Rules allow leeway but often call for eye gear
Rules allow leeway but often call for eye gear
The federal rules covering eye protection in the workplace allow a lot of flexibility in determining the best way to comply, but they also require a proactive approach to preventing eye injuries in a wide range of circumstances.
Eye protection is covered in regulation 29 CFR Part 1910, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for General Industry, which requires employers to provide the proper gear for employees exposed to situations that could threaten their eyes. This summary and interpretation of the requirements is provided by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration in Washington, DC:
- Employers must provide eye protection for employees whenever they are exposed to potential eye injuries during their work if work practice or engineering controls do not eliminate the risk of injury.
Potential causes of eye injuries include:
— dust and other flying particles, such as metal shavings or wool fibers;
— intense light such as that created by welding arcs and lasers;
— molten metal that might splash;
— acids and other caustic liquid chemicals that might splash;
— blood and other potentially infectious body fluids that might splash, spray, or splatter.
- Employers are free to select from a wide range of acceptable eyewear, as long it meets certain criteria.
Eye protection must protect against the specific hazard(s) encountered in the workplace. It also must be reasonably comfortable to wear, not restrict vision or movement, be durable and easy to clean and disinfect, and not interfere with the function of other required PPEs.
- Any protective eyewear for the workplace must meet standards established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
OSHA requires that all protective eyewear purchased for employees meet the requirements of ANSI Z87.1-1989 for devices purchased after July 5, 1994, and ANSI Z87.1-1968 for devices purchased before that date.
- If employees wear eyeglasses with prescription lenses, those are not considered adequate eye protection in the workplace.
Eyeglasses designed for ordinary wear do not provide the level of protection necessary to protect against workplace hazards.
Special care must be taken when choosing eye protectors for employees who wear eyeglasses with corrective lenses. Options for those employees include prescription spectacles with side shields and protective lenses that meet the ANSI standard, goggles that can fit comfortably over corrective eyeglasses without disturbing the alignment of the eyeglasses, and goggles that incorporate corrective lenses mounted behind protective lenses.
- The employer also must provide protective eyewear to employees who wear contact lenses and are exposed to potential eye injury.
Eye protection provided to those employees also may incorporate corrective eyeglasses. Thus, if an employee must don eyeglasses in the event of contact lens failure or loss, he or she will still be able to use the same protective eyewear.
Different types of eye protection available
OSHA provides this summary of the different types of eye and face protection available to employers:
- Safety spectacles.
These protective eyeglasses are made with safety frames constructed of metal and/or plastic and are fitted with either corrective or plano impact-resistant lenses. They come with and without side shields, but most workplace operations will require side shields.
- Impact-resistant spectacles.
This eyewear can be used for moderate impact from particles produced by such jobs as carpentry, woodworking, grinding, and scaling.
- Side shields.
These protect against particles that might enter the eyes from the side. Side shields are made of wire mesh or plastic. Eyecup-type side shields provide the best protection.
- Goggles.
Employers may choose from many different types of goggles that are designed for specific hazards. Generally, goggles protect eyes, eye sockets, and the facial area immediately surrounding the eyes from impact, dust, and splashes. Some goggles fit over corrective lenses.
- Welding shields.
Constructed of vulcanized fiber or fiberglass and fitted with a filtered lens, these protective devices are designed for the specific hazards associated with welding. Welding shields protect employees’ eyes from burns caused by infrared or intense radiant light, and they protect face and eyes from flying sparks, metal spatter, and slag chips produced during welding, brazing, soldering, and cutting.
- Laser safety goggles.
Laser safety goggles provide a range of protection against the intense concentrations of light produced by lasers. The type of laser safety goggles chosen will depend upon the equipment and operating conditions in the workplace.
- Face shields.
These transparent sheets of plastic extend from the brow to below the chin across the entire width of employees’ heads. Some are polarized for glare protection. Choose face shields to protect employees’ faces from nuisance dusts and potential splashes or sprays of hazardous liquids.
Face shields cannot be used as a substitute for protective eyewear because they do not protect employees from impact hazards. However, employers may use face shields in combination with goggles or safety spectacles to protect against impact hazards, even in the absence of dust or potential splashes, for additional protection beyond that offered by goggles or spectacles alone.
Subscribe Now for Access
You have reached your article limit for the month. We hope you found our articles both enjoyable and insightful. For information on new subscriptions, product trials, alternative billing arrangements or group and site discounts please call 800-688-2421. We look forward to having you as a long-term member of the Relias Media community.