Guidelines for when safety glasses are required

It is the responsibility of the individual worker to make a sensible risk based judgement on the need for eye protection. However, safety glasses MUST be worn in the following circumstances:

When identified as being required in specific risk assessments and associated procedures / local lab rules.
For all activities that could generate a splash* when working with chemicals ‘causing serious eye damage’ (H318) / ‘causing serious eye irritation’ (H319) e.g. corrosive chemicals.
For all activities that could generate a splash* when working with liquid nitrogen (causes cryogenic burns (H281)).
When working with all hazardous liquids under pressure (e.g. filtering liquids with a syringe / cleaning columns with alkali).
When working with high pressure systems, or glassware operated under vacuum e.g. removing items from an autoclave. Note: where practicable, equipment presenting a risk of eye injury should be operated behind a protective screen or, in a fume hood.
When working with equipment with hazardous liquids under pressure e.g. HPLC / GC machines.

Safety glasses SHOULD be worn in the following circumstances:

For all activities that could generate a splash* when working with chemicals ‘causing eye irritation’ (H320), or any other hazardous substance that could cause a harmful eye splash injury.

* Note: splashes can easily be generated by relatively innocuous activities such as pipetting and opening the flip top lids on sample tubes.