1910.133: Eye and Face Protection in General Industry
Employers must make sure each worker uses proper eye or face protection when exposed to flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors, or harmful light radiation. Side protection is required for flying objects, prescription wearers need protection that covers their prescription, and protection must meet ANSI Z87.1.
Key takeaways
- 1910.133 is part of OSHA's general industry standards (29 CFR Part 1910, Subpart I).
- OSHA cited it 1,378 times in the last 3 years, in 1,343 inspections, with $4,083,576 in current penalties.
- 11 deaths are linked to inspections that cited this rule.
- Most citations: TN (162), MN (128), MD (109).
- Most-cited part: 1910.133(a) General requirements (1,372 citations).
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In this article
What this rule covers
29 CFR 1910.133, "Eye and face protection", is an OSHA general industry standard (Part 1910, Subpart I). It has 12 numbered paragraphs. The official text below is copied word for word from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). The numbers, injury cases and training on this page show how OSHA enforces it on real job sites.
Official text
Show the full text of 1910.133 (12 paragraphs)
(a) General requirements. Open (a) 1,372 citations
(1) 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. Open (a)(1) 1,256 citations
(2) The employer shall ensure that each affected employee uses eye protection that provides side protection when there is a hazard from flying objects. Detachable side protectors (e.g. clip-on or slide-on side shields) meeting the pertinent requirements of this section are acceptable. Open (a)(2) 24 citations
(3) 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 without disturbing the proper position of the prescription lenses or the protective lenses. Open (a)(3) 76 citations
(4) Eye and face PPE shall be distinctly marked to facilitate identification of the manufacturer. 1 citations
(5) The employer shall ensure that each affected employee uses equipment with filter lenses that have a shade number appropriate for the work being performed for protection from injurious light radiation. The following is a listing of appropriate shade numbers for various operations. Open (a)(5) 13 citations
| Filter Lenses for Protection Against Radiant Energy | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Operations | Electrode Size 1⁄32 in. | Arc Current | Minimum* Protective Shade |
| Shielded metal arc welding | Less than 3 | Less than 60 | 7 |
| 3-5 | 60-160 | 8 | |
| 5-8 | 160-250 | 10 | |
| More than 8 | 250-550 | 11 | |
| Gas metal arc welding and flux cored arc welding | less than 60 | 7 | |
| 60-160 | 10 | ||
| 160-250 | 10 | ||
| 250-500 | 10 | ||
| Gas Tungsten arc welding | less than 50 | 8 | |
| 50-150 | 8 | ||
| 150-500 | 10 | ||
| Air carbon | (Light) | less than 500 | 10 |
| Arc cutting | (Heavy) | 500-1000 | 11 |
| Plasma arc welding | less than 20 | 6 | |
| 20-100 | 8 | ||
| 100-400 | 10 | ||
| 400-800 | 11 | ||
| Plasma arc cutting | (light)** | less than 300 | 8 |
| (medium)** | 300-400 | 9 | |
| (heavy)** | 400-800 | 10 | |
| Torch brazing | 3 | ||
| Torch soldering | 2 | ||
| Carbon arc welding | 14 | ||
| Filter Lenses for Protection Against Radiant Energy | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Operations | Plate thickness—inches | Plate thickness—mm | Minimum* Protective Shade |
| Gas Welding: | |||
| Light | Under 1/8 | Under 3.2 | 4 |
| Medium | 1/8 to 1/2 | 3.2 to 12.7 | 5 |
| Heavy | Over 1/2 | Over 12.7 | 6 |
| Oxygen cutting: | |||
| Light | Under 1 | Under 25 | 3 |
| Medium | 1 to 6 | 25 to 150 | 4 |
| Heavy | Over 6 | Over 150 | 5 |
| * As a rule of thumb, start with a shade that is too dark to see the weld zone. Then go to a lighter shade which gives sufficient view of the weld zone without going below the minimum. In oxyfuel gas welding or cutting where the torch produces a high yellow light, it is desirable to use a filter lens that absorbs the yellow or sodium line in the visible light of the (spectrum) operation. | |||
