Eye and face protection requirements

Employers must ensure affected employees wear appropriate eye or face protection whenever they are exposed to hazards such as flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors, or injurious light radiation. See the General requirements in 1910.133(a)(1).

• Common hazards covered include mechanical (flying) particles, chemical splashes, radiant energy (e.g., welding arcs), and molten material.
• The employer is responsible for recognizing exposures and providing protection that is appropriate to the specific hazard and task.

Side protection is required when there is a hazard from flying objects, and detachable side protectors (for example, clip-on or slide-on side shields) are acceptable if they meet the section's requirements. See 1910.133(a)(2).

• Employers must ensure the chosen eyewear provides adequate side coverage for the hazard.
• "Detachable side protectors" are explicitly permitted, but they must meet the same protective criteria specified in the standard.

Employees who wear prescription lenses must either wear eye protection that incorporates their prescription into its design or wear protective devices that fit over the prescription lenses without disturbing their proper position. See 1910.133(a)(3).

• Acceptable options include prescription safety eyewear (built to the prescription) or properly fitting over-glasses/goggles designed to be worn over regular glasses.
• The protective device must not shift or interfere with the corrective lenses while performing the task.

Eye and face PPE must be distinctly marked to identify the manufacturer. See 1910.133(a)(4).

• This marking helps verify the origin and traceability of equipment for quality and compliance checks.
• If equipment lacks a manufacturer mark, employers should obtain marked/reputable equipment or documentation proving the product's source and certification.

Employers must ensure employees use filter lenses with a shade number appropriate for the specific operation being performed. See 1910.133(a)(5).

• The standard provides a table of minimum protective shade numbers keyed to processes (e.g., different welding types and currents).
• As a practical rule, start with a shade darker than needed and move to a lighter shade until you have a clear view of the work zone without going below the listed minimum.

The minimum protective shade for shielded metal arc welding with electrode size over 8 and arc current in the 250–550 amp range is shade 11. See the Filter Lenses table in 1910.133(a)(5).

• Use this table as the baseline; employers should select the shade that gives protection while allowing the worker to see the task adequately.

Yes—start with a shade that may be too dark and then go to a lighter shade that still protects the eyes while giving sufficient view of the weld zone; do not go below the minimum listed shade for the operation. See the guidance in 1910.133(a)(5).

• The standard also notes that when the actual arc is hidden by the workpiece, experience shows lighter filters may be used, but never below the minimum shade given for the operation.

Protective eye and face devices must comply with one of the listed ANSI/ISEA consensus standards incorporated by reference: ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2010, ANSI Z87.1-2003, or ANSI Z87.1-1989 (R-1998). See 1910.133(b)(1)(i)-(iii).

• These specific versions are accepted because they are incorporated by reference in 1910.6.
• Employers may choose devices manufactured to any one of these acceptable ANSI versions.

Yes—an employer may use devices that are not constructed to the listed ANSI standards if the employer can demonstrate the device is at least as effective as one constructed to those consensus standards. See 1910.133(b)(2).

• The employer bears the burden to document and demonstrate equivalence in protection.
• Keep records or test data showing the alternative device provides protection comparable to an ANSI-compliant device.

Yes—protective eyewear that can be worn over prescription lenses is acceptable provided it does not disturb the proper position of the prescription or protective lenses. See 1910.133(a)(3).

• Ensure the over-goggles fit comfortably and do not shift the prescription lenses during use.
• If over-goggles interfere with vision or shift the prescription lenses, consider prescription safety glasses instead.

Clip-on side shields are acceptable as side protection if they meet the pertinent requirements of the section and provide the needed protection against flying objects. See 1910.133(a)(2).

• Employers should confirm clip-on shields adequately cover the sides and are compatible with the task hazard.
• Detachable shields must not create gaps that permit hazard entry to the eye area.

Yes—ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2010 is specifically listed as an acceptable consensus standard for protective eye and face devices and is incorporated by reference in the OSHA regulations. See 1910.133(b)(1)(i) and 1910.6.

• Using equipment manufactured to this ANSI version meets the construction criteria referenced in the OSHA standard.

The table in 1910.133(a)(5) lists a minimum protective shade of 3 for torch brazing. See 1910.133(a)(5).

• Employers should still select a shade that provides adequate protection while allowing the worker to see the task clearly.

The standard lists a minimum protective shade of 14 for carbon arc welding. See 1910.133(a)(5).

• Carbon arc welding produces extremely bright light and requires one of the highest shade numbers in the table.

Yes—experience has shown that lighter filters may be used when the actual arc is hidden by the workpiece, but employers must not use a filter lighter than the minimum protective shade listed for the operation. See the explanatory guidance in 1910.133(a)(5).

• Use caution: lighter filters are only appropriate when the arc itself is obscured and the level of radiant energy reaching the worker is reduced.

The employer is responsible for identifying eye and face hazards and ensuring affected employees use appropriate protection for those hazards. See 1910.133(a)(1).

• Practical enforcement guidance for other PPE (e.g., head protection) emphasizes the employer must assess the workplace to determine if hazards are present; see OSHA's Head protection for crane operators interpretation for a comparable statement on employer assessment duties.
• After assessment, provide PPE that meets the standard (ANSI-compliant or equivalent) for the identified hazards.

If an employer wants to use a non-ANSI device, they must be able to demonstrate it is at least as effective as a device constructed according to one of the listed consensus standards; such a demonstration will be deemed in compliance. See 1910.133(b)(2).

• The employer should document test results, specifications, or expert evaluations that show comparable protection.
• Keep this documentation on file and available for inspection to support the equivalency claim.

No—because the standard requires eye and face PPE to be distinctly marked to facilitate identification of the manufacturer, equipment without such marking does not meet the explicit marking requirement in 1910.133(a)(4).

• Employers should obtain replacement PPE that is properly marked or retain reliable documentation from the supplier proving the manufacturer's identity and that the equipment meets applicable standards.

Yes—both ANSI Z87.1-2003 and ANSI Z87.1-1989 (R-1998) are explicitly listed as acceptable consensus standards in the regulation. See 1910.133(b)(1)(ii) and 1910.133(b)(1)(iii).

• Employers may use devices constructed to any of the three listed ANSI versions incorporated by reference.