EOH 465 - PPE - Personal Protective Equipment

Eye Prescription

◦ Everyday use of prescription corrective lenses will not provide adequate protection against most occupational eye and face hazards - Regular glasses can't be used for the occupational environment ◦ Employers must make sure that employees with corrective lenses either wear - Eye protection that incorporates the prescription into the design or - Wear additional eye protection over their prescription lenses

Face Shields

◦ Extend from the eyebrows to below the chin and across the entire width of the employee's head ◦ Face shields protect against minor impacts, nuisance dusts and potential splashes or sprays of hazardous liquids ◦ Face shields used in combination with goggles or safety glasses will provide additional protection against sprays of corrosive liquids and impact hazards

OSHA requires PPE to meet the following ANSI criteria standards:

◦ Eye and Face Protection: ANSI Z87.1-1989 ◦ Head Protection: ANSI Z89.1-1986 ◦ Foot Protection: ANSI Z41.1-1991 - ANSI does not currently have standards for hand protection

Fabric and Coated Fabric Gloves

◦ Fabric and coated fabric gloves are made of cotton or other fabric to provide varying degrees of protection ◦ Fabric gloves - protect against dirt, slivers, chafing and abrasions - They do not provide sufficient protection for use with rough, sharp or heavy materials ◦ Coated fabric gloves - they are transformed into general-purpose hand protection offering slip-resistant qualities - These gloves are used for tasks ranging from handling bricks and wire to chemical laboratory containers

Tight-Fitting Respirators

◦ Half-face ◦ Full-face ◦ Requires Fit Testing & Medical Monitoring to ensure proper fit & physical capability to use ◦ In the written program

Hard Hats

◦ Hard hats should do the following: - Resist penetration by objects - Absorb the shock of a blow - Be water-resistant and slow burning - Have clear instructions explaining proper adjustment and replacement of the suspension and headband

Respirators protect workers against?

◦ Harmful dusts, fogs, smokes, mists, gases, vapors, and sprays ◦ Insufficient oxygen environments - Having an oxygen content of less than 19.5 percent ◦ These hazards may cause cancer, lung impairment, diseases, or death ◦ Employers must have a written respiratory protection program when use is required

Powered Air-Purifying Respirators (PAPRs)

◦ Have a hood, helmet, tight-fitting face-piece, or a loose-fitting face-piece ◦ PAPRs have a battery-powered blower to supply purified air - Sucks in the air and filters out the bad air and the clean air goes to the face piece

Why PPE?

◦ Hazards exist in every workplace in many different forms - Falling objects - Flying sparks - Chemicals - Noise - Sharp edges - Many other potentially dangerous situations ◦ OSHA requires that employers protect their employees from workplace hazards that can cause injury ◦ When engineering, work practice and administrative controls are not feasible or do not provide sufficient protection, employers must provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to their employees - When engineering and administrative controls can not be used or are not effective last is PPE ◦ ...and ensure its use!

Hearing Protection

◦ If engineering and work practice controls do not lower employee exposure to workplace noise to acceptable levels, employees must wear appropriate hearing protection ◦ Hearing protectors worn by employees must reduce an employee's noise exposure below 85 decibels over 8 hours

Safety footwear is designed to protect employees against a wide variety of injuries such as...?

◦ Impact ◦ Compression ◦ Puncture ◦ Slips & falls ◦ Chemical exposure

Escape-Only Respirators

◦ Intended for use only during an emergency exit ◦ Cannot be used to enter an area that has a hazardous atmosphere

General Body Covering:

◦ Laboratory Coats ◦ Coveralls ◦ Aprons ◦ Surgical Gowns

Butyl gloves

◦ Made of a synthetic rubber and protect against a wide variety of chemicals - Peroxide, rocket fuels, highly corrosive acids, strong bases & alcohols ◦ Butyl gloves also resist abrasion, and remain flexible at low temperatures ◦ Butyl rubber does not perform well with hydrocarbons and halogenated solvents

Nitrile gloves

◦ Made of synthetic rubber ◦ Provide protection from chlorinated solvents ◦ Provide protection when working with oils, greases, acids, caustics and alcohols ◦ Also used to protect against blood-borne pathogens ◦ Alternative to latex allergy concerns

