• Equipment that creates a barrier against workplace hazards
   
• Examples include safety shoes, hard hats, safety glasses, gloves, and hearing protection

General requirements: 
Protective equipment, including personal protective equipment, shall be provided, used, and maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition.

Employee-Owned Equipment

Where employees provide their own protective equipment, the employer shall be responsible to assure its adequacy, including proper maintenance, and sanitation.

PPE Design:

All personal protective equipment shall be of safe design and construction for the work to be performed.

Hazard Assessment:

• A requirement
  
  • The employer must select PPE based on the assessment and require employees to use them
  • Communicate selection decisions to employees
• Involve managers and workers

• Must be job and area based

   

• Requires written certification identifying the document as such, including:

  • The person certifying that the evaluation was performed

  • Date of evaluation

Basic Hazard Categories:

• Impact- Protects the body from impact or strike blows
• Penetration- Protection from puncture wounds
• Compression- Protection from smash or crush injuries
• Chemical- Protects the body from contact with chemicals
• Heat/cold/wet- Thermal and moisture protection
• Harmful dust- Respiratory protection
• Light radiation- Skin and eye protection

PPE Payment:

• The employer must pay for all PPE used in the workplace, except:
  
  • Non-specialty safety-toe footwear and non-specialty prescription safety eyewear provided the employer allows it to be worn off the jobsite
  • Built-in metatarsals (as long as the employer provides another type of metatarsal protection when required)
  • Logging boots
  • Everyday work clothing and ordinary clothing, skin creams, etc., used solely for protection from weather
• The employer must pay for replacement PPE unless it is lost or intentionally damaged.
• If the employer provides adequate and appropriate PPE, but the employee prefers a different type, the employer does not have to pay for it.

PPE Limitations:

• PPE acts as a barrier between you and a hazard
• PPE will not protect you if it is:
  
  • Not designed for the specific hazard
  • Damaged or worn
  • Not adjusted properly

Photo- Worker using improper eye and face protection

For PPE to be effective in protecting you:

• Use it in the manner you have been trained
• Use it only for the specific hazards for its design

Photo- Worker using improper face protection

PPE Inspection:

Before you use your PPE, inspect it for:

• Worn or damaged parts
• Leaks, cracks or deformities
• Cleanliness
• Correct size

PPE Replacement:

If any PPE is damaged or worn:

• Get it repaired or replaced immediately
• Do not work without replacement PPE
• Tell your supervisor you need new PPE

Cleaning & Storage:

• Clean your PPE regularly
• Do not store it where it will be in contact with:
  
  • Dust & Dirt
  • Chemicals
  • Sunlight
  • Water

Eye and Face Protection:

Your eyes are very sensitive organs and may be easily injured. Eye Hazards include:

• Chemical Splashes
• Flying dist, chips, sparks
• High Heat
• Intense or UV light

Specific hazards include…

• IMPACT - Chipping, grinding machining, masonry work, woodworking, sawing, drilling, chiseling, powered fastening, riveting, and sanding. 
• HEAT - Furnace operations, pouring, casting, hot dipping, welding 
• LIGHT or RADIATION - Electric arc welding, gas welding, gas cutting 
• IRRITANTS / CORROSIVES - mists, dusts, sprays, splashes

Face Protection:

Use a faceshield when any of the following hazards exist:

• Chemical splashes
• Liquid spray
• Flying chips or sparks
• High Heat
• Special faceshield

When Using a Faceshield:

• Always use the correct type of eye protection with a faceshield….
• A faceshield is NOT designed to protect your eyes, it is designed to shield your face

Types of Eye Protection:

• Safety Glasses – for flying chips & low hazards
• Vented Goggles – for dust and non-hazardous mist
• Non-Vented Goggles – hazardous chemicals
• Dark Lenses – intense or UV light

Corrective glasses and eye protection:

• Spectacles with protective lenses
• Goggles worn over corrective spectacles
• Goggles that incorporate corrective lenses

Inspection/maintenance of eye protection:

• Keep lenses clean
• Daily inspection and cleaning
• Replace pitted lenses, like dirty lenses, can be a source of reduced vision
• Headbands
• Storage

Photo- A worker inspecting and cleaning her safety glasses

Hard hats are needed to protect against:

• Falling objects
• Accidental impact
   

Use an electrically rated hard hat when there is a potential for contact with live circuits

Head Protection:

• Resist penetration
• Absorb the shock of a blow
• ANSI Standards
  
  • Z89.1-1986
  • Z89.1-1997

Protective hats must do two things:

• Resist penetration, and
• Absorb the shock of a blow.

This is accomplished by making the shell of the hat of a material hard enough to resist the blows and by utilizing a shock-absorbing lining composed of headbands and crown straps to keep the shell away from the wearer's head. 

The standards use are located in ANSI =American National Safety Insititute

Head Protection:

• Resist penetration
• Absorb the shock of a blow
  
  • ANSI Standards
  • Z89.1-1986
  • Z89.1-1997

Protective Hat Types:

• Type 1- Designed to protect from a top impact only
• Type 2- Designed to protect from a top and side impact

Three Classes:

• Class G- Class G (General) Hard Hats are designed to reduce exposure to low voltage conductors, and offer dielectric protection up to 2,200 volts (phase to ground). 
• Class E- Class E (Electrical) Hard Hats are designed to reduce exposure to high voltage conductors, and offer dielectric protection up to 20,000 volts (phase to ground).
• Class C- Class C (Conductive) Hard Hats differ from their counterparts in that they are not intended to provide protection against contact with electrical conductors.

Melmet Construction:

• Water Resistant
• Slow Burning
• Shell and suspension
• Adjustable headbands

• Materials used in helmets should be water resistant and slow burning. 
• Each consisting essentially of a shell and suspension. Ventilation is provided by a space between the headband and the shell. 
• Each helmet should be accompanied by instruction on the proper method of adjusting and replacing the suspension and headband. 

