Eye Safety Resources

Fatality Report 06-OR-025 Ranch Worker Killed by Pressurized Water Striking Eye
Oregon (High pressure liquid exposure)

NIOSH conducts Health Hazard Evaluations (HHEs) to find out whether there are health hazards to employees caused by exposures or conditions in the workplace.

HHE reports related to eye safety are listed below. For a comprehensive listing of HHE reports please search the HHE Database.

• Health Hazard Evaluation Report, HETA-2007-0068-3042, Noise exposures and hearing loss assessments among animal shelter workers, Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Algiers, Louisiana (Ocular exposure to disinfectant)
• Health Hazard Evaluation Report, HETA-2002-0379-2901, Superior Label Systems, Mason, Ohio (Vision effects of chemical exposure)
• Health Hazard Evaluation Report, HETA-2001-0483-2884, Immigration and Naturalization Service, San Diego, California (UV-C exposure)
• Health Hazard Evaluation Report, HETA 2000-0105-2794, Wampler Foods, Inc., Hinton, Virginia (Chemical exposure in food processing)
• Health Hazard Evaluation Report, HETA 98-0061-2687, Yerkes Primate Research Center, Lawrenceville, Georgia (Ocular splash)
• Health Hazard Evaluation Report, HETA 98-0139-2769, The Society of Glass Beadmakers, Corning, New York (Radiation/Particulate matter)
• Health Hazard Evaluation Report, HETA 98-0224-2714, The Trane Company, Ft. Smith, Arkansas (Radiation)
• Health Hazard Evaluation Report, HETA-96-0119-2586, Melroe Company, Bismarck, North Dakota (Radiation)

NIOSH Alert: Protecting Poultry Workers from Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)
NIOSH Publication No. 2008-128 (2008)
Provides guidance to employers and workers about protecting poultry workers from exposure to avian influenza viruses (May 2008)

Contact Lens Use in a Chemical Environment
NIOSH Publication 2005-139 (June 2005)
Provides safety guidelines for contact lens wearers working in chemical environments.

NIOSHTIC-2 Search

NIOSHTIC-2 search results on Eye Safety
NIOSHTIC-2 is a searchable bibliographic database of occupational safety and health publications, documents, grant reports, and journal articles supported in whole or in part by NIOSH.

(Search clearinghouse by keyword “eye”)

Food Service Worker has Eye Surgery after Bottle Shatters in her Face
Injured Young Worker Hazard Alert in which a 22-year-old drink cart coordinator nearly lost her vision after a piece of glass ruptured her right eye. Washington — Case Report — 12/31/2011

Keeping an Eye on Eye Protection
Publication from the Occupational Health Unit of the Connecticut Department of Health.
Connecticut — Newsletter — 10/1/2008

Preventing injury and illness in auto body shops
Occupational Health publication from the Safety And Health Assessment And Research for Prevention — SHARP — program of the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries
Washington — Brochure — 5/1/2006

Tailgate Training Card 5 – Eye Protection
Guide on how to prepare and develop a tailgate training on this topic. It is part of a packet of training tools from the BuildSafe California Project from the Occupational Health Branch, California Department of Public Health. California — Other — 2/28/2003
En español

Eye Safety Checklist
A five point checklist of good eye safety practices with printable flyer.

Eye Safety Tool Box Talk
Provides an example tool box talk on eye protection for construction workers.

American National Standard for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection Devices, ANSI Z87.1-2010
The standard provides performance-based criteria for manufacturing and testing of common industrial forms of safety eye protection such as safety glasses (prescription and non-prescription), goggles, faceshields, welding helmets, and full-face respirators. Additionally the standard includes a safety eye protection selection guide and an eye injury incident reporting form.

Avian Influenza – Protecting Poultry Workers at Risk
This OSHA Safety and Health Information Bulletin is a product of the OSHA-NIOSH Issues Exchange Group. It describes measures for protecting poultry workers when an avian influenza outbreak occurs. This document complements avian population disease control and eradication strategies of state governments, industry, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture and will aid in the development of biosecurity guidelines and standard operating procedures for the various sectors of the poultry industry.
also available in PDF [PDF – 47 KB]

Hazard Alert — Eye Injuries in Construction
From the Center to Protect Workers’ Rights, this document provides general information on eye protection with an emphasis on welding.

How Much Eye Protection is Enough?
From the Electronic Library of Construction Safety and Health (eCLOSH), this document covers hazard assessment, types of eye protection, and information about proper fitting.

National Ag Safety Database (NASD): Eye Protection
Provides basic information on preventing eye injuries.

National Ag Safety Database (NASD): Eye Protection for Farmers
Provides information on causes for farm-related eye injuries, types of eye protection, basic first aid.

OSHA Eye and Face Protection eTool
Provides information on hazard assessment, selecting protective devices, and OSHA requirements.

OSHA Safety & Health Topic: Eye and Face Protection
Covers OSHA and ANSI standards for eye protection, hazard recognition and possible solutions.

OSHA Safety & Health Topic: Compliance Assistance Success Story—Saddle Creek Corporation Provides Forklift and Golf Cart Drivers with Eye Protection
After reviewing the number of eye injuries experienced by its forklift and golf cart operators, a corporation implemented a formal eye protection program that resulted in eye injury incidents and related workers’ compensation costs dropping over the next 5 years.

Toolbox Talk: Eye Safety
From the Electronic Library of Construction Safety and Health (eCLOSH), this document discusses how and why eye injuries occur in the workplace and what to do to prevent them.