I agree eye protection is essential. However, beware of an issue when using safety glasses / goggles.
Many years ago I finished cutting some sheet metal using safety goggles. After I removed them I felt a stinging in my eye which our company quack diagnosed as an infection. After some days of no improvement I went to see someone else at an eye clinic who removed a relatively large piece of metal from my eye.
The lesson is to exercise caution when removing safety glasses. If they are made of a plastic material metal shavings may stick to them and subsequently end up in your eye. I learned to keep my eyes closed when removing eye protection.