Neoprene gloves

◦ Made of synthetic rubber and offer good pliability, finger dexterity, high density and tear resistance - Protect against hydraulic fluids, gasoline, alcohols, organic acids and alkalis ◦ Generally, have chemical and wear resistance properties superior to those made of natural rubber

Ear Plugs

◦ Made of waxed cotton, foam, silicone rubber or fiberglass wool ◦ Self-forming ◦ When properly inserted, they work as well as most molded earplugs

Types of Chemical & Liquid Resistant Gloves

◦ Natural (latex) rubber gloves ◦ Nitrile gloves ◦ Butyl gloves ◦ Neoprene gloves

American National Standards Institute (ANSI) PPE Selection

◦ OSHA requires that many categories of PPE meet or be equivalent to standards developed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) - ANSI began preparing safety standards for head and eye protection in the 1920's

Protective clothing comes in a variety of materials, each effective against particular hazards:

◦ Paper-like fiber ◦ Treated wool and cotton ◦ Duck ◦ Leather ◦ Rubber, rubberized fabrics, neoprene and plastic

Head protection should be removed from service and replaced for any of the following:

◦ Perforation, cracking, or deformity of the shell ◦ Indication of exposure of the shell to - heat - chemicals - ultraviolet light and other radiation ◦ If it sustains an impact (even if damage is not noticeable)

Employer Responsibilities

◦ Perform a hazard assessment of the workplace to identify & control physical & health hazards ◦ Identify & provide appropriate PPE for employees ◦ Provide required PPE at no costs to employees ◦ Train employees in the use and care of the PPE ◦ Maintain PPE - including replacing worn or damaged PPE ◦ Periodically review, update and evaluate the effectiveness of the PPE program

Employee Responsibilities

◦ Properly wear PPE ◦ Attend training sessions on PPE ◦ Care for, clean and maintain PPE ◦ Inform managers/supervisors of the need to repair or replace PPE

Head Protection

◦ Protecting employees from potential head injuries is key in any safety program ◦ Head injuries can impair an employee for life, or it can be fatal ◦ Wearing head protection is one of the easiest ways to protect an employee's head from injury

Supplied-Air Respirators (SARs)

◦ Provide breathing air through an airline from a source outside the contaminated work area - If the machine get compromised, you leave the area

Cap Inserts

◦ Similar to bump caps ◦ An insert that turns a baseball cap into a piece of protective headgear offering a mild form of head protection ◦ These are not designed to protect against falling or flying objects ◦ Not ANSI approved

Types of Hand Protection

◦ There are many types of gloves available today to protect against a wide variety of hazards ◦ The nature of the hazard and the operation involved will affect the selection of gloves ◦ In general, gloves fall into 4 groups: - Gloves made of leather, canvas or metal mesh - Fabric and coated fabric gloves - Chemical & liquid resistant gloves - Insulating rubber gloves

Safety Goggles

◦ Tight-fitting eye protection that completely cover the eyes, eye sockets and the facial area immediately surrounding the eyes ◦ Provide protection from impact, dust and splashes - Not for chemical protection ◦ Some goggles will fit over corrective lenses

Safety Toe

◦ Wraps around your toes at the front of your footwear ◦ Provide impact resistance and compression resistance ◦ Steel toe ◦ Composite toe - Made of non-metal materials like Kevlar, carbon fiber, plastic, or fiberglass

Respirators protect workers in two basic ways

1) By the removal of contaminants from the air 2) Other respirators protect by supplying clean respirable air from another source

Paper-like fiber

Disposable suits provide protection against dust and splashes

1) By the removal of contaminants from the air

• Including particulate respirators ◦ Which filter out airborne particles • Air-purifying respirators ◦ With cartridges/canisters ◦ Filter out chemicals and gases

2) Other respirators protect by supplying clean respirable air from another source

• Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) ◦ Which include their own air supply • Airline respirators ◦ Use compressed air from a remote source

Custom Molded Ear Plugs

◦ A laboratory-made earplug made from molds taken by trained experienced impression takers ◦ Most often, these are made of acrylic or soft silicone that can fit the ear and the ear canal tightly

Filtering Face - piece Type Respirators

◦ A written respiratory protection program is not required when employees request the use of filtering face-piece type respirators (dust masks) and when the respirators are not used to control a respiratory hazard ◦ Instruction on proper use & care is required

