What are the safety elements in goggles, and how can we identify them?
For us at Ariete, considering perfect Ergonomics indisputable, meaning that the goggles must fit the Rider's face and the geometry of the helmet impeccably, otherwise they are not the right goggles, here are the 5 essential factors:
1) Active protection in case of impact from both external objects and solar rays. A classic risk is represented by a stone thrown by the rear wheel of the bike in front: the goggles and the lens must absorb the impact, the lens must NEVER detach from the frame of the goggles and above all NEVER shatter inwards, all of which is essential to preserve the safety of the eyes. Another equally important protection is against ultraviolet UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C rays, which can damage vision and must be 100% filtered even on completely transparent clear lenses !!! Some think that the darker the lens, the more it protects from radiation damage; NO, it is not like that. Total protection from ultraviolet rays must be verified starting from the category 0 transparent lens. The darker the lens, the more it protects from brightness, not necessarily from solar rays.
2) Passive protection - Optimal ventilation: the eyes must benefit from correct ventilation inside the goggles: they must not be subjected to excessive air exchange or, conversely, to insufficient exchange: in the first case they would suffer from excessive tearing, in the second case from overheating and fatigue. Ariete Technicians have developed the
Ariete Ventilation System AVS, a system of air intakes in the frame of the goggles and specific filter densities, all designed to ensure the rider's eyes
the least possible stress. The flow of fresh air enters the inner chamber of the goggles through the lower ventilation intakes, circulates mixing with the overheated air in contact with the eyes, acts directly on the temperature, then exits laterally and from the upper profile, connecting to the ventilation intakes of the helmet. This balance of proportions is the success of the Ariete AVS ventilation system.
3) Passive protection – Adaptability to movement: the goggles must always guarantee the same protection and safety even in the presence of sudden head movements. As for ventilation, comfort is difficult to measure with defined parameters, but Ariete Technicians take care of every detail to ensure the goggles are stable in case of an emergency. Maximum attention is paid to choices regarding the ergonomics of the fit, the materials used for the hypoallergenic, breathable, and memory foam layers, and the silicone inside the strap to prevent the strap from slipping on the helmet in case of rain or special conditions.
4) Field of vision: Ariete Technicians have designed
the widest possible field of vision for each individual goggles, compatible with the shape of the helmet, to avoid blind spots, especially laterally. Depending on the goggles model dedicated to each sporting discipline, Ariete Technicians have studied specific solutions such as more space in the upper part of the lens for skiers or in the lower part for downhill riders.
5) CE Certification: Sandro Mentasti Srl guarantees the design and manufacture of Ariete goggles to satisfy at least the “essential health and safety requirements” established by European regulation EU 2016/425 and to produce all goggles of the same type in accordance with the goggles submitted for tests for the issuance of the EU examination certificate. The declaration of conformity can be consulted on the home page of the Ariete website in the specific “Declaration of Conformity” section at the bottom of the page.
Ariete declares code by code in the product sheet if the goggles have a
CE CERTIFIED lens. This description means that the goggles and the specific lens are certified according to
European standard EN 1938:2010 and officially fall under Class II PPE - Personal Protective Equipment.
CE CERTIFICATION deserves special attention:
Even before the payoff
Ariete. Built for Overperformance, we have always believed in the importance of quality and performance of our products developed on the specific technical indications of our Riders, to always offer them the maximum available at all times. As early as 2006, Ariete Technicians were developing and placing CE Certified goggles on the market when this requirement was not mandatory for off-road use, nor was there a specific standard; for road visors, an impact speed for tests of 40 m/sec (144 km/h) was required and Ariete was already testing lenses at 60 m/sec (216 km/h), exceeding what would later become the minimum (162 km/h) of the regulatory standard.
We can proudly declare that ARIETE CE LENSES resist the impact of a 6 mm diameter steel ball launched at 216 km/h!
Among the various regulatory requirements, what characteristics must "CE" certified goggles have:
Every goggles must be accompanied by a user instruction manual with all useful information regarding: 1) field of use, 2) cleaning and storage, 3) inspection and adjustment, 4) lens replacement, 5) marking which is very important to identify the category of the lens based on light transmission, info also reported on the lens and on the label/legend sewn inside the strap.
In the certification and verification process, compliance in 2 areas is analyzed: the information contained in the technical documentation and the requirements of the tested products.
§) Documentation: The technical file prepared by the Manufacturer must include a whole series of information such as the EU type-examination application submitted by the manufacturer, the technical product documentation, the risk assessment; the technical description of the device with the list of materials making up the individual components and the reference to the harmonized reference standard UNI EN 1938:2010; the material safety declaration; the frame variant details, the list of eyepiece variants and the name by which they are identified, the images and dimensioned technical drawing of the device; the analysis of the essential health and safety requirements applicable with reference to the technical requirements provided; the details of the markings applied, the Declaration of Conformity, the Instruction Manual, the Test Reports.
§) Product tests verify requirements related to all these elements: field of vision; positioning and fit; design and manufacture; impact resistance; resistance to surface deterioration caused by fine particles; ventilation; Lenses - Difference in spherical refractive power between left and right viewing points; Lenses - Permissible transmission factor and filter categories; Lenses - Light transmission factor; Lenses - Maximum reduced luminance factor; Lenses - Material and surface quality; Lenses - Road driving requirements; Lenses - Resistance to ultraviolet radiation; Lenses - Permissible tolerances for refractive powers of mounted eyepieces; Lenses - Uniformity of the light transmission factor; Lenses - Resistance to fogging which is an optional requirement.
