CALS
12.09
EYE AND FACE PROTECTION
12.10
WHEN TO WEAR EYE PROTECTION
12.11
STATE-FURNISHED PRESCRIPTION SAFETY GLASSES
12.12
SPECIFIC DETAILS ABOUT ORDERING PRESCRIPTION
SAFETY GLASSES - LOCAL REQUEST FORM
12.13
TEMPLE WIDTH OF GLASSES AND DRIVING RESTRICTIONS
12.14
EYE PROTECTION FOR CONTACT LENS WEARERS
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12.15
EYE PROTECTION FOR WELDING OPERATIONS
12.16
EYE AND FACE WASH FOR CHEMICAL HAZARDS
12.17
EAR AND HEARING PROTECTION
12.18
HAND AND ARM PROTECTION
12.19

BODY AND LEG PROTECTION
12.20
WARNING GARMENTS: VEST, JACKETS, SHIRTS,
AND COVERALLS
12.21
RAINGEAR
12.22
FOOT PROTECTION
12.23
JEWELRY
12.24
ELECTRICAL PROTECTION
12.25
FALL PROTECTION
12.26
WORKING OVER OR NEAR WATER
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CHAPTER 12
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)
PERSONAL SAFETY DEVICES AND SAFEGUARDS
12.00 INTRODUCTION
The use of personal protective equipment is subject to several safety and health
regulations contained in the Cal-OSHA General Industry Safety Orders (GISO),
Construction Safety Orders (CSO), and/or the Electrical Safety Orders (ESO).
This chapter provides information about specific items and/or categories of personal
protective equipment used to protect and shield employees from injury or illness.
12.01 PURPOSE
The purpose of this chapter is to provide detailed information about each type of
personal protective equipment, and how it can protect each major body area; head, eyes
and face, ear, respiratory, hands and arms, body and legs, and feet.
Every effort has been made to provide a reference to a specific GISO, CSO, and/or ESO
section(s) applicable to the use and type of each item of personal protection equipment.
Unless stated otherwise, the Department provides all required personal protective
equipment.
12.02 POLICY STATEMENT
Managers and supervisors are responsible to ensure that appropriate personal protective
equipment is readily available to protect employees from exposure to physical or
environmental hazards that may cause injury or illness.
12.03 PERSONAL CLOTHING GUIDELINES
Employees are expected to report to work reasonably dressed to protect themselves
during routine assignments and from exposure to usual and/or predictable physical and
environmental conditions found in the workplace.
Employees shall be given adequate advance notice of field trips so they may properly
dress to protect themselves from exposure to the conditions in the new assignment. See
Section 12.19, Body and Leg Protection, for more details. PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)
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12.04 PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT STANDARDS
Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations, also known as the Cal-OSHA Regulations,
require employers to provide personal protective equipment. Section 3380, Personal
Protective Devices of the General Industry Safety Orders (GISO), and Section 1514 of the
Construction Safety Orders (CSO) require: That all safety devices and safeguards, that are required to be used by
employees, are of the proper type for the expected exposure and of such
design, strength, and quality as to eliminate, preclude, or mitigate the
hazard. That personnel protective equipment shall be distinctly marked so as
to facilitate identification of the manufacturer. That the supervisor shall assure that the employee is instructed and
uses personnel protective equipment in accordance with the
manufacturers instruction. That employee-owned/visitor-owned personal protective equipment
complies with standards and regulations prescribed by Cal-OSHA and
Caltrans. Supervisors shall assure that this equipment is maintained
in a safe, sanitary condition. That all safety devices and safeguards shall be of such design, fit, and
durability as to provide adequate protection against the hazards for
which they are designed. That safety devices and safeguards shall be reasonably comfortable and
shall not unduly encumber the employees movements necessary to
perform his/her work.
Supervisors are responsible to ensure that employees are given appropriate personal
protective equipment wherever they may be exposed to hazardous conditions that can
cause injury or illness.
American National Standard Institute (ANSI)
All Caltrans personal protective equipment that requires special identification shall be
clearly identified with the appropriate American National Standard Institute (ANSI)
logo, specification numbers, and/or manufacturers mark, label, tag, initial, monogram,
serial number, or other applicable identification. PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)
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Employees are personally responsible to use good judgement and wear personal
protective equipment as directed, or whenever they are involved in a work activity
where they can reasonably be expected to be exposed to a hazard, or where a hazard
may cause injury or illness.