Treated wool and cotton

◦ Adapts well to changing temperatures ◦ Comfortable ◦ Fire-resistant ◦ Protects against dust, abrasions and rough and irritating surfaces

PPE Selection

◦ All PPE should be of safe design and construction ◦ Should be maintained in a clean and reliable fashion ◦ Employers should take the fit and comfort of PPE into consideration when selecting appropriate items for their workplace ◦ PPE that fits well and is comfortable to wear will encourage employee use of PPE ◦ Most protective devices are available in multiple sizes - Care should be taken to select the proper size for each employee ◦ If several different types of PPE are worn together, make sure they are compatible ◦ If PPE does not fit properly, it can make the difference between employees being safely covered or exposed to hazards - May not provide the level of protection desired - May discourage employee use

Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBAs)

◦ Allow the user to carry a pressurized (compressed) breathing air cylinder ◦ You have control of the tank and not restricted

High Visibility Vets

◦ Body protection garments are available to enhance a person's visibility (workers in construction zones, high traffic areas, traffic controllers, etc.) ◦ When high visibility clothing is needed, choose clothing that meets the applicable ANSI standard

Natural (latex) rubber gloves

◦ Comfortable to wear, popular general-purpose glove ◦ Outstanding tensile strength, elasticity and temperature resistance ◦ Protect against blood-borne pathogens & from most water solutions of acids, alkalis & salts ◦ Latex gloves can cause allergic reactions in some individuals

Welding Shields Eye & Head Protection

◦ Constructed of vulcanized fiber or fiberglass and fitted with a filtered lens ◦ Protect eyes from burns caused by infrared or intense radiant light ◦ Also protect both the eyes and face from flying sparks, metal spatter and slag chips produced during welding, soldering and cutting operations

Bump Caps

◦ Designed for use in areas with low head clearance ◦ Recommended for areas where protection is needed from head bumps, lacerations & abrasions ◦ These are not designed to protect against falling or flying objects ◦ Not ANSI approved

Employers must retrain employees in PPE usage when: PPE Training

◦ Employee is not demonstrating the proper understanding and skill level in the use of PPE ◦ Changes in the workplace require new PPE ◦ Change in the type of required PPE

PPE Training

◦ Employers are required to train each employee who must use PPE ◦ Employees must be trained to know at least the following: - When PPE is necessary - What PPE is necessary - How to properly put on, take off, adjust and wear the PPE - The limitations of the PPE - Proper care, maintenance, useful life and disposal of PPE

PPE = Personal protective equipment

◦ Equipment worn to minimize exposure to a variety of hazards ◦ Some examples of PPE include - Head protection - Eye protection - Respiratory protection - Protective hearing devices - Hand protection - Foot protection - Full body suits

Duck

A closely woven cotton fabric that protects against cuts & bruises when handling heavy, sharp / rough materials

ANSI has divided hard hats into three industrial classes:

Class A ◦ Provide impact and penetration resistance ◦ Limited voltage protection (up to 2,200 volts) Class B ◦ Provide impact and penetration resistance ◦ Provide the highest level of protection against electrical hazards, with high-voltage shock and burn protection (up to 20,000 volts) Class C ◦ Provide lightweight comfort and impact protection ◦ No protection from electrical hazards

PPE Program

Key aspects of a PPE program ◦ Hazard assessment of the workplace to identify hazards & circumstances for PPE use ◦ Understanding types of PPE ◦ Understanding regulatory requirements for PPE ◦ Selecting appropriate PPE based on hazards and regulatory requirements ◦ Training employees in the proper use and care of PPE

Leather

Often used to protect against dry heat and flames

Rubber, rubberized fabrics, neoprene and plastic

Protect against certain chemicals and physical hazards

Arms Guards

Protective sleeves keep arms and wrists from damaging cuts, puncture and abrasion in a variety of industries

Eye Protection

Selecting the most suitable eye and face protection for employees should take into consideration the following elements: ◦ Ability to protect against specific workplace hazards ◦ Should fit properly and be reasonably comfortable ◦ Should provide unrestricted vision and movement ◦ Should be durable and cleanable ◦ Should allow unrestricted functioning of any other required PPE