Personal Protective Equipment
Disclaimer
•
This training material presents very important information.
•
Your organization must do an evaluation of all exposures,
applicable codes and regulations, and establish proper controls,
training, and protective measures to effectively control exposures
and assure compliance.
•
This program is neither a determination that the conditions and
practices of your organization are safe nor a warranty that reliance
upon this program will prevent accidents and losses or satisfy
local, state or federal regulations.
•
All procedures and training, whether required by law or not,
should be implemented and reviewed by safety and risk
management professionals, and legal counsel to ensure that all
local, state and federal requirements are satisfied.
Course Outline – Personal Protective Equipment
1. Why Take Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Training?
2. Protecting Workers
3. Head Protection
4. Eye Protection
5. Hearing Protection
6. Respiratory Protection
7. Foot Protection
8. Hand Protection
9. Body Protection
10. Summary
Why Take Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Training?
•
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has been instrumental in
saving millions of worker’s lives in the U.S.
•
Hazards exist in every industry and workplace.
•
All workers that come in contact with hazardous situations or
materials must be aware of, properly out-fitted and wear PPE to
minimize their exposure to occupational hazards.
•
Of course the priority should be to eliminate and control the
hazard at the source, but when this can’t fully be done, PPE is one
of the most important lines of defense.
•
PPE awareness training is just one of the elements in a complete
safety program that uses a variety of strategies to maintain a safe
and healthy occupational environment.
Protecting Workers
Identifying hazards:
Workers must be protected from hazards that can
cause injury, such as falling objects, harmful
substances, and loud noise. Identifying hazards
begins with a survey of the work environment:
•
Watch how workers perform their tasks.
•
Look for sources of potential injury:
– Objects that might fall from above.
– Repetitive motions.
– Exposure to chemicals.
– Sources of heat, intense light, noise, or dust.
– Tools or materials that could produce flying
particles.
Protecting Workers
Operational controls to protect workers:
• Engineering controls (such as ventilation)
• Administrative controls (work practices)
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Engineering and administrative controls are the best approaches to
controlling exposure.
Use of PPE is the last choice of control.
Protecting Workers
Engineering controls:
The best solution is to design or redesign a workstation in a way that
eliminates hazards. This is not always possible, but even a reduction
in exposure is worth the effort.
• If… the work environment can be physically changed to
prevent workers from being exposed to a particular hazard…
• Then… the hazard is said to be eliminated by the use of
engineering controls.
Protecting Workers
Engineering controls include:
• Providing initial workstation design specifications that reduce or
eliminate hazards.
• Replace a hazardous material with a non-hazardous material.
• Enclosing a work process.
• Isolating a work process.
• Installation of ventilation.
An example of an engineering
control is to place an enclosure
around a noisy machine.
Protecting Workers
Administrative controls:
Work practice controls are used to reduce the impact of risk factors
that cannot be completely eliminated with engineering controls.
They include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Employee rotation
Alternative tasks
Redesign of work methods
Job task enlargement
Varying body motions
Rest breaks
Adjustment of work pace
Conditioning and stretching periods
Standard operating procedures (SOP)
Protecting Workers
Administrative controls (continued):
•
If… workers can change the way they do their jobs and the
•
Then… the hazard is said to be eliminated by the use of
exposure to the hazard is removed…
administrative controls.
•
If engineering and administrative controls are unable to completely
eliminate workplace hazards, then the proper PPE must be
supplied and worn by the worker.
Protecting Workers
Personal protective equipment:
Organization requirements:
• Perform a “hazard assessment” of the workplace to determine the
hazards.
• Provide the correct PPE to reduce exposure to the specific hazards.
• Determine when to use PPE.
• Provide PPE training.
• Preventive maintenance and inspection of the PPE.
Worker requirements:
• Use the PPE in accordance with their training.
• Inspect PPE daily and maintain it in clean and reliable condition.
Protecting Workers
Frequent hazard protection
violations:
•
As shown in this graph
depicting recent OSHA
violations, failure to wear head,
100(a)
eye, and face protection is
frequently cited.
Standard - 1926.
•
102(a)(1)
More than 50% of those
citations are for failure to wear 95(a)
head protection and
approximately 25% are for not 106(a)
wearing eye and face
106(d)
protection.
Number of Serious Violations
Head protection
1159
Eye and face protection
521
PPE - provided, used, and maintained
279
Life jackets and vests
35
Lifesaving boat for employees working over water
22
Protecting Workers
Examples of PPE:
PPE must be selected based on the body
part that could be injured and by the
hazards that are present.
