General Purpose Safety Glasses

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that employers make appropriate eye protection available to employees if their work exposes them to hazards from flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors, or potentially harmful light. The OSHA eye and face protection standard is 29 CFR 1910.133.

Safety glasses may also include side protection like detachable side protectors (clip-on or slide-on shields). In addition, accommodation must be made for employees who require corrective lenses; protective eyewear must incorporate prescriptive lenses or glasses worn over prescription lenses. If light hazards exist, eye protection should have coated or tinted lenses that reduce the transmission of the specific light spectrum.

Employees must also be trained to use eye protection. Training must be comprehensive and understandable and recur at least annually or more often if needed. Training should include:

• Need for protection
• Compromised protection (improper fit, use, or maintenance)
• Safety eyewear capabilities and limitations
• Appropriate and effective use
• Inspection, donning, and doffing
• Maintenance and storage
• Contraindications for use, including medical signs and symptoms

Options for protective eyewear include:

• Frame materials
• Frame color and style
• Flexibility and adjustability (adjustable temples, nose pads)
• Anti-fog, -static, or another lens treatment
• Lens tint or mirror coatings
• Compatibility with other safety equipment and apparel