Personal Protective Equipment
Definition and scope
Personal protective equipment (PPE) refers to protective clothing and devices worn by workers to prevent injury
Protecting Employeesfrom Workplace Hazards
• Employers must protect employees from workplace hazards such as machines, hazardous substances, and dangerous work procedures that can cause injury
• Employers must: Use all feasible engineering and work practice
controls to eliminate and reduce hazards Then use appropriate personal protective
equipment (PPE) if these controls do not eliminate the hazards
Responsibilities
Employer• Assess workplace for hazards• Provide PPE• Determine when to use • Provide PPE training for employees and instruction in
proper use
Employee• Use PPE in accordance with training received
and other instructions• Inspect daily and maintain in a clean and
reliable condition
Engineering Controls
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 an
engineering control.
Engineering Controls
• Initial design specifications
• Substitute less harmful material
• Change process
• Enclose process
• Isolate process
• Ventilation
Examples . . .
Work Practice Controls
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 a work practice control.
Work Practice Controls
• Use of wet methods to suppress dust
• Personal hygiene
• Housekeeping and maintenance
• Job rotation of workers
Examples . . .
OSHA PPE Standards
1910.132, General Requirements
PPE must be provided, used, and maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition "wherever it is necessary by reason of hazards . . . capable of causing injury or impairment . . ..“
Employers are responsible for employee-owned equipment.
PPE must be of safe design and construction Defective or damaged PPE shall not be used
OSHA PPE Standards
1910.132, General Requirements
Employers must assess the workplace to evaluate hazards that require the use of PPE
Select and require the use of appropriate PPE
Inform affected employees of selection decisions
OSHA PPE Standards
1910.132, General Requirements
PPE training:
each employee required to use PPE must be trained:
When PPE is necessary
What PPE is necessary
How to properly don, doff, adjust, and wear PPE
PPE limitations
Care, maintenance, useful life and disposal of the PPE
Examples of PPE
• Eye - safety glasses, goggles
• Face - face shields
• Head - hard hats
• Feet - safety shoes
• Hands and arms - gloves
• Bodies - vests
• Hearing - earplugs, earmuffs
OSHA PPE Standards
Other OSHA PPE Standards
1910.133, Eye and Face Protection
1910.134, Respiratory Protection
1910.135, Head Protection
1910.136, Occupational Foot Protection
1910.137, Electrical protective devices
1910.138, Hand Protection
ANSI standards have a significant role
Establishing a PPE Program
• Sets out procedures for selecting, providing and using PPE as part of an employer’s routine operation
• First -- assess the workplace to determine if hazards are present, or are likely to be present, which necessitate the use of PPE
• Once the proper PPE has been selected, the employer must provide training to each employee who is required to use PPE
Eye protection
Eye protection
1910.133, Eye and Face Protection
Side protection when hazard from flying objects
Prescription eye protection or devices must fit
over glasses for employees who wear glasses
Eye and face PPE shall be distinctly marked
Lenses for protection against radiant energy
must have an appropriate shade number for the
work being performed
Eye and face protection
Additional ANSI requirements
Testing
Normal, high velocity and high mass
impact, penetration (plastic)
Corrosion and flammability resistance
Cleanability
Optical criteria
Minimum thickness
What are some of the causes of eye injuries?
• 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
• Blood and other potentially infectious body
fluids that might splash, spray, or splatter
• Intense light such as that created by welding
and lasers
Goggles
• Protect eyes, eye sockets, and the facial area immediately
surrounding the eyes from impact, dust, and splashes
• Some goggles fit over corrective lenses
Welding Shields
Protect eyes from burns caused by infrared or
intense radiant light, and protect face and eyes
from flying sparks, metal spatter, and slag chips
produced during welding, brazing, soldering, and
cutting
Face Shields
• Protect the face from nuisance dusts and
potential splashes or sprays of hazardous
liquids
• Do not protect employees from impact hazards
Head Protection
Head Protection
1910.135, Head Protection
Employees must wear appropriate protective helmets in areas of falling object hazards or exposed electrical conductors
Protective helmets must comply with ANSI Z89.1-1986, "American National Standard for Personnel Protection-Protective Headwear for Industrial Workers-Requirements,"
Head Protection
ANSI Z89.1 (cont.)
Classifications of head protection Type I – impact on top only Type II – top or off-center impact Class G - limited voltages Class E - high voltages Class C - no voltage protection
Inspection and maintenance
What are some of thecauses of head injuries?
• Falling objects
• Bumping head against fixed objects, such as exposed
pipes or beams
• Contact with exposed electrical conductors
Classes of Hard Hats
Class A• General service (e.g., mining, building construction,
shipbuilding, lumbering, and manufacturing)• Good impact protection but limited voltage protectionClass B• Electrical work• Protect against falling objects and high-voltage shock and
burnsClass C• Designed for comfort, offer limited protection• Protects heads that may bump against fixed objects, but do
not protect against falling objects or electrical shock
Hearing Protection
1910.95 requires hearing protection for employees exposed above 85 dB
Hearing protectors are labeled with the NRR (noise reduction rating).
Foot Protection
Toe and foot injuries account for 5% of all disabling
workplace injuries. Workers not wearing safety
shoes have 75% of all occupational foot injuries
Foot Protection
1910.136, Occupational Foot Protection
Employees must wear protective footwear in
areas in danger of foot injuries
falling or rolling objects
objects piercing the sole
electrical hazards Protective footwear shall comply with ANSI Z41-
1991, "American National Standard for Personal
Protection-Protective Footwear"
Foot Protection
Requirements of ANSI Z41
Footwear classified by impact and compression
resistance
Special footwear types
Metatarsal (protects top of foot)
Conductive (primarily for static electricity
control)
Electrical hazard (insulated)
Sole puncture resistance
What are some of thecauses of foot injuries?
• 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
• Hot or wet surfaces
• Slippery surfaces
Hand Protection
Hand and finger injuries account for 18% of all disabling
injuries and about 25% of all industrial work place accidents
Hand Protection
1910.138, Hand ProtectionEmployees must use appropriate hand protection when hands are exposed to hazards:
skin absorption of harmful substances severe cuts or lacerations severe abrasions Punctures chemical burns thermal burns harmful temperature extremes
Hand Protection
1910.138, Hand Protection (cont.)
Hand protection must be selected in accord with an evaluation of:
performance characteristics conditions present duration of use hazards and potential hazards identified
What are some of the hand injuries you need to guard against?
• Burns
• Bruises
• Abrasions
• Cuts
• Punctures
• Fractures
• Amputations
• Chemical Exposures
Norfoil laminate resists permeation and breakthrough by an array of toxic/hazardous chemicals.
Butyl provides the highest permeation resistance to gas or water vapors; frequently used for ketones (M.E.K., Acetone) and esters (Amyl Acetate, Ethyl Acetate).
Types of Gloves
Viton is highly resistant to permeation by chlorinated and aromatic solvents.
Nitrile provides protection against a wide variety of solvents, harsh chemicals, fats and petroleum products and also provides excellent resistance to cuts, snags, punctures and abrasions.
Types of Gloves (cont’d)
Kevlar protects against cuts, slashes, and abrasion.
Stainless steel mesh protects against cuts and lacerations.
Types of Gloves (cont’d)
Body Protection
What are some of thecauses of body injuries?
• 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
Body ProtectionCriteria for Selection
Provide protective clothing for parts of the
body exposed to possible injury
Types of body protection:
Vests
Aprons
Jackets
Coveralls
Full body suits
Top Related