| ** These values apply where the actual arc is clearly seen. Experience has shown that lighter filters may be used when the arc is hidden by the workpiece. | |||
(b) Criteria for protective eye and face protection. Open (b) 6 citations
(1) Protective eye and face protection devices must comply with any of the following consensus standards: Open (b)(1) 6 citations
(i) ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2010, Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices, incorporated by reference in § 1910.6;
(ii) ANSI Z87.1-2003, Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices, incorporated by reference in § 1910.6; or 1 citations
(iii) ANSI Z87.1-1989 (R-1998), Practice for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection, incorporated by reference in § 1910.6;
(2) Protective eye and face protection devices that the employer demonstrates are at least as effective as protective eye and face protection devices that are constructed in accordance with one of the above consensus standards will be deemed to be in compliance with the requirements of this section. Open (b)(2)
[59 FR 16360, Apr. 6, 1994; 59 FR 33911, July 1, 1994, as amended at 61 FR 9238, Mar. 7, 1996; 61 FR 19548, May 2, 1996; 74 FR 46356, Sept. 9, 2009; 81 FR 16090, Mar. 25, 2016]
Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15.
Export the list: 1,343 inspections cited 1910.133 in the last 3 years, with employer, location, penalty and date.
Purple Belt, $59/moInjuries linked to this rule
11 deaths are linked to inspections where OSHA cited 1910.133.
At approximately 9:30 a.m. on February 25, 2025, Employee #1 was using a chain saw to cut a section of a tree trunk that was lying horizontally with its root ball positioned vertically, 90 degrees to the ground. After the trunk section was cut, the…
Full case list with employer, penalty, filters and download is part of OSHA Data (Purple Belt).
Unlock with Purple BeltWhere and how often it was cited
| Year | Citations |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 65 |
| 2024 | 483 |
| 2025 | 493 |
| 2026 | 337 |
Top states: TN (162), MN (128), MD (109), NY (65), OH (63)
Largest penalties
| Employer | Location | Penalty for this rule |
|---|---|---|
| DAEHAN SOLUTION NEVADA, LLC. | FERNLEY, NV | $1,049,560 |
| SHREEM TULSA OPS, LLC. | TULSA, OK | $82,750 |
| MAVERICK NV, LLC | ELKO, NV | $27,655 |
| DAEHAN SOLUTION NEVADA, LLC. | FERNLEY, NV | $24,890 |
| M & H CRATES, INC. | JACKSONVILLE, TX | $21,903 |
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A 5-minute crew talk on 1910.133, plus alerts when this rule changes. Free.
OSHA interpretation letters
None exist. OSHA has not published a letter of interpretation for 1910.133.
Most-cited parts of this rule
- 1910.133(a) General requirements 1,372 citations
- 1910.133(a)(1) 1,256 citations
- 1910.133(a)(3) 76 citations
- 1910.133(a)(2) 24 citations
- 1910.133(a)(5) 13 citations
- 1910.133(b) Criteria for protective eye and face protection 6 citations
- 1910.133(b)(1) 6 citations
- 1910.133(b)(2)
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Frequently asked questions
Do safety glasses need side shields?
Yes, when there is a hazard from flying objects, eye protection must provide side protection.
What if I wear prescription glasses?
You must wear eye protection that includes your prescription or that fits over your glasses without disturbing them.
What standard must eye protection meet?
ANSI Z87.1 (the 2010, 2003 or 1989 edition), or equipment shown to be equally effective.
About this page
Sources
- 29 CFR 1910.133 (eCFR), text current as of 2026-10-15
- U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data: OSHA inspections, citations and accident records, copied nightly; data as of 2026-11-05
3-year window. Federal OSHA only; state-plan rules are not counted. Plain-language text is a summary, not legal advice; the official text controls. Black Belt Safety is not part of OSHA or the Department of Labor.
