Contents
Minimum Necessary Eye Protection Guidelines
Eye Hazards for Emergency Response and Disaster Recovery
Four Points to Eye Safety
Types of Eye Protection
Eye Safety for Prescription Lens Wearers
First Aid for Eye Injuries
Information Resources

• Dust, concrete, and metal particles
• Falling or shifting debris, building materials, glass
• Smoke, noxious/poisonous gases
• Chemicals (acids, bases, fuels, solvents, lime, wet or dry cement powder)
• Welding light and electrical arc
• Thermal hazards and fires
• Bloodborne pathogens (hepatitis or HIV) from blood, body fluids, human remains

• Corneal abrasions and conjunctivitis (red eyes)
• Concrete or metal particles or slivers embedded in the eye
• Chemical splash or burn
• Welder’s flashburn
• Eyeball laceration
• Facial contusion and black eye
• Bloodborne pathogen exposure from blood or other body fluids or human remains

• Minimize hazards from falling or unstable debris.
• Make sure that tools work and safety features (machine guards) are in place.
• Ensure that workers, particularly volunteers, know how to use tools properly.
• Keep bystanders out of the hazard area.

• Know your primary hazards.
• Recognize hazards from nearby workers, large machinery, and falling/shifting debris.

• Select the Z87 eye protection for the hazard.
• Make sure the eye protection is in good condition.
• Make sure it fits properly and will stay in place.
• Eye/face protection devices should not be relied upon to provide complete protection.

• Have an eyewash or sterile solutions on hand.

1. Use safety glasses for general working conditions where there may be minor dust, chips, or flying particles.
2. Use safety glasses with side protection such as side shields or wrap-around style.
3. Use safety glasses treated for anti-fog.
4. Use an eyewear retainer to keep the glasses tight to the face or hanging from the neck if not in use.

1. Use goggles for higher impact protection, greater dust, chemical splash, and welding light protection
2. Goggles for splash or fine dust protection should have indirect venting. Use direct vented goggles for less fogging when working with large particles.
3. Safety goggles designed after ski type goggles with high air flow minimize fogging while providing better particle and splash protection.

1. Safety glasses with foam or rubber around lens provide better protection from dust and flying particles than conventional safety glasses with only side shields.
2. Wrap-around safety glasses that convert to goggles with a soft plastic/rubber face seal may offer better peripheral vision than conventional goggles.

1. Use face shields for highest impact, full face protection for spraying, chipping, grinding, and critical chemical or bloodborne hazards.
2. Face shields may be tinted or metal coated for heat and splatter protection.
3. The curve of the face shield will direct particles or chemicals coming from the side into the eyes. Always wear safety glasses or goggles under a face shield.

1. Exposure to welding light causes severe burns to the eye and surrounding tissue --“welder’s flash.”
2. Lens for welding light protection must be marked with the “Shade Number” (1.5-14, 14 = darkest).
3. Protect the eyes even when the helmet is lifted up.
4. Protect the welder, welder’s helper, and bystanders.

1. Full-face respirators provide the best general dust, chemical and smoke protection (respirators may not be Z87 compliant for impact protection).
2. When half-face respirators are used, respirator must not interfere with the proper positioning of the eye protection.

1. Workers who wear prescription glasses should wear tightfitting goggles over normal streetwear glasses or contact lenses.
2. Goggles should also be worn over prescription safety glasses in high dust environments.
   If worn alone, prescription safety glasses must have side shields.
3. Prescription safety lenses with tempered glass or acrylic plastic lenses are not suitable for high impact. These types of safety glasses should not be used when working in
   debris areas unless covered by goggles or face shield.
4. Polycarbonate or Trivex®lenses should be used when working in high impact areas.
   New safety glasses with polycarbonate lenses should be hard-coated to reduce scratching
   Contact lenses may present a significant corneal abrasion risk when working in dusty areas unless tightfitting goggles or a full-face respirator are worn.
5. Full-face respirators will not seal properly over streetwear glasses or safety glasses. Prescription inserts compatible with a respirator should be used. Respirators should be professionally fitted.

   Specks in the Eye

• Do not rub the eye.
• Use an eye wash, flush eye copiously.
• See a doctor if speck does not wash out, pain or redness continues.

• Do not wash out the eye.
• Do not try to remove an object stuck in the eye.
• Stabilize eye with a rigid shield without pressure such as with the bottom half of a paper cup.
• See a doctor at once.

• Immediately flush eye with water or any drinkable liquid. Open the eye as wide as possible. Continue flushing for at least 15 minutes. For caustic or basic solutions continue flushing while in route to doctor.
• If a contact lens is in the eye, begin flushing over the lens immediately. Flushing may dislodge the lens.
• See a doctor at once.

• Apply cold compress without pressure.
• Crushed ice in a plastic bag can be taped to the forehead to rest gently on the
  injured eye.
• See a doctor at once in cases of continued pain, reduced vision, blood in eye
  or discoloration which can mean internal eye damage.

First aid advice reprinted with permission of Prevent Blindness America®

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
1-800-35-NIOSH www.cdc.gov/niosh

Occupational Safety and Health Administration
1-800-321-OSHA www.osha.gov

Prevent Blindness America
1-800-331-2020 www.preventblindness.org

International Safety Equipment Association
1-703-525-1695 www.safetyequipment.org

American Society of Safety Engineers
1-847-699-2929 www.asse.org

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