Body Part
PPE
Eyes
Face
Head
Feet
Hands
Torso
Lungs
Ears/hearing
Safety glasses, goggles
Face shield
Hard hat
Safety shoes
Gloves
Vest, coveralls
Dust mask, respirator
Earplugs, earmuffs
Protecting Workers
PPE Written Program:
If PPE is to be used to reduce exposure then a formal PPE program
must be developed. This program includes procedures for selecting,
providing, and using PPE.
•
The first step in establishing the program is to assess each
workstation to determine what hazards are likely to be present.
•
Next, PPE that protects against the specific hazards must be
selected.
•
After selecting the appropriate PPE, it is important to properly train
the workers who are required to use it.
Protecting Workers
Required awareness for workers:
Workers who are required to use PPE need to be
able to answer these questions:
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Why is PPE necessary?
•
How will the PPE that is provided protect me?
•
What are its limitations?
•
When and how is the PPE to be worn?
•
How do I identify the signs of defective PPE?
•
How do I clean and disinfect PPE?
•
What is the useful life of PPE and how is it to
be disposed of?
Head Protection
Common head injuries:
The most common ways workers
receive head injuries are:
• Being struck by falling objects,
including tools.
• Bumping their heads against
objects, such as pipes or beams.
• Coming into contact with exposed
electrical components or wiring.
Head Protection
Selecting the right hard hat:
Not just any hard hat will do. A hard hat must be selected for the
types of hazards present and for the work being done.
•
Class G: Used for general service work (building construction,
•
Class E: Used for electrical/utility work. Class E protects against
•
Class C: Used for comfort. Offers limited protection. Class C
shipbuilding, logging). Class G provides good impact protection,
but limited protection against electrical hazards.
falling objects and can reduce injuries from high-voltage shock and
burns.
protects against bumps from fixed objects, but does not protect
against falling objects or electrical shock.
Head Protection
Care of hard hats:
•
Remove hard hats from service:
− When the suspension system shows signs of
deterioration or no longer holds the shell away
from the head.
•
Brim and shell:
− Make sure the brim and shell are not cracked,
perforated, deformed, or showing signs of
exposure to heat, chemicals, or ultraviolet light.
•
Use of paints and stickers:
− Limit use of paints and stickers which can hide
signs of deterioration in the shell. Paints, paint
thinners, and some cleaning agents can weaken
the shell and may reduce electrical resistance.
Eye Protection
Eye protection must be worn:
When the hazards listed below are present,
eye protection must be worn by workers in
the area.
•
Dust and other flying particles such as
metal shavings or sawdust.
•
Corrosive gases, vapors, and liquids that
may splash.
•
Molten metal that may splash.
•
Potentially infectious materials such as
blood or hazardous liquids.
•
Intense light from welding and lasers.
Eye Protection
Selecting the right eye protection:
•
Not just any eye protection will do.
•
Select protection to guard against the kinds of hazards present
and for the work being performed.
•
It should also:
–
–
–
–
–
Be comfortable to wear
Fit well
Not restrict vision or movement
Be durable and easy to clean and disinfect
Not interfere with the function of other required PPE
Eye Protection
Eye protection with corrective lenses:
•
Ordinary correction glasses do not provide the required protection
for workplace hazards.
•
Workers who normally wear correction glasses can often obtain the
needed level of protection by wearing:
‒ Correction glasses designed as safety glasses with side shields
and protection-strength lenses.
‒ Goggles that fit comfortably over correction glasses without
disturbing the glasses.
‒ Goggles that incorporate correction lenses behind protective
lenses.
Eye Protection
Using safety glasses:
While selecting eye protection, remember these
things:
• They must be constructed with safety
frames made from metal or plastic.
• Must meet required design specifications,
such as the current ANSI Standard.
• Must require side shields when used in most
operations.
• They should be used to protect against lowto-moderate impact from particles produced
by tasks such as grinding and woodworking.
Eye Protection
Goggles:
•
Safety goggles form a barrier around the eyes protecting them
from impact, dust, and splashes.
•
Some goggles fit over correction lenses while others include
built-in correction lenses.
Eye Protection
Laser safety goggles:
•
Laser safety goggles, a special kind
of eye protection, protect the eyes
from the intense concentrations of
light produced by lasers.
•
There are different power levels of
lasers and the correct protection
must be specified based on a Hazard
Assessment!
Eye Protection
Face shields:
Face shields provide full face protection.
