Testing materials for sun protection

If you are a business looking to test fabrics or materials to a NATA accredit standard then ARPANSA can help.

From 2023 to 2024, ARPANSA provided more than 937 thousand clothing swing tags and 6 thousand shade cloth swing tags.

We test the following materials to Australian standards:

Fabrics, garments and hatsAS/NZS 4399: Sun protective clothing - Evaluation and classification
SunglassesAS/NZS 1067: Eye and face protection - Sunglass and fashion spectacles
Shade fabricAS 4174: Knitted and woven shade fabrics
Film, glass and materials'UVR Protection offered by Shadecloths and Polycarbonates' published in Radiation Protection in Australia 1995, 13 (2) 50-54
UV hazard assessmentRadiation Protection Standard - Occupational Exposure to Ultraviolet Radiation (RPS 12)

How it works

Step 1. Complete webform for material testing.

Step 2. Send ARPANSA sample material to test.

Step 3. Apply for a licence and purchase swing tags if applicable, to promote your sun protection rating.

Ultraviolet radiation services - testing and services guide

Our testing and services guide provides an overview of the services we offer:

Clothing and fabric testing

All fabrics have some ability to block UVR but laboratory testing is needed to tell how useful different fabrics are for sun protection by measuring the Ultraviolet Protection Factor or 'UPF' rating.

Film, glass and materials testing

ARPANSA can measure the amount of UV radiation blocked out by transparent plastic films and all types of glass as well as transparent and translucent building materials. Examples include automotive window tint films, product packaging films and polycarbonate roofing.

Shade fabric testing

Shade fabric, also known as shadecloth, is a popular method of providing climate control in greenhouses and nurseries for plants and for providing shade for people outdoors. We operate a service for measuring effectiveness of shade fabrics for sun protection

Sunglass testing

We test all common types of sunglass lenses to the Australian standard and issue test reports that state the lens category and other mandatory labelling information.

Terms & conditions for testing samples - UVR services

These Terms and Conditions specify the basis of the Agreement under which the Service is provided to the Client by the Commonwealth of Australia through the CEO of ARPANSA.

Ultraviolet radiation hazard assessments

We can assess natural and artificial UVR hazards in both public spaces and in occupational exposure situations using a variety of techniques and instruments.

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