Personal Protective Equipment

Personal protective equipment, or (PPE), is designed to protect employees from serious workplace injuries or illnesses resulting from contact with chemical, radiological, physical, electrical, mechanical, or other workplace hazards. Besides face shields, safety glasses, hard hats, and safety shoes, PPE includes a variety of devices and garments such as goggles, coveralls, gloves, vests, earplugs, and respirators.

  • PPE should not be used as a substitute for engineering, work practice, and/or administrative controls.
  • PPE should be used in conjunction with these controls to provide for employee safety and health in the work place.
  • PPE includes all clothing and other work accessories designed to create a barrier against workplace hazards.

The basic element of any management program for personal protective equipment should be an in depth evaluation of the equipment needed to protect against the hazards at the workplace. Risk management dedicated to the safety and health of the employees should use that evaluation to set a standard operating procedure for personnel, and then train employees on the protective limitations of personal protective equipment, and on its proper use and maintenance.

Using personal protective equipment requires hazard awareness and training on the part of the user. Employees must be aware that the equipment does not eliminate the hazard. If the equipment fails, exposure will occur. To reduce the possibility of failure:

  • Equipment must be properly fitted and maintained in a clean and serviceable condition.
  • Selection of the proper personal protective equipment for a job is important.
  • Employers and employees must understand the equipment's purpose and its limitations.
  • The equipment must not be altered or removed even though an employee may find it uncomfortable. (Sometimes equipment may be uncomfortable simply because it does not fit properly.)

What are the responsibilities of an employer?

OSHA’s primary PPE standards are in Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 1910 Subpart I, general requirements can be found under 29 CFR 1910.132, and equivalent regulations in states with OSHA-approved state plans, but you can find PPE requirements elsewhere in the General Industry Standards.

For example, 29 CFR 1910.156, OSHA’s Fire Brigades Standard, has requirements for firefighting gear. In addition, 29 CFR 1926.95-106 (Subpart E) covers the construction industry. OSHA’s general PPE requirements mandate that employers conduct a hazard assessment of their workplaces to determine what hazards are present that require the use of PPE, provide workers with appropriate PPE, and require them to use and maintain it in sanitary and reliable condition.

Properly using PPE is essential, but it is generally the last line of defense after engineering controls, work practices, and administrative controls.

> Engineering controls involve physically changing a machine or work environment.
> Administrative controls involve changing how or when employees do their jobs, such as scheduling work and rotating employees to reduce exposures.
> Work practices involve training workers how to perform tasks in ways that reduce their exposure to workplace hazards.

As an employer, you must assess your workplace to determine if hazards are present that require the use of PPE. If such hazards or the likelihood of hazards are present, you must select PPE and require employees to use it, communicate your PPE selection decisions to your employees, and select PPE that properly fits your workers. Employers must certify in writing that a workplace hazard assessment has been performed. Defective or damaged PPE should never be used.

In many cases, more than one type of personal protective equipment will provide adequate protection. In those instances, employers should be given a choice. Before doing work-requiring use of personal protective equipment, employees must be trained to know:

  • Use PPE properly
  • Be aware of when PPE is necessary
  • Know what kind of PPE is necessary
  • Understand the limitations of PPE in protecting employees from injury
  • Don, adjust, wear, and doff PPE
  • Proper care, maintenance, useful life, and disposal

Employers must certify in writing that training has been carried out and that employees understand it. Each written certification shall contain the name of each employee trained, the date(s) of training, and identify the subject certified.

PPE and Head Injuries

Head injuries are caused by falling or flying objects, or by bumping the head against a fixed object. Head protection, in the form of protective hats, must do two things -- resist penetration and absorb the shock of the blow. This is accomplished by making the shell of the hat of a material hard enough to resist the blow, and by utilizing a shock-absorbing lining composed of headband and crown straps to keep the shell away from the wearer's skull. Protective hats are also used to protect against electric shock

Also, ensure that workers cover and protect long hair to prevent it from getting caught in machine parts such as belts and chains.

PPE and foot and leg injuries

In addition to foot guards and safety shoes, leggings (e.g., leather, aluminized rayon, or other appropriate material) can help prevent injuries by protecting employees from hazards such as falling or rolling objects, sharp objects, wet and slippery surfaces, molten metals, hot surfaces, and electrical hazards.
> Aluminum alloy, fiberglass, or galvanized steel foot guards can be worn over usual work shoes, although they may present the possibility of catching on something and causing workers to trip. Heat-resistant soled shoes protect against hot surfaces like those found in the roofing, paving, and hot metal industries.
> 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.


PPE and arm and hand injuries

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 against various hazardous situations.

Employers need to determine what hand protection their employees need. The work activities of the employees should be studied to determine the degree of dexterity required, the duration, frequency, and degree of exposure to hazards and the physical stresses that will be applied. Also, it is important to know the performance characteristics of gloves relative to the specific hazard anticipated; e.g., exposure to chemicals, heat, or flames.

