Medium-impact safety spectacles certified to AS/NZS 1337.1:2010 must show the standard number and the impact code 'I' moulded or printed directly on the lens or frame, because the marking on the product itself, not the box, is the legal evidence of compliance under Australian WHS rules [S3][S4].
The standard covers non-prescription occupational eye protectors sold across Australia and New Zealand, separating them from prescription spectacles covered by AS/NZS 1337.6:2012, and it grades every product into one of three impact classes with matching letter marks that procurement and site supervisors need to recognise at a glance [S1][S3].
Impact classes: F, B, A, and the 'I' code explained
AS/NZS 1337.1 grades eye protectors into three impact classes with explicit projectile velocities: class F is low impact at 45 m/s, class B is medium impact at 120 m/s, and class A is high impact at 190 m/s, each test performed by firing a specified steel ball at the lens and verifying no cracking, detachment, or dislodgement occurs [S2][S3]. A separate manufacturer code 'I' (medium impact) is widely used on the product surface as a shorthand equivalent to class B and is the mark most commonly seen on Australian worksites for general industrial and construction tasks [S4][S5].
The medium-impact 'I' mark is the practical default for most trade, warehouse, fabrication, and general site use, while class A (190 m/s) is reserved for grinding, chipping, and operations where high-velocity fragments are foreseeable [S3]. Class F (45 m/s) covers low-energy hazards like minor dust and is rarely the right pick when impact risk from tools, fasteners, or machinery is present.
Where the marking must appear: lens, frame, and what the standard forbids
Compliant eye protection must carry 'AS/NZS 1337.1' and the impact class (F, B, or A) directly on the lens or the frame, not solely on packaging or hang tags, and the same requirement applies to the optical class number (1, 2, or 3) for lens clarity grading [S3][S4]. This permanent on-product marking is what allows a WHS auditor or site supervisor to verify compliance without paperwork, which is why imported eyewear marked only with ANSI Z87.1 fails the Australian requirement even if mechanically similar [S3].
The on-product rule has a practical procurement consequence: bulk PPE arriving in unmarked inner polybags, or products where the mark is only printed on the temple sticker, will be rejected at tool-box inspections in most tier-one contractors. Buyers should treat the absence of moulded-in markings as an immediate non-conformance flag [S3][S4].
Lens and frame materials, optical classes, and what 'medium impact' really covers
Polycarbonate is the dominant lens material for medium-impact AS/NZS 1337.1 spectacles because it absorbs the 120 m/s ball impact without shattering, and frames are typically nylon or polycarbonate co-moulded to give a wraparound profile that closes the temple gap left by flat lenses with bolt-on side shields [S3]. Optical class 1 (premium clarity) suits precision work and driving, class 2 (standard) covers most industrial use, and class 3 (reduced clarity) is restricted to short-duration tasks, and the optical class number is part of the mandatory on-product marking [S3].
Side protection is part of the standard's intent: a wraparound frame is preferred over a flat lens plus add-on side shields because shields leave a hinge gap through which particles can enter, so any hazard assessment that calls for side protection needs the frame to deliver it by geometry, not by accessory [S3]. For dust and chemical splash, the standard acknowledges that open spectacle frames are inadequate and routes those hazards toward sealed foam-gasketed designs that still carry the same AS/NZS 1337.1 + 'I' marking [S3].
Comparison: F vs B vs A, and where each belongs in a hazard assessment
Selection across the three impact classes maps directly to the kinetic energy a worker can encounter. Class F at 45 m/s is suitable for low-energy tasks such as light assembly, laboratory work, and dust-only environments; class B at 120 m/s covers general construction, carpentry, automotive, and most mechanical tasks where flying fragments and tool slip are foreseeable; class A at 190 m/s is specified for grinding, chiselling, masonry, and metal work where high-mass projectiles are generated [S3]. A simple side-by-side: F = 45 m/s, B (I) = 120 m/s, A = 190 m/s, optical class 1/2/3 overlays independent of impact class.
For eye protection broadly, see the fire safety and machine safety references which sit adjacent to PPE selection in WHS hierarchies, and the broader safety barrier reference for hierarchy-of-controls thinking that frames when PPE such as AS/NZS 1337.1 spectacles is the right answer versus upstream engineering controls.
Common compliance gaps and what auditors actually check
Four defects show up repeatedly during site audits: (1) the lens and frame have no on-product AS/NZS 1337.1 marking, only a box label; (2) the product carries only ANSI Z87.1, which is the US standard and is not equivalent for Australian WHS; (3) the impact class is missing or unreadable due to worn print; and (4) the wrong class is specified for the hazard, for example class F (45 m/s) issued for grinding work that requires class A (190 m/s) [S3][S4]. Each of these triggers a non-conformance under Safe Work Australia expectations regardless of how new or expensive the spectacles look [S3].
The medium-impact 'I' mark on dual-certified products is increasingly common, with vendors explicitly listing both 'AS/NZS 1337.1 medium impact' and 'ANSI Z87.1+' to cover workforces that cross Australian and US jurisdictions, including site crews working on US defence or resource projects [S5]. For example, the WorkArma Summit Clear datasheet shows the format 'CLEAR lens rated I O = Medium Impact, Outdoor use, Untinted' printed on the product sheet, illustrating how the 'I' code is communicated in vendor documentation alongside the AS/NZS 1337.1:2010 reference [S6].
Sourcing and documentation signals to track
Two verifiable signals procurement teams can monitor: (1) confirm the on-product mark reads 'AS/NZS 1337.1' plus impact code 'I' (or class B) plus an optical class digit, not just a brand logo; and (2) require the supplier to supply a current test certificate or declaration of conformity referencing AS/NZS 1337.1:2010, since the standard was last published in 2010 and vendors should hold documentation against that specific edition [S3][S6]. For a related PPE-adjacent reference, the ANSI/ESD wrist-strap standard covered in ANSI/ESD S1.1 wrist strap spec follows a similar 'mark on the product plus supporting certificate' pattern that AS/NZS 1337.1 mirrors. Antistatic resistance bands in antistatic equipment resistance bands are an example of a different PPE class that nonetheless uses on-product marking to prove compliance.