Personal Protective Equipment

Nera Mae A. Puyo

2010-79080

Hazards in the workplace… Workers involved in a wide range of occupations are exposed to a

significant risk of death or injury from being struck by various objects in the workplace.

Two major factors causing these injuries have been identified: Personal protective equipment was not being worn the vast

majority of the time; and, When some type of protective equipment was worn, it did not

fully protect the worker.

For example… One study indicated that 70% of the workers experiencing hand

injuries were not wearing gloves. Hand injuries to the remaining 30% of the workers who were

wearing gloves were caused by the gloves being either inadequate, damaged, or the wrong type for the type of hazard present.

In the Philippines…

The highest recorded cause of the 20,386 work-related injuries in 2007 was stepping on, striking against or struck by object, excluding falling objects which accounted for 6,167 cases (30.3%). Caught in or between objects and struck by falling objects were second and third with 19.3% (3,943) and 10.2% (2,088) shares, respectively.

“Personal Protective Equipment” Standard The Occupational

Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) regulation, 29 CFR 1910.132-138, which requires that employers must establish and administer an effective personal protective equipment (PPE) program for employees.

Personal Protective Equipment is a general term encompassing a wide variety

of clothing and equipment “designed to protect employees from serious workplace injuries or illnesses resulting from contact with chemical, radiological, physical, electrical, mechanical, or other workplace hazards” (OSHA)

The need for PPE and the type of PPE used is based on hazard present; each situation must be evaluated independently

PPE is used as a last resort .

Hierarchy of Hazard Controls•Engineering Controls

•Administrative Controls

•Personal Protective Equipment

Workplace Hazard Control If…

The machine or work environment can be physically changed to prevent employee exposure to the potential hazard,

Then..The hazard can be eliminated with engineering controls

Such as…design (remove hazard from the process)substitution (of less hazardous materials)process modification (how and where)isolate the source of the hazardwet methods for dust reductionlocal exhaust ventilation (at source)dilution ventilation (area)install physical barrier to the sourceuse sound-absorbing or vibration-damping materialsattach guards to machinesperform machine maintenance

Workplace Hazard Control If…

Employees can be removed from exposure to the potential hazard by changing the way they do their jobs,

Then..The hazard can be eliminated with administrative control

Such as…training programsscreening of potential employeeswork schedule of planned rotation of workersmonitoring the environment and monitoring the workers operating in it

Workplace Hazard Control If…

The hazard cannot be eliminated by engineering and administrative controls,

Then…Make use of personal protective equipment or PPE

Such as…safety glasses, gogglesface shieldshard hatssafety shoesglovesvestsearplugs, earmuffs

Uses of PPE Eye and Face Protection

From…• Dust and other flying particles, such as

metal shavings or sawdust• Molten metal that might splash• Acids and other caustic liquid

chemicals that might splash• Toxic gases and vapors• Blood and other potentially infectious

body fluids that might splash, spray, or splatter

• Intense light such as that createdby welding and lasers

Eye & Face

Protectors

goggles

Safety glasses

Face shield

Welding helmet

Uses of PPE Respiratory Protection

From…• Harmful materials or airborne

contaminants that may enter the body through inhalation

• Toxic fumes• Irritating dust

Air Purifying Respirators (APR)

Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPR)

Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)

Respirators

This clearance may take the form of a questionnaire, physical examination, pulmonary function testing, chest X-Ray, or a combination of the above

Employees should not wear a respirator unless they have been medically cleared to do so!

Why?

Respirators put additional resistance against the respiratory system of the wearer.

Persons with undiagnosed respiratory system or cardiovascular problems could trigger a serious medical problem (respiratory distress, asthma, heart attack, etc.) by using a respirator.

Uses of PPE Hearing Protection

From…• Exposure to high noise levels

Ear muffs

Ear plugsCanal caps

Hearing Protecto

rs

Uses of PPE Head Protection

From…• Falling objects• Bumping head against fixed objects, such

as exposed pipes or beams• Contact with exposed electrical

conductors• Splashes, spills, and drips

of toxic liquids

Hard Hats

Class A - protect you from falling objects - protect you from electrical shocks up to 2,200 voltsClass B - protect you from falling objects - protect you from electrical shocks up to 20,000 voltsClass C - protect you from falling objects - DO NOT protect you from electrical shocks - DO NOT protect you from corrosive substancesBump caps - protect you from bumping your head from protruding objects

Uses of PPE Arm and Hand Protection

From…• Burns• Bruises• Abrasions• Cuts• Punctures• Friction• Fractures• Amputations• Chemical Exposures• Extreme temperatures

Kevlar

Stainless steel mesh

NitrileButyl

Norfoil

Gloves

Viton

Uses of PPE Foot and Leg Protection

From…• Heavy objects such as barrels or tools

that might roll onto or fall on employees’ feet

• Sharp objects such as nails or spikes • that might pierce the soles or uppers

of ordinary shoes• Molten metal that might splash on feet• Extremes in cold, heat, and moisture• Slippery surfaces• Electrical shocks

Safety Shoes

Steel toe

Reinforced sole Latex/rubber

Metatarsal

Uses of PPE Body Protection

From…• Intense heat• Splashes of hot metals and other hot

liquids• Impacts from tools, machinery, and

materials• Cuts• Hazardous chemicals• Contact with potentially infectious

materials, like blood• Radiation

Full body suits

Coveralls

Apron and sleeves

Protective

Clothing

Establishing a PPE Program Assess the workplace for hazards Use engineering or administrative controls to

eliminate or reduce hazards before using PPE Select appropriate PPE to protect employees

from hazards that cannot be eliminated Inform employees why PPE is necessary and

when it must be worn Train employees how to use and care for their

PPE and how to recognize deterioration and failure

Require employees to wear selected PPE in the workplace

A True StoryThirteen years ago, Barry Weatherall was working at a plumbing and heating company in Red Deer, Alta. He was healthy and had full use of his vision — until a chemical explosion at work left him in the dark, literally.

Today, Weatherall tells his story to thousands of workers across Canada in the hope of preventing them from suffering the same fate. He is working with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) as the lead facilitator for its Industrial Safety Program, a 90-minuteinteractive workshop on eye safety in the workplace. 

“Our safety committee, has just finished rolling out a plant-wide change to our safety glasses policy. Not all of our areas in the plant required the use of safety glasses, but after a review and the workshop, the joint health and safety committee made a recommendation to management to change our policy.”

- Tanya Ducharme, Environmental Health and Safety Manager Labatt Brewing Company Ltd.