Before purchasing gloves, the employer should request documentation from the manufacturer that the gloves meet the appropriate test standards for the hazards anticipated. For example, for protection against chemical hazards, the toxic properties of the chemicals must be determined, particularly, the ability of the chemicals to pass through the skin and cause systemic effects.

The protective device should be selected to fit the job. For example, some gloves are designed to protect against specific chemical hazards. Employees may need to use gloves such as wire mesh, leather, and canvas that have been tested and provide insulation from burns and cuts. The employee should become acquainted with the limitations of the clothing used. Certain occupations require special protection. For example, electricians need special protection from shocks and burns. Rubber is considered the best material for insulating gloves and sleeves from these hazards.

Does PPE help protect workers from eye and face injuries?

Besides spectacles and goggles, PPE such as special helmets or shields, spectacles with side shields, and faceshields can protect employees from the hazards of flying fragments, large chips, hot sparks, optical radiation, splashes from molten metals, as well as objects, particles, sand, dirt, mists, dusts, and glare. Protectors must meet the following minimum requirements:

  • Provide adequate protection against the particular hazards for which they are designed;
  • Be reasonably comfortable when worn under the designated conditions;
  • Fit snugly without interfering with the movements or vision of the wearer;
  • Be durable;
  • Be capable of being disinfected;
  • Be easily cleanable; and
  • Be kept clean and in good repair.
  • Every protector shall be distinctly marked to facilitate identification of the manufacturer

What can PPE do to protect workers from hearing loss?

Wearing earplugs or earmuffs can help prevent damage to hearing. Exposure to high noise levels can cause irreversible hearing loss or impairment as well as 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. Specifically designed protection is required, depending on the type of noise encountered and the auditory condition of the employee.

Earplugs made from foam, waxed cotton, or fiberglass wool are self-forming and usually fit well. A professional should fit your employees individually for molded or preformed earplugs. Clean earplugs regularly, and replace those you cannot clean. Plain cotton is ineffective as protection against hazardous noise.

Earmuffs need to make a perfect seal around the ear to be effective. Glasses, long sideburns, long hair, and facial movements, such as chewing, can reduce protection. Special equipment is available for use with glasses or beards.

PPE to protect the whole body

In some cases workers must shield most or all of their bodies against hazards in the workplace, such as exposure to heat and radiation as well as hot metals, scalding liquids, body fluids, hazardous materials or waste, and other hazards.

> Wool and specially treated cotton are two natural fibers that are fire-resistant and comfortable since they adapt well to changing workplace temperatures.
> Duck, a closely woven cotton fabric, is good for light-duty protective clothing. It can protect against cuts and bruises on jobs where employees handle heavy, sharp, or rough material.
> Heat-resistant material, such as leather, is often used in protective clothing to guard against dry heat and flame.
> Rubber and rubberized fabrics, neoprene, and plastics give protection against some acids and chemicals.
> Disposable suits of plastic like or other similar synthetic materials are particularly important for protection from dusty materials or materials that can splash. If the substance is extremely toxic, a completely enclosed chemical suit may be necessary. The clothing should be inspected to ensure proper fit and function for continued protection.

It is important to refer to the manufacturers' selection guides for the effectiveness of specific materials against specific chemicals.

When should workers wear PPE for respiratory protection?

When engineering controls are not feasible, workers must use appropriate respirators to protect against adverse health effects caused by breathing air contaminated with harmful dusts, fogs, fumes, mists, gases, smokes, sprays, or vapors.

  • Where exposure levels exceed the permissible exposure limit (PEL), during the time period necessary to install or implement feasible engineering and work practice controls.
  • In those maintenance and repair activities and during those brief or intermittent operations where exposures exceed the PEL and engineering and work practice controls are not feasible or are not required.
  • In regulated areas.
  • Where the employer has implemented all feasible engineering and work practice controls and such controls are not sufficient to reduce exposures to or below the PEL.
  • In emergencies.

Respirators generally cover the nose and mouth or the entire face or head and help prevent illness and injury. A proper fit is essential, however, for respirators to be effective. All employees required to wear respirators must first undergo medical evaluation.

Conclusion:

To have an effective safety program, one manager must be responsible for its coordination. First-line supervisors must be convinced of the hazard and must be held accountable for their employees' use of personal protective equipment. A safety program for new employees is a necessary part of any orientation program. An on-going safety program should be used to motivate employees to continue to use protective gear.

Teaming the correct personal protective equipment with a good training program can give the worker a large measure of safety where other controls are inadequate or impossible.
Personal protective equipment can be effective only if the equipment is selected based on its intended use, employees are trained in its use, and the equipment is properly tested and maintained, and worn.
In the final analysis, the best protection comes from an interested management and work force committed to sound work practices