Safety Squints?

by Caitlin Denison, BS, RDH, CHPC

When many of us think of eye protection, we think of safety glasses worn by nail-gun-wielding construction workers, or the goggles worn by chemical-mixing scientists. What our imagination often fails to offer up are images of a hygienist whose prophy angle is spraying polish about, or the dentist using a high-speed drill to excavate-and possibly fling- decay, or even the dental assistant peering into the mouth of a patient whose salivary glands threaten to spray without notice (see the recent TikTok phenomenon of ‘gleeking’.)

Dental professionals perform routine tasks each day that pose a serious hazard to one of our most delicate organs, our eyes. Lack of appropriate eye protection is one of the most citable OSHA violations at a dental practice. I have personally issued this citation as an OSHA inspector to a dental hygienist performing her job with exposed eyes. Remember, ‘safety-squints’ are not recognized by OSHA.

So, what is the correct way to protect our valuable organs of sight? To answer this question, we should first take a look at 29 CFR 1910.133. The OSHA standard for eye and face protection. This standard requires that eye protection be worn when flying debris or dangerous light radiation is possible. It’s important to remember that dental procedures involving high-speed drilling can generate debris traveling as fast as 50 mph¹.

Additionally, the OSHA bloodborne pathogens standard requires that an employee’s eyes be protected from blood or other potentially infectious material through the use of goggles, glasses (with side shields), or face shields when splashes, spatter, or droplets may be produced. The hazard communication standard, 29 CFR 1910.1200, also requires that appropriate PPE be worn when handling chemicals in the workplace. You’ll need to check the labels on the chemicals employees use, such as surface disinfectants, to determine if eye protection is needed.

When talking specifics regarding eye protection, OSHA references the ANSI Z87.1- 2025 requirements. Practically, this means that when selecting eye protection, you want to look for devices marked with the Z87 mark, indicating that the device has met the strict testing requirements of the ANSI Z87.1 standard.  Devices with this designation have undergone testing for impact resistance, eye socket coverage, and other qualities for specialized eyewear. Devices may also be marked with additional information if they have been further certified for protection against specific hazards. For example, a D3 mark indicates that the product provides protection from droplets and splashes.

Don’t leave the future of your sight- and career- up to chance. Select appropriate, ANSI Z87.1 certified eyewear for you and your staff. The employer is fully responsible for the cost of all PPE, including eye protection.

References

1: Arsenault, P., & Tayedi, A. (2016). Eye safety in dentistry and associated liability. Journal of the Massachusetts Dental Society, 12–16.