When employees are issued equipment for the first time or when new devices are
introduced, the supervisors will provide training as to how and why the equipment
must be used.
Supervisors should allow employees to try out new personnel protective equipment
and/or new devices prior to actual use. Employees should offer their comments and
discuss the equipment before the work begins.
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12.05 HEAD PROTECTION - HARD HATS
Section 3381, Head Protection of the General Industry Safety Orders (GISO), and Section
1515, Head Protection of the Construction Safety Orders (CSO) require: Employees exposed to falling or flying objects, or hazardous
chemical substances, and/or electrical shock and burns shall
wear a hard hat for head protection. Hard hats shall meet the applicable requirements and specifications
established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI),
as follows:
NOTE 1. GISO 3381(b)(1), CSO 1515(a)(2) For exposure to flying or falling
objects, or electric shock/burns (600 volts or less) hard hats purchased after
January 12, 1995, shall comply with ANSI Z89.1 1986, Class A or Class B, or
if purchased before January 12, 1995, shall comply with ANSI Z89.1-1969,
Class A. This applies to all work activities, except Electrical and Tree
Maintenance work activities. See Note 2. below.
NOTE 2. GISO 3381(c), CSO 1515(a)(3)(4) For exposure to flying or falling
objects, and high voltage electric shock (above 600 volts) shall comply with
ANSI Z89.2 1971, Class B, or if purchased after December 4, 1992, shall comply
with ANSI Z89.1-1981, Class B. This applies to all work activities, and
Electrical and Tree Maintenance work activities. See Note 1. above.
12.05-1 HARD HATS - DESIGN FEATURES
The Department authorizes the use of two (2) hard hat designs; the traditional and the
western cowboy-style. The Department provides only the traditional style-hard hats. (Cap
style with front brim, or hat style with wide brim all around.) The Department does not provide the western cowboy-style hard hat.
Employees are authorized to wear the western cowboy-style hard hat,
but must purchase their own.
12.05-2 HARD HATS - PROHIBITED USE: Employees engaged in Electrical and Tree Maintenance work activities
are prohibited from wearing the western (cowboy) style-hard hat. Metal hard hats are prohibited.
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12.06 HARD HATS - WHEN TO WEAR
Employees are responsible to wear hard hats during any work activity that may expose
them to a head injury. Some of the most common work activities requiring hard hats
are: When employees are exposed to falling or flying objects, or hazardous
chemical substances, and/or electrical shock and burns. Whenever an employee is working on-foot within the right-of-way
of any highway or road, which includes freeways, multi-lane highways,
and city streets. When employees are working on-foot during any work activity where
motorized equipment or motor vehicles are being used. While operating any motorized equipment not equipped with an
enclosed cab.
NOTE: Enclosed Cab.
1. An enclosed cab is defined as motorized equipment with a windshield, doors, and
surrounding cab protection with metal components and window glass.
2. Motorized equipment with a covered operator area or roll over protection only
is not consider an enclosed cab.
3. Hard hats may be removed by the operator while driving a motor vehicle or
motorized equipment which has an enclosed cab, but the operator shall put on their
hard hat when exiting the vehicle or equipment and before beginning any
on-foot work activity where hard hats are required.
NOTE: Proper Fit and Protection.
The hard hat suspension shall be correctly adjusted to ensure a proper and secure fit.
chin straps shall be required as work conditions warrant. Supervisors are also
responsible to ensure the style of the hard hat is properly suited for the assigned work.
For example, if the hard hat restricts an employees ability to safely perform their work,
or exposes an employee to an unsafe working condition, the supervisor shall direct the
employee to wear hard hat protection that is suitable to the assigned work.
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12.07 HARD HAT COLOR CODE RECOGNITION
The following colors have been adopted for official use to distinguish different
work activities within Caltrans. White colored hard hat with the traditional Caltrans
"CT" logo is the designated hard hat for most Caltrans
employees and is used in most work settings. Yellow colored hard hat is the accepted standard color
for electrical work crews. White colored hard hat without the traditional
Caltrans "CT"