Personal Protective Equipment
ment & Safety
Health and Safety Instruction
April 2007
________________________________
Page 2
Health and Safety Instruction
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
April 2007
INTRODUCTION
Purpose
The purpose of this Health and Safety Instruction (HSI) is to protect employees
from hazards in the workplace by using personal protective equipment to
supplement other primary hazard controls.
Background
Hazards exist in every workplace in many different forms: sharp edges, falling
objects, flying sparks, chemicals, noise and a myriad of other potentially
dangerous situations. Controlling hazards with engineering and administrative
controls is the best way to protect employees When these controls are not
feasible or do not provide sufficient protection, personal protective equipment
(PPE) must be use. In line with this rational for controlling or eliminating
workplace hazards, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
issued the Personal Protective Equipment standard, also know as "The PPE
Standard." Under this standard, the
University
is required to:
Conduct hazard assessments to determine if PPE is necessary to protect
employees and certify in writing that assessments have been performed.
Select appropriate PPE, where necessary.
Provide employees training on proper care, use and limitations of the
selected PPE.
Ensure the PPE is properly used.
This HSI, developed by
Risk Management & Safety
outlines the minimum
requirements to protect employees from hazards in the workplace by using
personal protective equipment to supplement other primary hazard controls. It
also outlines the minimum requirements for achieving compliance with OSHAs
Personal Protective Equipment Standard.
Page 3
Health and Safety Instruction
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
April 2007
Whos Covered?
Employees
are covered by this HSI if they are exposed to workplace hazards
that are not adequately controlled by engineering and/or administrative controls.
Explanation of Key Terms
Engineering Hazard Controls: "Engineering hazard controls" may be defined
as an installation of equipment, or other physical facilities including, if necessary,
the selection and arrangement of experimental equipment. Engineering controls
remove the hazard, either by initial design specifications or by applying methods
of substitution, minimization, isolation or ventilation.
Administrative Hazard Controls: Administrative hazard controls consist of
managerial efforts to reduce hazards through planning, information and training
(e.g. hazard communication), written policies and procedures, safe work
practices, and environmental and medical surveillance (e.g. work place
inspections, equipment preventive maintenance, and exposure monitoring).
Personal Protective Equipment: "Personal protective equipment" (PPE)
includes a wide variety of items worn by an individual to isolate the person from
chemical hazards. PPE includes articles to protect the eyes, skin, and the
respiratory tract (e.g. goggles, face shields, coats, gloves, aprons, respirators).
Page 4
Health and Safety Instruction
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
April 2007
HOW IT WORKS
Hazard Assessment
Firstline supervisors
must conduct a walkthrough survey the workplace to
determine if hazards are present or likely to be present. The objective is to
prepare for an analysis of the hazards in the work environment to enable proper
selection of protective equipment. To organize the hazard assessment data, the
Hazard Type(s) and Exposed Body Part sections of the PPE Hazard
Assessment/Training Certification Form in Appendix A can be used to conduct
and document the survey for each job/task. Consideration should be given to the
basic hazard categories:
·
Impact
·
Penetration
·
Compression (rollover)
·
Chemical
·
Heat
·
Harmful dust
·
Light (optical) radiation
During the walkthrough survey,
Firstline supervisors
should observe:
·
Sources of motion (i.e., machinery or processes where any movement of
tools, machine elements or particles could exist, or movement of
personnel that could result in collision with stationary objects);
·
Sources of high temperatures that could result in burns, eye injury or
ignition of protective equipment, etc.;
·
Types of chemical exposures;
·
Sources of harmful dust;
·
Sources of light radiation (i.e., welding, brazing, cutting, furnaces, heat
treating, high intensity lights, etc.);
·
Sources of falling objects or potential for dropping objects;
·
Sources of sharp objects which might pierce the feet or cut the hands;
·
Sources of rolling or pinching objects which could crush the feet;
·
Layout of workplace and location of coworkers; and
·
Any electrical hazards.
In addition,
Firstline supervisors
should review injury/accident data to help
identify problem areas.
RM&S
can provide assistance (6211790).
Page 5
Health and Safety Instruction
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
April 2007
Hazard Control
Firstline supervisors
must adequately control the identified hazards with
engineering and administrative controls, if possible.
If not possible,
Firstline supervisors
must select, and have each affected
employee use the type(s) of PPE that will protect them from the identified
hazard(s). The PPE Hazard Assessment/Training Certification Form in Appendix
A and the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Selection Guidelines in
Appendix B can be used to select appropriate PPE for the identified hazards that
cannot be adequately control with engineering and administrative controls.
Firstline supervisors
must contact Risk Management & Safety before
considering respiratory or hearing protection (6211570). In these cases,
RM&S
will conduct a hazard assessment and recommend appropriate controls for
respiratory or hearing protection.
Firstline supervisors
must select PPE that properly fits each affect employee
and communicate the PPE selection to each employee.
Firstline supervisors
must ensure that damaged or defective PPE is not used.
RM&S
can provide assistance with regard to other hazard controls (6211790).
It is the responsibility of
Firstline supervisors
to reassess the workplace
hazard situation as necessary, by identifying and evaluating new equipment and
processes, reviewing accident records, and reevaluating the suitability of
previously selected PPE.
Training
Firstline supervisors
must ensure each employee who is required to use PPE
is trained:
·
Before being allowed to perform work requiring the use of PPE;
·
When changes in the workplace or PPE render previous training
obsolete, and
·
When there is reason to believe procedures are not followed and/or
inadequacies in employee knowledge exist.
Training must include:
·
When PPE is necessary to be worn;
·
What PPE is necessary;
·
How to properly don, doff, adjust, and wear PPE;
·
The limitations of PPE, and
·
The proper care, maintenance, useful life and disposal of PPE.
Page 6
Health and Safety Instruction
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
April 2007
Employees
must demonstrate an understanding of the training and the ability to
use PPE
RM&S
will provide training with regards to respiratory and hearing protection and
can provide assistance with regards to other training (6211790).
Documentation
Firstline supervisors
must verify that the hazard assessment has been
performed and that each affected employee has received and understood the
training through a written certification. The PPE Hazard Assessment/Training
Certification Form in Appendix A.
Page 7
Health and Safety Instruction
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
April 2007
APPENDIX A
PPE HAZARD ASSESSMENT/TRAINING CERTIFICATION FORM
Page 8
Health and Safety Instruction
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
April 2007
APPENDIX B
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) GUIDELINES
It is very important that end users be made aware of all warning labels for and limitations
of their PPE.
Fitting the device: Careful consideration must be given to comfort and fit. PPE that fits
poorly will not afford the necessary protection. Continued wearing of the device is more
likely if it fits the wearer comfortably. Protective devices are generally available in a
variety of sizes. Care should be taken to ensure that the right size is selected.
Devices with adjustable features: Adjustments should be made on an in