OSHA Requires Protective Eyewear

Eye and face protective equipment is required by the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) where there is a reasonable probability of preventing injury
when such equipment is used.  Employers must provide a type of protector suitable for work to be performed, and employees must use the protectors.  These stipulations also
apply to supervisors and management personnel, and should apply to visitors while they are in hazardous areas.

Eye and Face Protection ( 2 )

Employees must use 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.

Protective eye and face devices purchased after July 5, 1994, must comply with
ANSI Z87.1 1989 or be demonstrated to be equally effective.  Devices purchased before that date must comply with ANSI Z87.1 - 1968 or be equally effective.

Side protection is required only when there is a hazard from flying objects.  Detachable side shields are permitted.

Employees who require prescription lenses must wear prescription safety glasses or
eye protection that can be worn over the glasses.  There are no additional requirements for contact lens wearers, but they are expected to wear appropriate eye and face protection.

Marking to identify the manufacturer is required.

Filter lenses must be appropriate to the work being performed.  Photochromic lenses
are permitted at the discretion of the employer.

Eye Protection in the Workplace

Every day an estimated 1,000 eye injuries occur in American workplaces. The
financial cost of these injuries is enormous -- more than $300 million per year in lost
production time, medical expenses, and workers compensation.  No dollar figure can
adequately reflect the personal toll these accidents take on the injured workers.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the 25 states and
territories operating their own job safety and health programs are determined to help
reduce eye injuries.  In concert with efforts by concerned voluntary groups, OSHA has
begun a nationwide information campaign to improve workplace eye protection.

Take a moment to think about possible eye hazards at your workplace.  A survey by
the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of about 1,000 minor eye injuries reveals how and why many on-the-job accidents occur.  ( 1 )