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Chainsaw mesh visor: what a Protos screen does and does not do

Updated: 21 October 2026

A chip ticks the metal, and you still feel dust at the corner of an eye. That is the ordinary limit of a chainsaw mesh visor. The screen stops larger fragments. Dust still gets through, and eye protection is a separate decision. On a Pfanner Protos the screen is the F39 or the G16. The [Protos forestry helmet comparison](/hub/protective-clothing/protos-forestry-helmet) shows which listings name a grade. Peter F. wrote this on 19 October 2026 from the HSE chainsaw PPE page, the public note for BS EN 1731, and owner comments on the listings. A purchase through our links may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

A chip ticks the metal, and you still feel dust at the corner of an eye. That is the ordinary limit of a chainsaw mesh visor. The screen stops larger fragments.

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Pfanner Pfanner Protos Integral Arborist (black)

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Pfanner Pfanner Protos Integral Arborist (black)
7.2/10about £59.99
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6.6/10about £227.70
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Protos Protos Integral Forest (F39 title)

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Protos Protos Integral Forest (F39 title)
3.2/10about £59.99
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On this page
  1. 1.What the mesh is for
  2. 2.F39 and G16
  3. 3.When to add EN 166
  4. 4.Mesh, glasses and muffs on one list

What the mesh is for

The Health and Safety Executive lists a mesh visor to BS EN 1731 and eye protection to BS EN 166 as separate lines, on the ground and off it. The mesh is the face screen for forestry chips. The public note on BS EN 1731:2006 puts splash, molten metal, electrical hazard, and infrared and ultraviolet outside that scope. If sap, low sun or a dark wood hides the bar, stop and clear the mesh. Dust, sap mist and the smallest particles still have a path. Owners report small chips passing, and some added safety glasses. Those reports are from outside the United Kingdom. The Forest versus Arborist page is where the kits are split.

F39 and G16

F39 is the finer Protos metal visor, brochure item 204063. G16 is the coarser screen, item 204064, described in Forest bullets as 16 openings per square centimetre. UK pages often include G16 with the Forest and F39 with the Arborist. Other markets have sold both meshes on both kits, so a thumbnail is only a clue. Either screen remains EN 1731 mesh. Neither one retires EN 166. The Forest titles say metal visor F39 and the bullets say G16, so the listing does not tell you which screen would arrive. B07FXVDB3B at £253 does not name a visor. B00I52AP8W names a fine visor and does not print F39 or G16. B07FX8Y5XX names a face shield, and the stored price is £59.99. Read the visor line that belongs to that ASIN. A clear plastic visor is a different product unless the listing names it.
Pfanner Pfanner Protos Integral Arborist (black)

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Pfanner Pfanner Protos Integral Arborist (black)
7.2/10about £59.99
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When to add EN 166

Add EN 166 eye protection when dust or fine chips are part of the job. Safety glasses are the usual choice on the ground. At height, the Health and Safety Executive notes that glasses may not stay on, and it points you at goggles when the eyewear has to remain in place. Try the pair before you climb. Goggles can fog and can fight the muffs. Gustharts sells integrated glasses to EN 166, EN 170 and EN 172 at about £45.60 including VAT, and they are absent unless the parts list says so. A temple arm that lifts the ear pad opens a leak, and HSE treats a broken seal as a failure of hearing protection. Set the cups over the glasses you will wear, using the how to fit a Protos helmet steps.

Mesh, glasses and muffs on one list

EN 1731, EN 166 and EN 352-3 sit on the same pass list. The mesh answers the face, the glasses answer the eye, and the muffs answer the noise only when the cup seals. A finer F39 does not close the dust question by itself.

Common questions

Does a mesh visor meet the chainsaw PPE list?
A mesh visor to BS EN 1731 meets the face-screen line on the Health and Safety Executive’s chainsaw PPE page. That page also lists BS EN 166 for the eyes, on the ground and off the ground. Eye protection stays a separate tick. A visor you cannot see through is a reason to stop and clear it.
Do I still need safety glasses?
Keep EN 166 glasses or goggles when dust and fine chips are part of the job. Owners on the amazon.co.uk listings report small chips passing the Protos mesh and adding glasses. Those are individual reports from outside the United Kingdom, and they fit the way the standards are split. Mesh to EN 1731 is outside the scope of splash, molten metal, electrical hazard, and infrared and ultraviolet, so those hazards need their own protection too.
What is the difference between F39 and G16?
F39 is the finer Protos metal visor, item 204063. G16 is the coarser visor, item 204064, with Forest bullets describing 16 openings per square centimetre. UK pages often put G16 on the Forest and F39 on the Arborist. The finer mesh still has holes, so EN 166 stays a separate decision.
Will fine sawdust pass the mesh?
Sawdust and very small chips can pass both screens. The holes let you see, and they are also a path for fine debris. If the dust load is high, EN 166 eye protection is the addition. A finer F39 does not close that question.
Are goggles better than glasses at height?
The Health and Safety Executive’s aerial PPE guidance notes that glasses may not stay on when you are off the ground, and it treats goggles as the comparison when the eyewear must remain seated. Try the pair with your muffs before you climb. Goggles can hold a seal around the eye and can also fog or lift a cup. The better choice is the one that stays on and still lets the hearing protection seal.
Do glasses spoil the muff seal?
They can. A temple arm that lifts the pad opens a gap, and a gap means the muff is no longer doing the job the SNR figure assumes. Fit the cups over the glasses you wear for sawing. Integrated Protos glasses, about £45.60 including VAT at Gustharts, are an accessory. Confirm they are in the parts list before you count them as included.

Related pages

Protos forestry helmet buying guide

Protos forestry helmet

Best Protos helmet: Arborist at height, Forest down

Protos Forest vs Arborist: which kit matches the job

How to fit a Protos helmet: cradle, height and muffs

Sources

Public UK sources for helmet standards, hearing, mesh and PPE supply. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures stored in this set, not a live re-check. UK specialist shelves are the price check. Retrieved 19 October 2026.

  1. HSE — Chainsaw PPE (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. HSE — Aerial tree-work PPE (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. HSE — PPE product safety and supply (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. HSE — Hearing protection (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Protos Integral UK — Arborist (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Radmore & Tucker — Protos Integral Forest (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Sorbus — Protos user manual (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  9. Gustharts — Protos Integral Forest (retrieved 19 October 2026)