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