Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment

Last updated 6/9/2008

Introduction

• You recognize that you need certain types of protective clothing and equipment to protect you from weather hazards such as heavy coat and gloves, a raincoat or sunglasses.

• On the job, we also recognize the need for special clothing and equipment to protect us. This protective clothing and equipment, commonly referred at PPE, is one of our most important lines of defense against potential workplace hazards,

Introduction… Page 2

• OSHA requires employers to provide employees with PPE when there’s a risk of exposure to various hazards. OSHA considers PPE necessary against hazards as varied as chemical splashes or have tools or materials fall on your head.

• OSHA rules state that employers and employees must carefully inspect, maintain, and decontaminate this clothing and equipment so that it can protect you effectively

Introduction… Page 3

• Today, we’re going to talk about these OSHA requirements. We’ll discuss how we determine when we need PPE and how we select PPE for particular types of hazards. We’ll review the various kinds of PPE and how you can help ensure that the clothing and equipment you use will really do its job of keeping you safe. Some people seem to think PPE is optional – or just too much trouble. I hope this meeting makes it clear that using PPE is not a matter of choice.

Identifying Hazards

• Each piece of PPE is carefully designed to protect against specific hazards. That’s why it’s so important to identify a workplace’s particular hazard before you select the PPE that will provide an effective defense.o Impacto Penetrationo Compression (roll-over)o Chemicalso Heato Harmful dusto Light Radiation

Identifying Hazards… Page 2 • Usually an organization won’t have to

start such an assessment from scratch. The job hazard analysis can be used. We can also review accident and injury records to identify circumstances that could be made safer by using PPE. But there may also be hazard sources that haven’t yet caused a problem, such as moving machines or parts, sharp objects, or rolling objects that could crush the feet.

Identifying Hazards… Page 3• Another part of hazard assessment

is to consider how and where people are positioned in the work area. o Is there a risk of colliding with

stationary objects?o Are there objects that could fall on

people – or work procedures that make people to drop heavy objects?

Identify Hazards… Page 4

• Burns are another hazard where PPE can reduce ricks. So we would check out hot processes and equipment – and those that produce heat – during our hazard identification process. We’d also be concerned with any electrical hazards, and with sources of harmful dust as well as welding, heat treating, and other souces of light radiation.

Identify Hazards… Page 5

• Chemicals demand a lot of attention because they pose so may potential hazards that can be reduced by using PPE.

• Fortunately, we have MSDSs as a resource to help us determine situations when we need PPE and what kind of use.

• Once the hazard assessment itself is complete, the next stage is to evaluate each hazard’s level of risk and seriousness of potential injury. This is not always easy, as many situations can expose you to more that one hazard at a time.

Identifying Hazard… Page 6• After evaluating the hazard, we

can determine what PPE provides the best protection in the identified situations.

• After the PPE is selected, we help you get a good fit and learn how to use and care for it.

Protection Against Hazards

• PPE definitely provides a valuable defense again hazards. But it’s important to realize that you can’t rely on it as your only defense.

• In fact, we usually turn to PPE only after we conclude that other protective measures can’t do the job alone.

• While each type of PPE is important enough to deserve its own safety meeting, we’ll look at some of them breifly to help you understanding what goes into their selection standards set by the American National Standards Institute unless we can demonstrate that other PPE is “equally effective.”

Electrical Protection

• We have a wide variety of PPE options designed to protect you against electrical hazards. The clothing and boots are usually made of rubber, which is resists electricity. Hats are usually made of formed plastic.

• All PPE that’s used to prevent electrical shock and burns has to meet very detailed standards (29 CFR 1910.137). Each item is certified to be safe against a particular level of electrical voltage, and it has to be tested to be sure it really works in those circumstances. To be sure it indeed protect you, you also have to check each piece of PPE carefully to be sure it’s not damaged – torn, too soft, too hard, etc.

Head Protection

• You must wear a helmet or hard had when there’s a risk of falling objects – including tools and materials being used by workers about you (29 CFR 1910.135).

