General Industry (29 CFR 1910)

Eye and Face Protection

Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05

29 CFR 1910.133

29 CFR 1910.133 requires ANSI Z87.1-compliant eye and face protection for general-industry workers exposed to flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, gases or vapors, or injurious light. The specific hazard picks the device (safety glasses with side shields, chemical goggles, or a face shield with the correct filter shade) not one universal pair.

29 CFR 1910.133 at a glance

What it requires: Eye and face protection where workers face flying particles, chemicals, or injurious light
Who it covers: General-industry employers: the counterpart to construction's 1926.102
Standard: Protective eyewear must meet ANSI Z87.1; side protection is required for flying-particle hazards
Key duty: Hazard-appropriate eye/face protection, provided and required by the employer
Max penalty (2026): $16,550 per serious violation; $165,514 per willful
The #1 confusion: The specific hazard picks the device: safety glasses do not equal chemical goggles or a face shield

What 29 CFR 1910.133 requires (plain English)

29 CFR 1910.133 requires eye and face protection in general industry whenever workers are exposed to hazards from flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors, or potentially injurious light radiation. It is the general-industry counterpart to construction's 1926.102 and is enforced together with the PPE hazard-assessment duty in 1910.132.

The correct device is driven by the specific hazard: impact hazards call for safety glasses with side shields; chemical splash calls for indirectly-vented chemical goggles; and radiant-energy work such as welding calls for a helmet or goggles with the proper filter-lens shade. Eye and face protection must fit, must not restrict vision or movement more than necessary, and, for workers who wear prescription lenses, must either incorporate the prescription or fit over the personal glasses without disturbing them.

All protectors must meet the American National Standards Institute standard ANSI Z87.1 (the current or an equivalent earlier edition OSHA recognizes) and be marked accordingly. Because 1910.133 sits under Subpart I, the employer must generally pay for the protection, with limited exceptions, and the hazard assessment that determines what is needed comes from 1910.132(d).

The regulatory text

“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.”

29 CFR 1910.133(a)(1)

Key facts about 29 CFR 1910.133

Eye/face protection is required for hazards from flying particles, molten metal, chemicals, gases/vapors, or injurious light (1910.133(a)(1)).
Protectors must meet ANSI Z87.1 and be marked to show it (1910.133(b)).
Side protection is required when there is a hazard from flying objects (1910.133(a)(2)).
Prescription-lens wearers need protection that incorporates the prescription or fits over their glasses (1910.133(a)(3)).
The proper filter-lens shade is required for protection against injurious light such as welding (1910.133(a)(5)).
The specific hazard determines the device: glasses, goggles, or a full face shield or welding helmet.
1910.133 is the general-industry standard; construction eye/face protection is 1926.102.

Scope: who 29 CFR 1910.133 applies to

Regulatory framework: General Industry (29 CFR 1910)
Citation reference: 29 CFR 1910.133
Enforcement status: In force and enforced
Jurisdiction: Federal OSHA (29 State-Plan jurisdictions may be stricter)

State-Plan states (e.g. California, Washington, Michigan) operate OSHA-approved programs that must be at least as effective as federal OSHA and frequently impose higher penalties or additional requirements. Confirm the rule as adopted in your state.

Key requirements of 29 CFR 1910.133

#	Employer obligation
1	Provide eye protection for hazard exposure
2	Use ANSI Z87.1-compliant eyewear
3	Provide prescription inserts or over-glasses
4	Ensure side protection for particle hazards
5	Provide face shields for splash/spray hazards

Summarized from the text of 29 CFR 1910.133. Always read the full regulation for the binding language.

Common Eye & Face Protection violations

Deficiencies OSHA cites under 29 CFR 1910.133 include the ones below, in no particular order. Distinct deficiencies can be cited as separate items, and each serious item carries up to $16,550 (2026). Broader per-instance stacking exists but is a discretionary, case-by-case OSHA enforcement policy, not an automatic multiplier.

No eye/face protection where a flying-particle, chemical, or light hazard exists (1910.133(a)(1)).
Eyewear without side protection where flying objects are a hazard (1910.133(a)(2)).
Protectors that do not meet or are not marked to ANSI Z87.1 (1910.133(b)).
A face shield worn without primary eye protection underneath (1910.133(a)).
Wrong filter-lens shade (or none) for welding or cutting light (1910.133(a)(5)).

The hazard picks the device, and a face shield alone is not enough for a splash

Safety glasses, goggles, and face shields are not interchangeable. Safety glasses with side shields address impact from flying particles but do not seal against a chemical splash; only indirectly-vented chemical goggles do that. A face shield is secondary protection: it protects the face but must be worn over primary eye protection (glasses or goggles), not instead of it. And for welding or cutting, ordinary tinted glasses are not a substitute for the correct filter-lens shade. The hazard assessment under 1910.132(d) should specify the device for each task, and every protector must carry the Z87 mark.

What OSHA inspectors look for

A compliance officer looks for grinding, machining, or chemical handling done without Z87-marked protection, checks for side shields where flying objects are a hazard, and confirms the correct filter shade for welding. A face shield worn with no primary eye protection, or glasses used for a splash task, are common findings.

Example: how a violation is cited

A machinist runs a lathe without side-shielded safety glasses and a metal chip strikes an eye. OSHA cites 1910.133(a)(1) for the missing eye protection: a preventable injury behind many general-industry eye-loss cases, with penalties from $16,550.

