If there are dangers of flying particles or other substances that could endanger workers’ face and eyes, you must have a safety eyewear for your workers. According to 29CFR1910.133, employers are required to meet standards in eye safety, including eye/face protection (safety glasses), side protection (sideshields), prescription lenses and filter lenses (shading).
- Safety Glasses: “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.”
- Sideshields: “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 pertinent requirements of this section are acceptable.”
- Prescription: “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.”
- Shading: “The employer shall ensure that each affected employee uses equipment with filter lenses that have a shade number appropriate for the work being performed for protection from injurious light radiation.”
For the full description of this law, read it online at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2002/julqtr/29cfr1910.133.htm.
We recommend that every employer that needs to provide face and eye protection have a prescription safety eyewear program. A program will help you to manage the various necessary items, including the eye exams and locations, eyewear dispensing, worker training (to wear their eyewear), and the overall program management (cost, eligibility, etc.).
For information about what a safety eyewear program needs to include, request our free ebook “Safety Glass Program Guide” at https://www.hi-techoptical.com/free-ebook-safety-glass-program-guide-for-safety-directors/. It includes the 9 elements necessary for a successful eyewear program!