headband should be able to hold spectacles or face shield securely under normal operating conditions. It should be easily adjustable and replaceable. The “spectacles-to-head” holding device should not contain sharp edges.

The materials used in any part of a spectacle or face shield must be of durable quality, i.e. the material properties must not undergo significant changes under the influence of ageing or the conditions of use to which the device is normally exposed (exposure to sun, rain, cold, dust, vibrations, skin contact, perspiration or the effects of products applied to the skin or hair).

Materials known to cause skin irritation or disease should not be used in skin contact parts of the device.

It is considered impossible to control lens fogging due to environmental climate changes and personal changes, but it is recommended that every effort be made to minimize this phenomenon.

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