Types of Eye Protection

Employees must wear PPE that provides eye protection whenever they are exposed to potential eye injuries while working, if engineering or work practice controls do not eliminate that risk.

Eye-related hazards include:

• Flying or falling objects,
• Dust or particles (such as metal shavings, sawdust),
• Temperature extremes,
• Chemicals,
• Biological agents (such as blood or other potentially infectious materials),
• Splashes of hot or hazardous fluids (such as acid, molten metal, steam),
• Irritating atmospheres,
• Glare and intense light (such as welding, lasers),
• Sparks, and
• Burns.

Welding shields must protect the eyes from burns caused by infrared or intense radiant light and protect the face and eyes from sparks, metal splatter, slag chips and so on produced during welding, brazing, soldering, and cutting operations.

Other types of specialized eye protection are available, based on the type of hazard, such as tinted eyewear to protect against glare and intense light. For example, laser safety goggles must be worn around concentrations of laser light. OSHA lists appropriate filter values for protection against harsh light.

Face shields can be worn with safety glasses or goggles to provide additional protection.

For workers requiring prescription eyewear (corrective lenses such as glasses or contacts), eye protection must either include the prescription or fit over corrective lenses without affecting the position or placement of those lenses.

Eye protection must comply with the ANSI standard ANSI Z87.1-1989; it must be distinctly marked so that the manufacturer can be identified.

To learn more about PPE visit our Personal Protective Equipment Online Training web page.