OSHA STANDARD SUBPART E – 1926.95(a) APPLICATION:
Protective equipment, including personal protective equipment for eyes, face, head, and extremities; protective clothing; respiratory devices; and protective shields and barriers shall be provided, used, and maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition wherever necessary due to hazards of processes or environment, chemical hazards, radiological hazards, or mechanical irritants capable of causing injury or impairment through absorption, inhalation, or physical contact.
OSHA STANDARD SUBPART E – 1926.95(c) DESIGN:
All personal protective equipment shall be of safe design and construction for the work to be performed.
OSHA STANDARD SUBPART E – 1926.102(a)(1):
The employer shall ensure that each affected employee uses appropriate eye or face protection when exposed to hazards from flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors, or potentially injurious light radiation.
OSHA STANDARD SUBPART E – 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. Detachable side protectors (e.g., clip-on or slide-on side shields) meeting the requirements of this section are acceptable.
OSHA STANDARD SUBPART E – 1926.102(a)(3):
The employer shall ensure that each affected employee who wears prescription lenses while engaged in operations involving eye hazards wears eye protection that incorporates the prescription into its design or wears eye protection that can be worn over prescription lenses without disturbing their proper position.
OSHA STANDARD SUBPART E – 1926.303(c)(9):
All employees using abrasive wheels shall be protected by eye protection equipment in accordance with Subpart E requirements.
OSHA STANDARD SUBPART E – 1926.102(a)(5): MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR PROTECTORS:
(i) Provide adequate protection against specific hazards
(ii) Be reasonably comfortable under designated conditions
(iii) Fit snugly without interfering with movement
(iv) Be durable
(v) Be capable of being disinfected
(vi) Be easily cleanable
EYE AND FACE PROTECTION FACTS:
Thousands of people are blinded each year from work-related eye injuries that could have been prevented with proper selection and use of eye and face protection.
PURPOSE:
Recognize the potential serious risk of not wearing safety glasses.
GOOD EXAMPLES & CHARTS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
-
Eye and face protection is required when there is exposure to eye or face hazards.
-
The employer is responsible for requiring protection. If appropriate eye protection is not worn, enforcement is not optional—it is required.
-
Eye protection is required for tasks where chips or debris can enter the eyes, including drilling, screwing, cutting, wire brushing, demolition, and overhead work.
-
When exposed to chemicals such as cleaners, lubricants, paint strippers, sealants, spray or batt insulation, or cement, safety goggles may be required.
-
Face shields are not a substitute for safety glasses. Safety glasses must be worn in addition to face shields.
-
Safety glasses worn improperly—around the neck, on top of or behind the hard hat, or hanging from clothing—provide no protection and are not considered worn.
-
All employees using cutting or chipping tools shall be protected with eye protection in accordance with OSHA Subpart E, including safety glasses and face shields.
-
Regular reading glasses are not safety glasses. Safety glasses must meet required standards.
-
Welding and laser operations require eye protection or screens, even if you are not performing the work.
-
Even when hazards are not present, 100% safety glasses use may be required by the General Contractor, Construction Manager, or Owner.
