In principle, goggles should be worn for all laboratory work. This may seem unnecessary, but please at least wear goggles when you are working with:
- Caustic liquids where there is danger of spraying or splashes.
- Harmful radiation, for example UV light or isotopes
- Anything that gives a risk of mechanical damage e.g. glass fragments in your eye.
It is not advisable to wear contact lenses when working in a chemical laboratory. Caustic substances will, if they get in your eye, concentrate around the contact lens and aggravate the damage, despite quick rinsing.
At the Institute, goggles in hard plastic can be found in the chemical waste room. If you wear ordinary glasses, you can normally work without goggles.
It is debatable whether goggles are enough protection. If there is a chance of splashes in the eyes, then the risk of splashing your face is also present. Therefore you might choose to use a face shield instead of goggles. Face shields are kept the same place as the glasses. You could also choose to move your work into a fume hood, and avoid having to use personal protective equipment altogether.