Eye and face protection is essential to prevent injuries from flying debris, chemicals, and other hazards — learn how the right PPE keeps workers safe.
When workers are exposed to eye and face hazards, they must have appropriate eye or face protection. Injuries can obviously occur when no eye or face protection is worn at all, but injuries can also result from wearing improper, inadequate or poorly fitting eye protection.
When eye or face protection is required, it must be appropriate for the work being performed and properly fit each employee exposed to the hazard.
OSHA Standards 1910.133(a)(1) and 1926.102(a)(1) The employer shall ensure that each affected employee uses appropriate eye or face protection when exposed to eye or face hazards from flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors, or potentially injurious light radiation.
EXAMPLES OF EYE AND FACE HAZARDS
- Dust, dirt, metal or wood chips when chipping, grinding, sawing, hammering, or using power tools
- Flying debris in windy conditions
- Chemical splashes from corrosive substances, hot liquids, solvents or other hazardous solutions.
- Swinging objects like tree limbs, chains, tools, or ropes
- Loose straps, cords, or banding that break or snap under extreme tension
- Radiant energy from welding
- Harmful rays from the use of lasers or other radiant light
- Other dangers like heat, glare, sparks, and flying particles
Each type of protective eyewear and face protection is designed to protect the employee against specific hazards. To identify current eye and face hazards, a workplace hazard assessment may be recommended.
When selecting eye and face protection, remember that the personal protection should have the ability to protect against specific workplace hazards. Eye protection must fit properly and be reasonably comfortable to wear while providing unrestricted vision and movement. Of course, eye and face protection must also allow other PPE that is being worn, like hard hats, hearing protection, or respiratory protection, to be fulling functioning.
Eye and face protection used on the job must be durable and easy to clean. Eye protection, like safety glasses and goggles, must clearly identify the manufacturer and comply with ANSI Z87.1 or be at least as effective as this standard requires.
OSHA Standards 1910.133(a)(4) and 1926.102(a)(4) Eye and face PPE shall be distinctly marked to facilitate identification of the manufacturer.
COMMON TYPES OF EYE AND FACE PROTECTION
Safety glasses are protective eyeglasses that have safety frames constructed of metal or plastic and impact-resistant lenses.
Safety glasses with side shields provide additional protection from flying debris, particles, and potential hazards that may enter from the sides.
OSHA Standards 1910.133(a)(2) and 1926.102(a)(2) The employer shall ensure that each affected employee uses eye protection that provides side protection when there is a hazard from flying objects.
Goggles are tight-fitting eye protection that completely covers the eyes, eye sockets, and the facial area immediately surrounding the eyes and provides protection from impact, dust, and splashes. Some goggles will fit over corrective lenses.
Welding shields are constructed of vulcanized fiber or fiberglass and fitted with a filtered lens, welding shields protect eyes from burns caused by infrared or intense radiant light. Welding shields protect both the eyes and face from flying sparks, metal spatter, and slag chips produced during welding, brazing, soldering, and cutting operations.
Laser safety goggles are specialty goggles that protect against intense concentrations of light produced by lasers. The type of laser safety goggles chosen will depend on the equipment and operating conditions in the workplace.
Face shields are transparent sheets of plastic that extend from the eyebrows to below the chin and across the entire width of the face and head. Some face shields are polarized for glare protection. Face shields protect against potential splashes or sprays of hazardous liquids, droplets, and particles but will not provide adequate protection against impact hazards.
Face shields used in combination with goggles or safety glasses will provide additional protection against splash and impact hazards.
PRESCRIPTION LENSES AND EYE PROTECTION
Regular prescription glasses will not provide adequate protection against most occupational eye and face hazards, so employees that wear glasses must either 1) wear eye protection that incorporates their prescription into the design of adequate eye protection, or 2) wear eye protection that fits over their prescription glasses.
OSHA Standards 1910.133(a)(3) and 1926.102(a)(3) The employer shall ensure that each affected employee who wears prescription lenses while engaged in operations that involve eye hazards wears eye protection that incorporates the prescription in its design or wears eye protection that can be worn over the prescription lenses without disturbing the proper position of the prescription lenses or the protective lenses.
Protective eyewear must fit properly and should not disturb the proper positioning of the prescription lenses so that vision will not be compromised or limited in any way.
Options for employees who wear glasses and also need to wear protective eyewear are 1) prescription safety glasses, 2) goggles that fit well over regular prescription glasses, or 3) goggles that incorporate corrective lenses mounted behind the protective lens.
WELDING, CUTTING, AND BRAZING EYE AND FACE PROTECTION
The intense light associated with welding operations can cause serious, sometimes permanent, eye damage if operators do not wear proper eye protection.
The intensity of light or radiant energy produced by welding, cutting, or brazing operations varies according to a number of factors including the task producing the light, the electrode size, and the arc current
OSHA requires filter lenses to have a shade appropriate to protect against the specific hazards of the work being performed in order to protect against harmful light radiation.
OSHA Standard 1926.353(e)(2) Employees performing any type of welding, cutting, or heating shall be protected by suitable eye protective equipment.
EYE PROTECTION FOR LASER OPERATIONS
Laser light radiation can be extremely dangerous to the unprotected eye and direct or reflected beams can cause permanent eye damage.
Laser retinal burns can be painless, so everyone in or around laser operations should wear appropriate eye protection.
Laser safety goggles should protect for the specific wavelength of the laser and must be of sufficient optical density for the energy involved.
Safety goggles intended for use with laser beams must be labeled with the laser wavelengths for which they are intended to be used, the optical density of those wavelengths, and the visible light transmission.
Whether employees supply their own or the employer is providing the PPE, all eye and face protective equipment must be kept in good condition. Damaged or poorly maintained protection can reduce visibility, compromise safety, and fail to prevent injuries.
Protective eyewear should be inspected before each use for signs of damage or wear. Lenses should be clean and free of smudges, dust, or debris that could obstruct vision.
Protective equipment that is scratched, cracked, broken, or does not fit properly should be replaced.
Protective eyewear should be stored in a clean, dry place to prevent contamination or damage. Workers should avoid placing eyewear in pockets, toolboxes, or other areas where they may get scratched or crushed.
