Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act, often referred to as the General Duty Clause, requires employers to "furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees". Section 5(a)(2) requires employers to "comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under this Act".

Note: Twenty-four states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have OSHA-approved State Plans and have adopted their own standards and enforcement policies. For the most part, these States adopt standards that are identical to Federal OSHA. However, some States have adopted different standards applicable to this topic or may have different enforcement policies.

General Industry (29 CFR 1910)

• 1910 Subpart I, Personal protective equipment
  • 1910.132, General requirements [related topic page]
  • 1910.133, Eye and face protection
  • Appendix B, Non-mandatory compliance guidelines for hazard assessment and personal protective equipment selection
• 1910 Subpart Q, Welding, cutting, and brazing
  • 1910.252, General requirements [related topic page]
    • 1910.252(b)(2), Eye protection

Shipyard Employment (29 CFR 1915)

• 1915 Subpart I, Personal protective equipment
  • 1915.153, Eye and face protection

Longshoring (29 CFR 1918)

• 1918 Subpart J, Personal protective equipment
  • 1918.101, Eye and face protection

Construction Industry (29 CFR 1926)

• 1926 Subpart E, Personal protective and life saving equipment [related topic page]
  • 1926.95, Criteria for personal protective equipment
  • 1926.102, Eye and face protection
    

• Employer Payment for Personal Protective Equipment. Proposed Rules 64:15401-15441, (1999, March 31). Implements the intent of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, makes clear who is to pay for what kind of personal protective equipment (PPE), and improves protection to employees who must wear PPE.
• Search all available Federal Registers.
  

• Clarification of PIT requirements covering: fall protection and safety platforms, seatbelts, LP-gas storage, smoking, and eye wash stations. (2002, March 8).
• Requirements for emergency eyewash stations in retail autoparts stores. (1994, August 11).
• Standard requirements for eyewash and shower equipment, personnel and other protective equipment and air circulation fans, used in an automotive battery charging area. (1994, March 31).
• Search all available standard interpretations.

Note: These are NOT OSHA regulations. However, they do provide guidance from their originating organizations related to worker protection.

• Z87.1-2003, Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices. Sets forth criteria related to the description, general requirements, testing, marking, selection, care, and use of protectors to minimize or prevent injuries, from such hazards as impact, non-ionizing radiation, and chemical type injuries, in occupational and educational environments including, but not limited to, machinery operations, material welding and cutting, chemical handling, and assembly operations.
  • Z87.1-1989, Practice for Occupational/Educational Eye and Face Protection. American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), Secretariat for ANSI Standard (Revised 1998). Recognizes the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) study that revealed the need for angular protection in addition to frontal protection.
• Z358.1-1998, Emergency Eyewash and Shower Equipment. Provides requirements for eyewash facilities, including location and flow specifications.