Safety Glasses Markings
Z87 denotes impact rated, a plus sign denotes high impact, and D3 denotes splash rated. This page defines every mark stamped on ANSI Z87.1 safety eyewear, states where each one appears, and cites the regulation that governs their use.
Marking Guide
The complete set. Select a code for its definition and the position it occupies.
| Mark | What it means | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Maker's mark | Who made itImpact & Compliance Scope | Impact & Compliance Scope |
| Z87 | Baseline impact ratingImpact & Compliance Scope | Impact & Compliance Scope |
| Z87+ | High impact, shown by the plusImpact & Compliance Scope | Impact & Compliance Scope |
| Z87-2 | Prescription safety frameImpact & Compliance Scope | Impact & Compliance Scope |
| Z87-2+ | High-impact Rx eyewearImpact & Compliance Scope | Impact & Compliance Scope |
| D3 | Liquid splash protectionSplash & Dust Protection | Splash & Dust Protection |
| D4 | Dust protectionSplash & Dust Protection | Splash & Dust Protection |
| D5 | Fine-dust protectionSplash & Dust Protection | Splash & Dust Protection |
| U2 to U6 | UV filter, U6 strongestOptical-Radiation Filters | Optical-Radiation Filters |
| R1.3 to R10 | Infrared / heat filterOptical-Radiation Filters | Optical-Radiation Filters |
| L1.3 to L10 | Visible-light / glare filterOptical-Radiation Filters | Optical-Radiation Filters |
| W (shade) | Welding shade filterOptical-Radiation Filters | Optical-Radiation Filters |
| V | Variable-tint lensSpecial Lens & Fit Marks | Special Lens & Fit Marks |
| S | Non-standard special tintSpecial Lens & Fit Marks | Special Lens & Fit Marks |
| X | Passed the anti-fog testSpecial Lens & Fit Marks | Special Lens & Fit Marks |
| H | Built for smaller headsSpecial Lens & Fit Marks | Special Lens & Fit Marks |
Impact & Compliance Scope
The core marks. They identify the manufacturer, establish that the eyewear is safety rated, and state the level of impact it was tested to. The string reads left to right, beginning with the maker's mark.
These marks are always present, and they appear on two separate components. The lens carries its own markings, and the frame carries its own: NIOSH states that the rating is required for both the frame and the lens. Every Z87-rated lens carries the manufacturer's mark, with a plus sign where the lens is high impact, while the written Z87 or Z87-2 code sits on the frame. A lens showing nothing beyond these is still safety rated. OSHA requires eye and face protection to be distinctly marked to identify the manufacturer, without distinguishing lens from frame (29 CFR 1910.133(a)(4)).
- Maker's mark
Manufacturer's mark
The logo, initials, or monogram of the manufacturer or laboratory. It is the first symbol in the marking string, and on a lens it is the primary safety stamp.
Where: On the lens (the maker's logo is the lens's safety stamp), and on the frame front and both temples.Why it matters: It identifies the manufacturer responsible for the certification, which is what makes recalls traceable and unmarked or counterfeit eyewear identifiable. OSHA requires that eye and face protection be distinctly marked to facilitate identification of the manufacturer (29 CFR 1910.133(a)(4)).Most relevant to
All trades - Z87
Basic impact
The lens meets the basic impact requirement of ANSI Z87.1, the baseline level of eye protection.
Where: Written out on the frame front and temples. On the lens, basic impact is indicated by the maker's mark with no plus sign.Why it matters: It is the minimum evidence that the eyewear is a safety product rather than dress eyewear. Many tasks call for more than basic impact.Most relevant to
Light assemblyGeneral facilitiesMaintenance - Z87+
High impact
The lens meets the high-impact requirement, which combines a high-velocity test using a quarter-inch steel ball at 150 feet per second with a high-mass drop test. The plus sign denotes it.
Where: On the lens, immediately after the maker's mark. On the frame, as part of the Z87+ or Z87-2+ code.Why it matters: Tasks involving flying fragments, such as grinding, machining, and construction, generally call for the plus. Basic Z87 alone does not indicate high-impact performance.Most relevant to
ConstructionMachining & grindingFabrication - Z87-2
Prescription (Rx)
Identifies prescription safety eyewear built to ANSI Z87.1. The -2 denotes that the corrective frame itself is rated, rather than a plano lens alone.
Where: On the frame front and both temples (the prescription lenses themselves are often left unmarked).Why it matters: It distinguishes prescription safety eyewear from ordinary prescription frames worn on the floor. OSHA requires employees who wear prescription lenses in eye-hazard operations to use protection that incorporates the prescription, or protection worn over it (29 CFR 1910.133(a)(3)).Most relevant to
Rx wearers, any trade - Z87-2+
High-impact prescription
Prescription safety eyewear that also meets the high-impact requirement. It is the prescription equivalent of Z87+.
Where: On the frame front and both temples.Why it matters: It is the applicable mark where a role requires both vision correction and high-impact protection, and it is the specification for most On-Sight prescription safety eyewear.Most relevant to
ConstructionFabricationMachining
Splash & Dust Protection
The D codes cover liquid and airborne particle hazards. They appear mainly on goggles, face shields, and sealed safety glasses rather than open-frame eyewear.
Conditional. These appear only on eyewear built and tested for liquid or dust hazards, typically goggles or sealed styles. Most general-purpose safety glasses carry no D code.
- D3
Droplet & splash
Rated against liquid droplets and splashes reaching the eyes.
Where: Present only where applicable, after the impact codes, for example Z87+ D3, on splash-rated goggles or sealed eyewear.Why it matters: Relevant where chemicals, coolants, or bodily fluids may splash, such as laboratory, healthcare, and wet processing work. Open safety glasses generally cannot achieve the rating. The applicable protection for a given task is determined by the employer's hazard assessment.Most relevant to
Lab & healthcareChemical processingSanitation - D4
Dust
Rated against dust particles entering around the eye.
Where: Only when present, after the impact codes, on sealed or gasketed eyewear.Why it matters: Indicates a sealed or gasketed design for dusty work such as woodworking, demolition, and grain handling, where open frames leave gaps.Most relevant to
WoodworkingDemolitionAgriculture - D5
Fine dust
Rated against fine dust. It represents a tighter seal than the D4 rating.
Where: Only when present, after the impact codes, on tightly sealed eyewear.Why it matters: Applicable to very fine particulates, such as silica and powders, which ordinary dust protection admits.Most relevant to
Stone & concrete cuttingMiningPharma powders
Optical-Radiation Filters
A letter followed by a scale number, grading how much of a given light hazard the lens filters. A higher number denotes a darker filter. These appear on tinted, welding, and specialty eyewear.
Conditional: these appear only on filter, tinted, or welding lenses. A clear impact lens carries none of these scale numbers.
- U2 to U6
Ultraviolet (UV) filter
Grades ultraviolet protection on a scale; U6 is the strongest UV filter.
Where: Only on filter or tinted lenses. The scale number follows the maker's mark on the lens.Why it matters: Ultraviolet exposure causes cumulative eye damage. The U scale states how much ultraviolet a tinted or outdoor lens blocks.Most relevant to
Outdoor crewsUV curingLab UV work - R1.3 to R10
Infrared (IR) filter
Grades infrared and radiant-heat protection across a numbered scale.
Where: Only on IR-filter lenses. The scale number follows the maker's mark on the lens.Why it matters: Furnace, foundry, and hot-glass work emit intense infrared. The R scale matches the lens to the heat source.Most relevant to
Foundry & forgingFurnace operationGlass work - L1.3 to L10
Visible-light filter
Grades how much visible light a general-purpose tinted lens cuts.
Where: Only on tinted lenses. The scale number follows the maker's mark on the lens.Why it matters: It standardizes tint darkness, so glare protection can be specified numerically rather than estimated from appearance.Most relevant to
Outdoor crewsDriversBright-light tasks - W (shade)
Welding filter
Marks a welding filter shade. The W is followed by the shade number for the process.
Where: Only on welding lenses or filter plates. The shade number follows the W.Why it matters: Welding arcs emit intense ultraviolet and infrared radiation, and a filter that is too light exposes the wearer to serious eye injury. OSHA publishes minimum protective shade numbers by operation, electrode size, and arc current (29 CFR 1910.133(a)(5)).Most relevant to
WeldersCutters & brazersFabrication
Special Lens & Fit Marks
Less prominent marks denoting a lens treatment or a fit characteristic. They state what a lens does beyond impact protection, and the head size a frame was built for.
Conditional. These appear only where the lens carries the treatment or the frame the fit feature. Many safety glasses show none of them.
- V
Photochromic
Marks a photochromic (variable-tint) lens that darkens in sunlight and clears indoors.
