Video: Choosing the Right Jobsite Eye Protection

The most preventable injuries on a construction site are ones involving damage to the eyes. And yet, thousands of accidents that cause severe damage to eyes occur on jobsites every year.

Potential eye hazards on construction jobsites are numerous, and include:

• Particles or small bits of dust from cement, wood, metal or other building materials can irritate and even scratch the surface of the eye.
• Projectiles, including wood splinters, metal shards, nails, staples, other jobsite materials, can strike or get lodged into the eye.
• Blunt force trauma can occur if a worker falls, runs into objects or equipment, or something falls on them.
• Chemical burns can result from industrial chemicals or cleaning products being splashed into the eye.

Every type of hazard has a particular eye protector, whether it’s reinforced glasses, goggles, or face shields. Make sure your jobsite it properly equipped for all jobs.

Eye and face safety is not only important for the health and wellbeing of workers on the jobsite, but it can also impact a construction company’s bottom line. Improper eye and face protection is one of the most-cited OSHA violations on construction sites, coming in at #8 in 2021 with more than 1,400 violations cited nationwide.

Make sure to do your research before providing eye and face protection to your workers. OSHA has resources that can help. NAHB also included a segment on eye and face protection in the safety toolbox talk on PPE below. Visit the video page on nahb.org for the video in Spanish and for a downloadable one-pager.

For any questions about jobsite safety, please contact Rob Matuga.