§ 1910.133 - Eye and face protection.

§ 1910.133 Eye and face protection.

(a) General requirements.

(1) 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.

(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 pertinent requirements of this section are acceptable.

(3) 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.

(4) Eye and face PPE shall be distinctly marked to facilitate identification of the manufacturer.

(5) 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. The following is a listing of appropriate shade numbers for various operations.

Filter Lenses for Protection Against Radiant Energy
Operations	Electrode Size 1⁄32 in.	Arc Current	Minimum* Protective Shade
Shielded metal arc welding	Less than 3	Less than 60	7
	3-5	60-160	8
	5-8	160-250	10
	More than 8	250-550	11
Gas metal arc welding and flux cored arc welding		less than 60	7
		60-160	10
		160-250	10
		250-500	10
Gas Tungsten arc welding		less than 50	8
		50-150	8
		150-500	10
Air carbon	(Light)	less than 500	10
Arc cutting	(Heavy)	500-1000	11
Plasma arc welding		less than 20	6
		20-100	8
		100-400	10
		400-800	11
Plasma arc cutting	(light)**	less than 300	8
	(medium)**	300-400	9
	(heavy)**	400-800	10
Torch brazing			3
Torch soldering			2
Carbon arc welding			14

Filter Lenses for Protection Against Radiant Energy
Operations	Plate thickness - inches	Plate thickness - mm	Minimum* Protective Shade
Gas Welding:
Light	Under 1/8	Under 3.2	4
Medium	1/8 to 1/2	3.2 to 12.7	5
Heavy	Over 1/2	Over 12.7	6
Oxygen cutting:
Light	Under 1	Under 25	3
Medium	1 to 6	25 to 150	4
Heavy	Over 6	Over 150	5

* As a rule of thumb, start with a shade that is too dark to see the weld zone. Then go to a lighter shade which gives sufficient view of the weld zone without going below the minimum. In oxyfuel gas welding or cutting where the torch produces a high yellow light, it is desirable to use a filter lens that absorbs the yellow or sodium line in the visible light of the (spectrum) operation.

** These values apply where the actual arc is clearly seen. Experience has shown that lighter filters may be used when the arc is hidden by the workpiece.

(b) Criteria for protective eye and face protection.

(1) Protective eye and face protection devices must comply with any of the following consensus standards:

(i) ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2010, Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices, incorporated by reference in § 1910.6;

(ii) ANSI Z87.1-2003, Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices, incorporated by reference in § 1910.6; or

(iii) ANSI Z87.1-1989 (R-1998), Practice for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection, incorporated by reference in § 1910.6;

(2) Protective eye and face protection devices that the employer demonstrates are at least as effective as protective eye and face protection devices that are constructed in accordance with one of the above consensus standards will be deemed to be in compliance with the requirements of this section.

[59 FR 16360, Apr. 6, 1994; 59 FR 33911, July 1, 1994, as amended at 61 FR 9238, Mar. 7, 1996; 61 FR 19548, May 2, 1996; 74 FR 46356, Sept. 9, 2009; 81 FR 16090, Mar. 25, 2016]