Where: Only when present, on the lens with the other lens marks.Why it matters: It accounts for a lens that appears clear indoors and darkens outdoors. The behavior is a rated feature rather than a defect, so a single pair serves both settings.Most relevant to
Indoor and outdoor crewsLoading docksDelivery & yard - S
Special tint
Denotes a special-purpose tint that does not fall on one of the standard filter scales.
Where: Only when present, on the lens with the other lens marks.Why it matters: It distinguishes a non-standard tint from a graded ultraviolet, infrared, or visible-light filter when lenses are matched to a hazard.Most relevant to
Specialized light environments - X
Anti-fog
The lens met the anti-fog requirement of ANSI Z87.1.
Where: Only when present, on the lens with the other lens marks.Why it matters: It establishes that fog resistance was tested and rated rather than merely claimed. Relevant to work with masks and respirators, and to temperature transitions.Most relevant to
Cold storageFood processingHealthcare (masks) - H
Smaller head size
Indicates the protector is designed and tested for a smaller-than-average head size.
Where: Only on smaller-size models, on the frame front or temple, with the compliance marks.Why it matters: Fit determines coverage, and coverage determines protection. The H mark identifies frames suited to wearers for whom a standard size is too large.Most relevant to
Smaller-framed workers, any trade
This page is a general reference, not a compliance certification. Definitions paraphrase the ANSI/ISEA Z87.1 marking system, which is sold rather than published freely, so no clause of the standard is quoted here. The current edition is ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2025. OSHA incorporates the 2010, 2003, and 1989 (R-1998) editions by reference and accepts protection an employer demonstrates is at least as effective (29 CFR 1910.133(b)). Exact marks and their placement vary by manufacturer and edition. Selection of protection for a given task follows the employer's hazard assessment.
Common Questions About Safety Markings
The manufacturer's mark, meaning the maker's logo, initials, or monogram. Z87 together with the manufacturer's mark is what identifies eyewear as industrial quality. A lens shade number and a date of manufacture are not required, and there is no OSHA approval to look for, because OSHA does not approve or certify eyewear (29 CFR 1910.133(b)).
A plus sign. On the lens it follows the maker's mark. On the frame it appears as Z87+, or Z87-2+ on prescription eyewear. Z87 without a plus denotes basic impact. The high-impact requirement combines a high-velocity test using a quarter-inch steel ball at 150 feet per second with a high-mass drop test, and the plus sign is the only marking that records it.
No. OSHA does not approve, certify, or stamp eyewear, so no OSHA marking exists. What OSHA requires is that protectors comply with one of three named editions of ANSI Z87.1, or that the employer demonstrate the protection is at least as effective as those editions (29 CFR 1910.133(b)). The standard appears on the product as Z87, or as Z87-2 on a prescription frame. Its current edition is ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2025, which OSHA does not name: the rule incorporates the 2010, 2003, and 1989 (R-1998) editions.
Rated against liquid droplets and splashes. D4 denotes dust and D5 denotes fine dust. The D codes follow the impact codes and appear on goggles and sealed eyewear. Open safety glasses generally cannot achieve the rating.
Look for the manufacturer's mark and Z87 on the frame front and both temples, and for the manufacturer's mark on the lens. Both are required. The manufacturer's mark is the lens's safety stamp, so where it is missing or illegible there is no way to establish that the lens meets ANSI Z87.1, and no way to trace it to a manufacturer.
Three places. The frame brow carries the manufacturer's mark and the written Z87 or Z87-2 code. The inside of each temple repeats them alongside the frame measurements. The upper outer corner of each lens carries the manufacturer's mark, a plus sign where the lens is high impact, and any filter or special codes it holds.
The frame itself is prescription safety eyewear built to ANSI Z87.1, and Z87-2+ denotes that it also meets the high-impact requirement. The mark appears on the frame front and both temples, alongside the manufacturer's mark. Prescription lenses are frequently left unmarked, so the frame carries the evidence. OSHA requires employees who wear prescription lenses in eye-hazard operations to use protection that incorporates the prescription, or protection worn over it (29 CFR 1910.133(a)(3)).
They grade filter strength, and a higher number denotes a darker filter. U2 to U6 covers ultraviolet, R1.3 to R10 covers infrared and radiant heat, and L1.3 to L10 covers visible light and glare. A clear impact lens carries none of them. The letter X carries no number: it records that the lens met the anti-fog requirement of ANSI Z87.1.
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