Illustrative example, not a specific OSHA case.

Eye & Face Protection compliance checklist

Use this to evaluate your compliance with 29 CFR 1910.133. Each item is a key requirement OSHA may verify during an inspection.

Use the 1910.132(d) hazard assessment to identify eye and face hazards for each task.
Select impact, splash, or radiant-energy protection matched to each identified hazard.
Provide side protection for flying-object hazards and the correct filter shade for light hazards.
Ensure protectors meet ANSI Z87.1 and are marked accordingly.
Accommodate prescription-lens wearers with prescription safety eyewear or over-the-glasses protectors.
Verify fit and comfort so protection is actually worn, and replace pitted or damaged lenses.

2026 penalties for 29 CFR 1910.133

Maximums set by 29 CFR 1903.15(d). 2026 amounts unchanged from 2025 (no CPI adjustment; OMB M-26-11). Not an increase. The 2025 OSHA penalty levels remain in effect for 2026; OSHA made no inflation adjustment for 2026. 29 CFR 1903.15 identifies January 15, 2025 as the effective reference for these amounts, while OSHA's public penalties page currently references penalties assessed after Jan. 15, 2026.

Violation type	Minimum	Maximum	When it applies
Serious	$1,085	$16,550	Substantial probability of death or serious physical harm.
Other-Than-Serious	$0	$16,550	Relates to safety/health but unlikely to cause death or serious harm.
Willful	$11,823	$165,514	Intentional, knowing, or voluntary disregard of the requirement.
Repeated	$4,256	$165,514	A substantially similar violation cited within the last 5 years.
Failure to Abate	None	$16,550/day	up to $16,550 per day; total capped at 30x the daily amount (FOM Ch.6)

Eye and face protection is checked on nearly every general-industry inspection. Serious violations reach $16,550 and willful or repeat violations $165,514; eye-protection findings frequently accompany machine and chemical citations.

Maximums and the willful minimum are set by 29 CFR 1903.15(d); the serious and repeated minimums are OSHA policy floors from its annual penalty adjustment memo. OSHA applies gravity-based and size, good-faith and history reductions (FOM CPL 02-00-164 Ch.6). Estimates only, not legal advice.

The business case for Eye & Face Protection compliance

General industry sees thousands of eye injuries a year (from chips, splashes, and radiation) the great majority preventable by the right Z87 protection. The hazard assessment that picks glasses versus goggles versus a shield is what makes the protection match the actual risk.

Free compliance tools for 29 CFR 1910.133

PPE Selector Job Hazard Analysis Builder

Eye & Face Protection penalties by state

Penalties and enforcement vary by state. State-Plan states may impose higher penalties and additional requirements beyond federal 29 CFR 1910.133.

Alabama Arkansas Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia

View all 50 states + DC →

Frequently asked questions about 29 CFR 1910.133

When is eye and face protection required in general industry?

Under 1910.133(a)(1), an employer must ensure 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 specific hazard determines whether safety glasses, goggles, or a face shield with the correct lens is required.

What ANSI standard must safety glasses meet?

ANSI Z87.1. Under 1910.133(b), eye and face protective equipment must comply with the ANSI Z87.1 consensus standard (the edition OSHA references or an equivalent), and compliant protectors are marked with 'Z87.' The marking lets an employer and an inspector confirm the device was tested for impact and the other performance requirements the standard sets.

Do safety glasses need side shields?

Yes, when flying objects are a hazard. Under 1910.133(a)(2), eye protection must provide side protection when there is a hazard from flying objects, typically detachable or permanent side shields on safety glasses. Side shields guard against particles that approach from the side, which plain prescription glasses or shieldless frames do not stop.

What is the difference between 1910.133 and 1926.102?

1910.133 is the general-industry eye and face protection standard and 1926.102 is its construction counterpart. Both require ANSI Z87.1-compliant protection selected for the hazard, but you apply the one matching your industry: a manufacturing plant follows 1910.133, while a construction site follows 1926.102. The protective principles and the Z87 marking are the same across both.

Regulatory history of 29 CFR 1910.133

1910.133 was updated in 1994 (59 FR 16360) to reference the ANSI Z87.1-1989 consensus standard and to align eye and face protection with the revised PPE subpart. OSHA later issued an update recognizing more recent editions of the national consensus standards. The employer-payment obligation for this PPE was fixed by OSHA's 2007 PPE payment rule.

Related glossary terms

Key terms that appear in 29 CFR 1910.133, each with a full plain-English explainer.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)Serious Eye Damage Hierarchy of Controls Engineering Controls

Related guides & articles

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Construction Guide OSHA PPE Fit Rule (Construction, 2024): 1926.95

Related OSHA standards

29 CFR 1910.132

PPE General Requirements

29 CFR 1910.135

Head Protection

29 CFR 1910.136

Foot Protection

29 CFR 1910.138

Hand Protection

Primary sources

OSHA figures on this page are imported from HazComFast's verified regulatory module (verified 2026-10-05 against eCFR, OSHA.gov, and the Federal Register).

This page is an educational summary, not legal advice. OSHA standards and penalty amounts change; confirm requirements against the current regulation and your applicable State-Plan before acting.

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OSHA does not give advance notice of inspections (29 CFR 1903.6). Get the binder in order before the opening conference, not during it.

Serious Violation

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