april 10, 2009 -- sun valley, id usa
eye safety systems, inc. (ess) today officially announced its entry into the global airsoft market, a tactical training exercise and modern combat sport in which spherical non-metallic rounds are fired from non-lethal weapons. ess, a leading manufacturer in ballistic eye protection for military, law enforcement and fire/rescue professionals worldwide, now offers a dedicated line of eye pro products specifically adapted for use on the airsoft battlefield. ess timed the launch of its airsoft-optimized product line to coincide with the unveiling of its dedicated airsoft website,
www.essairsoft.com, where these specialized products are now available for purchase.
“for years, ess eye pro has been saving eyes and lives on battlefields around the world,” said brian ross, ess sr. vp sales & marketing. “ess recognizes that although military goggles are built to withstand ballistic threats far greater than what is seen in airsoft, airsoft rounds pose a unique hazard that even military goggles are not designed to protect against. because airsoft rounds do not typically penetrate and embed in the skin, they can bounce and redirect in ways that shrapnel does not, including up and around a goggle frame. ess believes the new ess airsoft product line to be the first and only authentic military eye pro system that provides both the impact protection and coverage necessary for proper eye safety on the airsoft battlefield.”
airsoft, whether for tactical training or recreation, is a dangerous activity, and eyes are perhaps the most vulnerable portion of the body. although there is currently no official safety standard for airsoft eye protection, the airsoft community has traditionally focused primarily on the issue of impact resistance, loosely referencing the ansi z87.1 standard as the base level for safe airsoft eye protection. however, this impact-only approach does not take into consideration the importance of coverage. while a sunglass can meet the ansi standard, it leaves large areas around the lenses unprotected and vulnerable to a round passing directly, or indirectly, into the eye area. for this reason, ess highly discourages the use of any sunglass or spectacle in airsoft, as well as any other goggle that does not have an airsoft adapter designed to provide additional coverage from airsoft rounds.
the cornerstone of the new ess airsoft product line is the ess cortex clip™, a rigid polycarbonate adapter that snaps onto the outside of ess profile™ series goggles. this patent-pending attachment adapts to ess profile nvg™ and ess profile turbofan™ goggles, adding essential coverage in the nose and lower cheek area to help prevent rounds from passing underneath the goggle frame and into the eye area. the ess profile airsoft™ is an airsoft-optimized configuration that features the cortex clip™ and foam-free vents for enhanced anti-fog performance at an affordable price.
additional information about airsoft eye protection and the new ess airsoft product line can be found at
www.essairsoft.com.