• This is essential form of PPE is designed to protect you from objects hitting – or going into – your head.

• Many hats can also protect you from electrical shock. Be sure, however, never to wear aluminum headgear around electricity. Metal is an electrical conductor, and could be deadly mistake in such instances.

• Most hard hats and helmets are designed with an outer shell strong enough to resist a blow or penetration and a shock –absorbing lining that keeps the hat away from you head and absorbs the shock of a blow. Safety headgear is divided into classes, each with the ability to protect against specific types of hazards.

Eye and Face Protection

• Many industrial jobs can put you at risk of eye or face injuries. In fact, many operations include multiple eye and face hazards – flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors, or potentially harmful light radiation.

• Various safety glasses or goggles are available to protect you – sometimes in several way (29 CFR 1910.133). Safety glasses and safety goggles come in different ways and have different uses. Some can even build in corrective lenses or people who were prescription glasses.

• The eyewear you use depends on the hazards you face. If you’re welding, for instance, you would probably wear goggles or glasses that have side protection to keep sparks out and filter lenses to protect against light radiation. You might also have to wear a face shield over your other eye protectors.

Foot Protection

• You need foot protection when there’s a danger of injury from objects falling or rolling onto your foot or piercing your sole (29 CFR 1910.136). In general, safety footwear should be sturdy and have an impact – resistant toe. The degree of impact – resistance you need depends on the job and the hazards.

• You would, for instance, wear safety boots or shoes with impact protection if you handle heavy materials that could be dropped. You need compression protections if you work around objects that could roll over you feet. In work areas with nails, scrap metal, and other sharp objects on the floor, you need protection from items that could pierce your foot. The right footwear can also provide the insulation you need to protect you from exposure to electrical shock.

Hand and Body Protection

• No one pair of gloves can protect you from every possible hand hazard. You hands may be at risk for cuts, abrasions, burns, punctures, and the varied effects of contact with hazardous chemicals. Chemical hazards are a particular challenge, as no gloves can resist all chemicals. You have to know exactly what hazards you face to be sure to select gloves that will really do the job.

• If you’re the risk of burns or cuts, you might wear leather or canvas. Electricians’ usually wear special rubber gloves and insulating sleeves to protect them from electrical shock or burns.

• The same limitations apply to protective clothing. You can’t cover parts of your body with any form of PPE. You have to select PPE that’s designed to protest against the hazard you face, whether it’s a particular chemical or heat or sharp tools. You might, for example, wear wool or specially treated cotton to protect you from heat or fire and cotton duck to protect you from sharp or rough material. Rubber and fabrics like neoprene provide protection against certain chemicals or acids.

Noise Protection

• There no question that prolonged exposure to intense noise can damage your hearing.

• OSHA has determined what level of noise is harmful and has detailed requirements for testing noise levels and employee hearing.

• When noise levels can’t be reduced, you have to use some form of hearing protection, either earmuffs, earplugs, or canal caps, which are pads on a headband that cover the ear entrance.

Respiratory Protection

• OSHA also has detailed requirements for protecting your lungs and respiratory system. When there’s a measure risk of inhaling harmful substances, you have to wear a respirator.

• The type of respirator you use depends on the type and level of hazard. But you can’t wear any respirator unless you have gone through a very careful fit testing procedure. The fit testing make sure the respirator seals out contaminant’s and allows you to move around while you’re working. It also screens out people who, for a variety reason, can’t wear a respirator.

• No matter what PPE you need, proper selection is only the first step toward full protection. You also have to fit, and maintain the PPE carefully, which is what we’ll look at next.

Safety Procedures

• To be effective and allow you to perform your job. PPE has to fit properly. Most PPE comes in different sizes and it’s important that you were gear that fits you well enough so there are no dangerous gaps in protection.

• In addition, you have to be able to move comfortably while wearing it. Some PPE, such as safety goggles, is adjustable, which makes it easier to get a good fit.

• A poor fit allow contaminant's to leak in, making the respirator useless and putting your health at risk.