Replace your hard hat if:

• The suspension system shows signs of deterioration such as:
  
  • Cracking
  • Tearing
  • Fraying

• The suspension system no longer holds the shell from 1 inch to 1 1/4 inches away from the head.
• The brim or shell is cracked, perforated, or deformed.
• The brim or shell shows signs of exposure to heat, chemicals, ultraviolet
  light, or other radiation.
• Signs include:
  
  • Loss of surface gloss,
  • Chalking 
  • Flaking

Photo- A damaged hardhat that must be discarded and not used again

Helmet maintenance and inspection:

• Cleaning helmets
• Inspect daily
• Exposure to unusual conditions
• Storage

• Consult manufacturers instructions for cleaning of helmets
• Inspect daily for any cracks or damage
• All components must be in good working order
• Helmets should not be stored in direct sunlight

Foot Hazards:

• Heavy objects such as barrels or tools that might roll onto or fall onto your feet.
• Sharp objects such as nails or spikes that might pierce the soles or uppers of ordinary shoes.
• Molten metal that might splash
• Hot, slippery or wet surfaces
• Corrosive Chemicals

For the protection of feet and legs from falling or rolling objects, sharp objects, molten metal, hot surfaces, and wet slippery surfaces workers should use appropriate foot guards, safety shoes, or boots and leggings.

Hazardous conditions:

IMPACT: Carrying or handling materials such as packages, objects, parts or heavy tools which could be dropped

COMPRESSION: Work activities involving skid trucks (manual material handling carts, around bulk rolls, around heavy pipes

PUNCTURE: Sharp object hazards such as nails, wire, tacks, screws, large staples, scrap metal, etc

CHEMICAL: Check the SDS (MSDS) for protection

Footwear must meet the minimum compression and impact performance standards and testing requirements.

Types of foot protection:

• Safety shoes
• Boots
• Leggings

• Conductive shoes protect against the buildup of static electricity and ground the employee wearing them. 
• Conductive shoes are used in explosive and hazardous environments. 
• These shoes are not general purpose shoes and must be removed upon completion of the specific work. 

• Safety shoes should be sturdy and have an impact resistant toe.
• In some shoes, metal insoles protect against puncture wounds.
• Additional protection such as metatarsal guards may be found in some types of footwear. 
• Safety shoes come in a variety of styles and materials, such as leather or rubber boots and oxfords.

Inspect Footwear:

Look for:

• Cracked, torn or worn uppers
• Wear, holes, tears, cracks,
• Loss of tread on the bottom
• Separation between soles and uppers

Photo- Safety shoes must be discarded when the surface is torn through or severely damaged.

Requirements for Safety Shoes:

• Must be Sturdy
• Must provide an impact resistant toe
• Requirements can be found at:
• Requirements can be accessed at:
  • ANSI Z41.1967 or later.

Safety footwear is classified according to its ability to meet minimum requirements for both compression and impact test.

Why use hand protection?

• Burns
• Cuts
• Electrical shock
• Amputation
• Absorption of chemicals

Examples of injuries to arms and hands are burns, cuts, electrical shock, amputation and absorption of chemicals.  There is a wide assortment of gloves, hand pads, sleeves, and wristlets for protection from various hazardous situations.

Types of hand protection:

• General purpose easy to grip gloves
• Electrical gloves
• Nitrile type gloves
• Liquid and chemical resistant gloves
• Stainless steel mesh meat cutting gloves
• Kevlar gloves protect against cuts, slashes and abrasion. 

Each used for a specific task.  There are many many others.  What type of gloves will you wear?

Glove selection:

Not all gloves are created equal…. Ensure the glove you use will protect your hands from the specific hazards of the job.

Chemical gloves do not last forever… understand the chemical and “break-through” characteristics of your specific glove.

Before you go to work:

• Select the proper glove for the task
• Remove rings & bracelets
• Do not wear gloves if they can be caught in machinery
• Check gloves for wear and damage

Photo- Wearing the wrong size gloves can cause hands to get caught in moving equipment or cause the worker to lose grip of material. 

Electrical glove inspections:

• Check for holes, tears, punctures, or cuts
• Swelling, softening, hardening, or becoming sticky or inelastic
• Any other defect that damages the insulating properties
• AIR TEST before each use

Use hearing protection when:

• In high noise areas
• Using power saws, impact tools, etc.
• Off the job when shooting, using power tools, etc.

Replace worn or broken hearing protectors immediately

Exposure to high noise levels can cause hearing loss or impairment. It can create physical and psychological stress. There is no cure for noise-induced hearing loss, so the prevention of excessive noise exposure is the only way to avoid hearing damage.

Types of Hearing Protection:

• Preformed or molded earplugs
• Foam
• Disposable earplugs, perfect seal around the ear
• Preformed or molded earplugs should be individually fitted by a professional 
• Foam ear plugs are self-forming
• Some earplugs are disposable, to be used one time and then thrown away
• The non-disposable type should be cleaned after each use for proper protection
• For extremely noisy situations, earplugs should be worn in addition to earmuffs 

Symptoms of hearing loss:

• Ringing in ears
• Difficulty hearing normal conversations
• Noises are "fuzzy" or muffled

The Ear is divided into three parts:

• Outer Ear
• Middle Ear
• Inner Ear

Hearing protection must:

• Be kept clean
• Fit snugly against the head or in the ear
• Have no gaps or breaks

 

• Use the right PPE for the Hazard
• Inspect your PPE before using
• Replace damaged or worn PPE
• Store your PPE properly so it will be ready for the next use
• Keep your PPE clean
• Notify your supervisor if you need new PPE