Face Protection
OSHA standards require employers to
ensure that employees use appropriate face protection when exposed to face
hazards from flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic
liquids, chemical gases or vapors, or potentially injurious light radiation. The
employer must assess the workplace and determine if hazards that necessitate
the use of face protection are present or are likely to be present. The
assessment should determine the risk of exposure to face hazards, including
those which may be encountered in an emergency. Employers should also be aware
of the possibility of multiple and simultaneous hazard exposures and be
prepared to protect against the highest level of each hazard.
The following tasks could expose
workers to an impact hazard from flying objects such as large chips, fragments,
particles, sand, and dirt:
- Chipping
- Grinding
- Machining
- Masonry work
- Wood working
The following tasks are examples of
activities exposing workers to a face heat hazard: