{"data":{"id":"us/29-cfr-1910.133","jurisdiction":"us","citation":"29 CFR 1910.133","heading":"Eye and face protection.","body":"(a) General requirements. (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.\n(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.\n(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.\n(4) Eye and face PPE shall be distinctly marked to facilitate identification of the manufacturer.\n(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.\nFilter Lenses for Protection Against Radiant Energy\nOperations Electrode Size 1⁄32 in. Arc Current Minimum* Protective Shade\nShielded metal arc welding Less than 3 Less than 60 7\n3-5 60-160 8\n5-8 160-250 10\nMore than 8 250-550 11\nGas metal arc welding and flux cored arc welding less than 60 7\n60-160 10\n160-250 10\n250-500 10\nGas Tungsten arc welding less than 50 8\n50-150 8\n150-500 10\nAir carbon (Light) less than 500 10\nArc cutting (Heavy) 500-1000 11\nPlasma arc welding less than 20 6\n20-100 8\n100-400 10\n400-800 11\nPlasma arc cutting (light)** less than 300 8\n(medium)** 300-400 9\n(heavy)** 400-800 10\nTorch brazing 3\nTorch soldering 2\nCarbon arc welding 14\nFilter Lenses for Protection Against Radiant Energy\nOperations Plate thickness—inches Plate thickness—mm Minimum* Protective Shade\nGas Welding:\nLight Under 1/8 Under 3.2 4\nMedium 1/8 to 1/2 3.2 to 12.7 5\nHeavy Over 1/2 Over 12.7 6\nOxygen cutting:\nLight Under 1 Under 25 3\nMedium 1 to 6 25 to 150 4\nHeavy Over 6 Over 150 5\n* 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.\n** 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.\n(b) Criteria for protective eye and face protection. (1) Protective eye and face protection devices must comply with any of the following consensus standards:\n(i) ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2010, Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices, incorporated by reference in § 1910.6;\n(ii) ANSI Z87.1-2003, Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices, incorporated by reference in § 1910.6; or\n(iii) ANSI Z87.1-1989 (R-1998), Practice for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection, incorporated by reference in § 1910.6;\n(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.","path":["Title 29—Labor","Subtitle B—Regulations Relating to Labor","CHAPTER XVII—OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR","PART 1910—OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS","Subpart I—Personal Protective Equipment"],"source_url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2026-08-25/title-29.xml","current_through":"2026-08-25","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T02:25:20Z","sha256":"cf76c41a1fabd35744be48737188462a0d115d969c7538557475c7bf8d69b25b","source_id":"us-cfr","stale":true,"prev":"us/29-cfr-1910.132","next":"us/29-cfr-1910.134"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}