5.2 Eye, Face, Head, Foot & Hand Protection Standards (1910.133-138)

5.2 Eye, Face, Head, Foot & Hand Protection Standards (1910.133-138)

Following the general requirements of 29 CFR 1910.132, OSHA prescribes specific technical standards governing individual body regions. These standards incorporate national consensus standards by reference—primarily consensus standards published by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and ASTM International.

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Eye and Face Protection (29 CFR 1910.133)

Under 29 CFR 1910.133(a)(1), employers must ensure that each affected employee uses appropriate eye or face protection when exposed to eye or face hazards from:

• Flying particles or high-impact objects
• Molten metal splatters
• Liquid chemicals, acids, or caustic liquids
• Chemical gases or vapors
• Injurious optical radiation (welding arcs, brazing flames, laser beams)

Consensus Standards & Markings (ANSI Z87.1)

29 CFR 1910.133(b) incorporates by reference three editions of the American National Standard for Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices:

• ANSI Z87.1-2010
• ANSI Z87.1-2003
• ANSI Z87.1-1989 (R-1998)

Eye protection manufactured after these dates must bear the mandatory "Z87" marking on the frame or lens. Devices tested for high-impact protection are marked with "Z87+".

Side Protection & Prescription Lenses

• Side Shields (1910.133(a)(2)): Employers must ensure that affected employees use eye protection with side protection (detachable or permanent side shields) when there is a hazard from flying objects.
• Prescription Spectacles (1910.133(a)(3)): Employees who wear prescription lenses while engaged in operations that involve eye hazards must wear eye protection that incorporates the prescription in its design (prescription safety glasses with Z87 frames), or wear protective eyewear designed to fit over prescription spectacles (Over-The-Glass / OTG goggles) without disturbing the position of the prescription lenses or protective lenses.

Welding Filter Shade Selection (1910.133(a)(5))

When employees are exposed to optical radiation from arc welding, gas welding, or cutting, employers must provide filter lenses with a shade number appropriate for the work being performed. The shade number measures the intensity of light transmission; higher numbers indicate darker filters providing greater optical radiation protection:

FACE SHIELD RULE: Face shields provide secondary face protection against liquid splashes or dust; they do NOT provide primary eye protection against high impact. Workers wearing face shields must always wear primary Z87+ safety glasses or goggles underneath.

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Head Protection (29 CFR 1910.135)

Under 29 CFR 1910.135(a), employers must ensure that each affected employee wears a protective helmet (hard hat) when working in areas where there is a potential for injury to the head from falling objects, working near exposed electrical conductors, or low-clearance structural hazards.

ANSI Z89.1 Hard Hat Classifications

Head protection standards incorporated under 1910.135(b) reference ANSI Z89.1 (1997, 2003, 2009, and 2014 editions). ANSI Z89.1 classifies hard hats into two distinct Impact Types and three Electrical Classes:

1. Impact Types

• Type I: Designed to attenuate force resulting solely from an impact to the top of the head (e.g., a hammer dropped vertically from an overhead scaffold).
• Type II: Designed to attenuate force resulting from an impact to the top or sides (off-center / lateral impact) of the head. Type II helmets feature an inner expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam liner surrounding the crown and sides.

2. Electrical Protection Classes

              ANSI Z89.1 HARD HAT SELECTION MATRIX
              
                       [ IMPACT RATING ]
                         /          
             TYPE I (Top Only)     TYPE II (Top & Lateral)
                         \          /
                    [ ELECTRICAL CLASS ]
                   /         |        
           CLASS G        CLASS E      CLASS C
          (2,200V)       (20,000V)    (No Protection)

Inspection and Suspension Maintenance

Hard hat shells must be inspected daily for cracks, dents, chalking (UV degradation), or chemical attack. Hard hat suspension systems (which maintain a required 1 to 1.25 inch clearance between the shell and skull) must be inspected for frayed straps or broken keys. Hard hat suspensions should generally be replaced annually, and shells replaced every 2 to 5 years per manufacturer guidance.

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Foot Protection (29 CFR 1910.136)

Under 29 CFR 1910.136(a), employers must ensure that affected employees wear protective footwear when working in areas where there is a danger of foot injuries due to falling or rolling objects, objects piercing the sole, or exposure to electrical hazards.

ASTM F2412 and ASTM F2413 Standards

OSHA updated 1910.136 to replace the obsolete ANSI Z41 standard with ASTM F2412 (Standard Test Methods for Foot Protection) and ASTM F2413 (Standard Specification for Performance Requirements for Protective (Safety) Toe Cap Footwear).

Footwear complying with ASTM F2413 is labeled inside the tongue or shaft with a specific coding sequence outlining performance capabilities:

• Impact Resistance (I/75): Protective toe cap withstands an impact of 75 foot-pounds of force (drop test of a 50 lb weight from 1.5 feet).
• Compression Resistance (C/75): Protective toe cap withstands a compressive load of 2,500 pounds of force.
• Metatarsal Protection (Mt/75): Integrated metatarsal guard protects the upper foot/instep bones against 75 ft-lbs of impact.
• Electrical Hazard (EH): Non-conductive shock-resistant soles capable of withstanding 18,000 volts at 60 Hz for 1 minute with no leakage current exceeding 1.0 mA.
• Static Dissipative (SD): Soles designed to conduct static electricity safely to ground (resistance between $10^6$ and $10^8$ ohms).
• Puncture Resistance (PR): Puncture-resistant plate built into the sole capable of resisting a penetration force of 1,200 Newtons (270 lbs).

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Hand Protection (29 CFR 1910.138)

Under 29 CFR 1910.138(a), employers must select and require employees to use appropriate hand protection when exposed to hazards such as severe cuts or lacerations, severe abrasions, punctures, chemical burns, thermal burns, or harmful temperature extremes.

Performance Characteristics & Selection Criteria (1910.138(b))

Under 1910.138(b), employer selection of hand protection must be based on an evaluation of the performance characteristics of the hand protection relative to the tasks to be performed, conditions present, duration of use, and potential hazards identified.

When evaluating chemical protective gloves, industrial hygienists must evaluate three critical parameters:

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|                       CHEMICAL GLOVE EVALUATION                          |
|                                                                          |
| 1. BREAKTHROUGH TIME: Elapsed time between initial surface contact       |
|    and molecular detection on the inside of the glove material (minutes).|
|                                                                          |
| 2. PERMEATION RATE: The mass flow rate of chemical molecular movement     |
|    through the glove polymer once breakthrough occurs (µg/cm²/min).      |
|                                                                          |
| 3. DEGRADATION: The physical deterioration of the glove material         |
|    (swelling, softening, cracking, shrinking, or hardening) upon contact.|
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Chemical Glove Compatibility Summary