OSHA Requirements for Eye Protection
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulates worker safety pertaining to eye protection. You can view OSHA standard 1910.132 here for full details.
Employers must:
- Conduct workplace hazard assessments
- Train employees on potential eye injury dangers they could face
- Provide training on how to avoid eye injury dangers
- Provide employees with eye protection, like safety glasses, whenever necessary
Safety Glasses Standards
Employers need to provide safety glasses that meet the minimum standard. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) establishes the minimum standard for safety glasses. You can find out more about the standard on ANSI’s website here.
Key points:
- The ANSI standard for general eye and face protection is ANSI standard Z87.1
- The ANSI standard for high impact protection is ANSI standard Z87.2
- If an employee wears glasses, their safety glasses must comfortably cover their normal glasses. Their regular glasses do not provide enough protection alone.
Other Eye Safety Tips
Safety glasses aren’t the only answer to protecting your employees’ eyes on the job. There are other ways to reduce the risk of eye injuries in the workplace.
Here are some other preventive measures you and your employees can take:
- Walk a client’s yard before cutting the grass to check for any debris like stones and sticks that could kick-up while mowing
- Wear safety glasses, masks and gloves when mixing and using toxic chemicals like insecticides
- Inspect eyewear frequently to make sure it’s in good shape
- Keep eyewear clean and sanitary
- Don’t put your face near the discharge areas of equipment
- Enforce eye safety rules to create a culture of compliance
- Train employees to use equipment correctly
- Inspect equipment frequently to ensure it is working correctly as intended
We hope this article has helped you understand the importance of personal protection equipment for the eyes. For further information about worker safety, please visit OSHA’s official website here.
If you need help keeping your business safe this summer, let’s take a look at your insurance policy. We offer business insurance and farm insurance. Ianniello Insurance Agency is an IRMI certified Agribusiness and Farm Insurance Specialist. We would be happy to help you establish a policy that meets the individual needs of your business or farm.
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