New Eye Protection Standards: Transition from EN to EN ISO 16321 Starting in 2025

Until 2022, both EN standards, which belong to the European Committee for Standardization, and ISO standards, which belong to the International Organization for Standardization, were developed.

 

European and International Standards

However, since 2022, the European Union decided to align its regulations with international ISO standards governed by the International Organization for Standardization ISO/TC94/SC6 (Personal protective equipment / Eye and face protection).

This means that EN standards will no longer be developed, and new EN ISO standards will gradually replace the old EN standards. New certificates will be issued according to the new EN ISO standard.

 

Current EN Standards and Their Replacement

 

EN 166 – Basic Eye Protection Standard

• Mandatory certification for all protective equipment.
• Quality requirements: optical clarity and mechanical strength.
• Different markings depending on the type of protection.

 

Specialized Standards (replaced by EN ISO 16321)

EN Standard	Protection from	Range
EN 170	Ultraviolet (UV)	210–313 nm / 313–365 nm
EN 171	Infrared (IR)	780–1400 nm / 780–2000 nm
EN 172	Solar glare (industrial)	280–315 nm / 315–350 nm / 315–380 nm
EN 169 / EN 175	Welding work	Various ranges of UV, IR, visible light
EN 379	Auto-darkening welding filters	Fast darkening during arc
EN 207 / EN 208	Laser radiation	Corresponds to laser class

 

New Standards EN ISO 16321 (2022–2025)

From 2025, new harmonized standards will come into force:

 

EN ISO 16321-1: General Requirements

 

• • Combines EN166, EN170, EN171, EN172 into a single document.
• • Added 4 protection zones (previously only 1) and 3 sizes (S, M, L).
• • Markings:
  • • U (UV), R (IR), G (solar glare), W (welding).
  • • HM (impact resistance), C/D/E (high-speed impacts), T (extreme temperatures).

 

EN ISO 16321-2: Additional Welding Requirements

 

• • Replaces EN169, EN175, EN379.

 

EN ISO 16321-3: Mesh-covered Protection

Exceptions (not included in EN ISO 16321)

 

• • Laser protection (EN207/208 remain).
• • Electric arc protection.
• • Sports eyewear (ISO 18527).

 

Important Changes and Transition Timeline

 

• • EN ISO 16321 is a more modern and user-friendly standard that combines several EN norms.
• • Manufacturers and buyers should pay attention to markings according to new requirements.
• • From 11.11.2025, new products cannot be certified according to EN166.
• • EN certificates cannot be changed after this date.
• • Products with valid EN certificates may still be sold until the certificates expire.

These changes aim to enhance safety and unify standards across Europe and worldwide.