Eye Protection
29 CFR 1926.102 · This talk in Spanish
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Why it matters
NIOSH counted over 219,000 work eye injuries that led to days away from work from 2011 through 2019. Grinding sparks, nail ricochets, concrete dust, and chemical splash do not give warnings. Eye and face protection in construction was the ninth most cited OSHA standard in fiscal year 2025.
Hazards
- ⚠ Flying particles from cutting, grinding, and nailing
- ⚠ Dust clouds during demo, sweeping, and concrete work
- ⚠ Chemical splash from adhesives, solvents, and cleaners
- ⚠ Ricocheting fasteners from nail guns and powder-actuated tools
- ⚠ UV and infrared radiation from welding and torch work nearby
Controls and safe practices
- ✓ Safety glasses with side protection are the site minimum, on from gate to gate.
- ✓ Add a face shield over glasses for grinding, cutting, and chipping. The shield alone is not enough.
- ✓ Use goggles for dust-heavy tasks and any chemical pouring or spraying.
- ✓ Welding and torch work require the right shade lens; bystanders need screens or distance.
- ✓ Replace scratched or fogged lenses. If you cannot see through them, you will take them off.
- ✓ Know where the nearest eyewash or clean water is before the task starts.
What the OSHA standard says
Exact words from the official text, with a link to each paragraph.
“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.”
“The employer shall ensure that each affected employee uses eye protection that provides side protection when there is a hazard from flying objects.”
“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”
“They shall fit snugly and shall not unduly interfere with the movements of the wearer.”
By the numbers
- Eye and Face Protection in construction (29 CFR 1926.102) was number 9 on OSHA's list of the 10 most cited standards for fiscal year 2025. (OSHA, Top 10 Most Frequently Cited Standards, Fiscal Year 2025)
- From 2011 through 2019 there were over 219,000 work eye injuries that led to days away from work. (CDC NIOSH Science Blog, The Manufacture and Selection of Eye Protection at Work, 2022)
Site check before the talk
Walk the site and tick each line. Each line comes from the text quoted above.
- ☐Wear eye or face protection around flying bits, molten metal, chemicals, or harmful light. (29 CFR 1926.102(a)(1))
- ☐Wear eye or face protection when working near acids, caustic liquids, or chemical vapors. (29 CFR 1926.102(a)(1))
- ☐Use eye protection with side protection when objects can fly. (29 CFR 1926.102(a)(2))
- ☐If you wear prescription glasses, use safety glasses made with your prescription or ones that fit over them. (29 CFR 1926.102(a)(3))
- ☐Make sure eye protection fits snugly and does not get in the way of your work. (29 CFR 1926.102(a)(5)(iii))
Quotes checked word for word against the official eCFR text on October 5, 2026. This is a summary for a crew talk, not legal advice; the full official text governs. How we check
Crew discussion questions
- Which tasks today throw debris, and who is working next to them?
- Does everyone have side shields, or just prescription glasses?
- Where is the eyewash or clean water source on this site?
- Whose lenses are too scratched to use and need swapping today?
Applicable OSHA standards
29 CFR 1926.102
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