Face Shields

Face shields, also known as face visors, safety visors, safety face shields, or face shield masks offer crucial protection for workers facing hazards such as falling or flying objects, impact, chemical and liquid splashes, hazardous substances, debris, and even potentially infectious materials. The primary aim of a face shield is to provide broad protection for the wearer's entire face or a significant portion thereof.

These essential pieces of industrial face protection are used by professionals in diverse fields in Singapore, including medical laboratories, woodworking, machining, workshop engineering, and electrical work. Many industrial face shields are designed for comfortable use with other personal protective equipment (PPE) like goggles, respirators, and earmuffs, and can often be attached or mounted to compatible safety helmets or headgear.

Features of Face Shields

Industrial face shield masks are designed with a range of features to provide task-specific protection for workers. Here are some typical protective features you can find:

• Resistance to Extreme Temperatures: Certain face shields are constructed from materials that can withstand very high or low temperatures, maintaining their protective properties in demanding environments.
• High-Speed Particle Protection: Many safety face shields are tested and certified to protect against high-speed flying particles and debris encountered in machining, grinding, and other industrial processes.
• Hot Solid Projections: For tasks involving welding or working with hot materials, specific face shield options offer resistance to hot solid projections, safeguarding the face from burns and other injuries.
• Molten Metal Splash Resistance: Some industrial face shields are designed to deflect molten metal splashes, providing critical protection in foundries and metalworking environments.
• Impact Resistance: A fundamental feature of most face visors is their ability to withstand impact from falling or moving objects, reducing the risk of facial trauma.
• Extra Protection with Chin Guards: To provide more complete face protection, many industrial face shield masks incorporate an integrated chin guard, offering additional defense against splashes and impacts to the lower face and chin area.

Types of Face Shields and Visors

The selection of a face shield or visor often depends on the specific hazards encountered in the workplace, leading to a variety of designs and materials tailored for different applications.

Shield Material

The material of the face shield or visor significantly impacts its durability, flexibility, and resistance to various hazards. Common materials include:

• ABS: Offers good impact resistance and rigidity, often used for general-purpose face shields.
• Acetate: Provides good chemical splash resistance and optical clarity, suitable as a laboratory face shield and chemical handling environments.
• Nylon: Known for its high strength, abrasion resistance, and flexibility, making it a durable option for various industrial tasks.
• Polycarbonate (PC): Offers exceptional impact resistance and good optical clarity, making it a popular choice for heavy-duty industrial applications.
• Polypropylene: Provides good chemical resistance and is lightweight, often used for splash protection in less demanding environments.

Lens Colour

The colour of the face visor or safety visor can enhance vision and provide protection against specific types of light or glare, with options ranging from clear face shield for general use to tinted for glare reduction or specific light spectrum filtering.

Resistance

Industrial face shields are designed with varying levels of resistance to specific hazards, including impact, chemical splashes, extreme temperatures, molten metal, and high-speed particles, ensuring appropriate protection for diverse workplace risks.

How Are Face Shields and Visors Used in Industrial Settings?

Face shields and visors are indispensable in numerous industrial settings across Singapore. Their application varies depending on the specific risks present in each environment, ensuring workers have the necessary face protection to minimise injuries.

Manufacturing

In manufacturing facilities, workers utilise face shields or visors to protect against flying debris from machinery, as well as potential splashes from lubricants and coolants, ensuring their safety during production processes.

Metalworking and Fabrication

Metalworking and fabrication industries in Singapore rely on industrial face protection to safeguard workers from hot metal fragments, sparks, and flying debris generated during cutting, grinding, and welding operations.

Chemical Handling and Processing

In chemical handling and processing plants, face shields and face visors are essential for providing a barrier against corrosive chemical splashes and airborne contaminants, protecting workers' faces and eyes from hazardous substances.

Construction and Demolition

Some construction and demolition sites in Singapore require workers to wear face shields to guard against falling debris, dust, and flying particles, mitigating the risk of facial injuries from impact and airborne hazards. These face shield masks are a crucial part of personal protective equipment (PPE) on hazardous sites.

Factors to Consider When Choosing Face Shields

The right face shield is protective and ergonomic to ensure both safety and usability. Some key things to consider when choosing a face shield include:

• Optical Clarity and Distortion: The face visor material, typically polycarbonate (PC) or polyethylene terephthalate glycol-modified (PETG), should offer high light transmittance and minimal optical distortion to prevent visual fatigue and ensure unobstructed vision critical for task performance. Refractive index mismatches or manufacturing imperfections can induce prismatic effects or haze, compromising visual clarity.
• Facial Coverage and Design Geometry: The face shield's design must extend adequately to protect the forehead, eyes, nose, and mouth, and ideally wrap around the sides of the face to minimise exposure to splashes or aerosols from various angles. Consider the shield's length (chin coverage), lateral width (ear-to-ear), and curvature to ensure comprehensive protection without impeding head movement.
• Compatibility with Other PPE: Integration with other required PPE, such as respirators, safety glasses, and hearing protection, might be something you want to look into. The face shield's design should accommodate the secure and comfortable fit of these items without causing interference, pressure points, or compromising the seal of respirators.
• Impact Resistance and Durability: Depending on the anticipated hazards, the face shield's material thickness and impact resistance rating (e.g., ANSI Z87.1 for occupational and educational eye and face protection devices) are crucial. Higher impact resistance ensures protection against flying debris, projectiles, and potential blunt force trauma, while material durability dictates the shield's lifespan and resistance to scratching or chemical degradation.
• Comfort, Fit, and Adjustability: Features such as adjustable headbands (e.g., ratchet or elastic), foam padding at the forehead for cushioning and sweat absorption, and lightweight construction contribute significantly to user comfort during extended periods of wear. Proper fit ensures the shield remains securely in place without slipping or causing discomfort, which can compromise compliance.

Buy Face Shields Online from RS Singapore

RS is a leading face shield supplier in Singapore, offering a comprehensive range of industrial face shields and visors engineered for superior face and eye protection against a variety of workplace hazards. We stock a wide selection from trusted brands such as Centurion Safety, Honeywell Safety, 3M, and many more.

For detailed information on our delivery services and costs, please visit our Delivery Information page.