•
They can protect the face from dust
and splashes or sprays of hazardous
liquids.
•
They do not protect against impact
hazards.
It is best to wear a face shield in combination with safety glasses.
Eye Protection
Welding shields and helmets:
•
Welding shields can protect the eyes
against burns from radiant light.
•
Welding helmets protect the face and
eyes from flying sparks, metal splatters,
and slag chips produced during welding,
brazing, soldering, and cutting.
•
Hot work involving torch cutting, brazing
and welding produce different light
sources and the correct protection must
be specified based on a Hazard
Assessment!
Hearing Protection
Noise is unwanted sound:
•
Sound is measured in units called decibels (dBA). When workers are
exposed to noise in excess of 85 dBA, it is considered unsafe and
action must be taken to reduce the noise exposure.
•
The louder the noise is, the shorter the exposure-time can be before
action must be taken.
•
Determining worker exposure to excessive noise considers several
factors:
− How loud is the noise?
− How long is the exposure to the noise?
− Do workers move between work areas with different noise
levels?
− Is noise generated from one source or multiple sources?
Hearing Protection
Before resorting to hearing protection:
•
Feasible engineering and administrative controls, such as the
following, must be implemented.
− Doing the work differently.
− Using quieter equipment.
− Putting physical barriers around noisy work processes.
− Placing work booths to prevent continuous noise exposures.
•
If engineering and administrative controls do not reduce the noise
exposure to acceptable levels, then hearing protection PPE, such
as earmuffs, earplugs, and canal caps, must be worn. Sometimes
a combination of these are required for loud noises!
Hearing Protection
Decibel chart:
•
This chart shows the
noise levels of certain
types of work.
•
Many construction
jobs require hearing
protection.
Hearing Protection
When hearing protection is needed:
•
It is highly advised that hearing protection be
worn in any work situation where the noise
exposure is over 80 dBA.
•
In situations where the 8-hour Time Weighted
Average (TWA) noise exposure exceeds 85 dBA:
− A noise conservation program, including noise
monitoring, must be implemented.
− Workers need to be offered and encouraged
to use hearing protection devices.
•
Workers are required to be included in a medical
surveillance program to establish current hearing
levels and to monitor any possible hearing level
changes.
Hearing Protection
Requirements:
Workers are required to wear hearing protection when:
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The 8-hour average exposure exceeds 90 dBA
•
When a worker has experienced a measurable hearing loss and
his/her worksite exposure is over 85 dBA.
Hearing Protection
Selecting the right hearing protection:
•
When hearing protection is recommended or required a variety of
styles need to be offered. Training must also be provided on the
proper use of hearing protection.
•
Typically the choices include:
Earmuffs
Earplugs
Canal caps
Respiratory Protection
Respiratory protection is an important element of many
job sites:
• There are so many aspects to respiratory protection that there are
governmental regulations and training programs, similar to this one,
that focus only on respiratory protection.
• The information presented here touches on the main points of
respiratory protection.
• Please review the respiratory protection training program and follow
all respirator manufacturer’s instructions.
Respiratory Protection
Respiratory Protection Program:
•
Thorough jobsite hazard assessments must be done to determine
the respiratory hazards present (such as dusts, mists, gasses, and
vapors), the amounts of the contaminants, and the appropriate
respiratory protection.
− Does anyone need a respirator in the work place?
− Are workers trained on how to use, care for, and maintain
respirators?
− Have workers been approved to wear respirators by a medical
professional?
− Which type of respirator is right for the jobs being performed?
•
These are just a few of the many questions and issues that need
to be addressed when determining the need for and the
establishment of a Respiratory Protection Program.
Respiratory Protection
Respiratory Protection Program (continued):
•
If respirator use is required or if anyone at the jobsite is using a
respirator, specific written programs must be in place.
•
They must be administered by qualified persons.
Respiratory Protection
Respiratory Protection Program (continued):
Programs should include:
• Hazard assessments (ventilation
measurements, air exposure monitoring, etc.)
• Respirator selection (air purifying or air
supplying)
• Employee training and standard
inspection/maintenance procedures
• Medical evaluations from licensed health care
providers
• Fit testing (using quantitative or qualitative
measures)
• Program evaluation
• Record keeping
Respiratory Protection
Potential hazards:
•
Respirators can be used to clean the air
of contaminants from the breathing
zone or to supply clean air from outside
the work area.
•
Different respirators prevent exposures
to different types and concentrations of
air contaminants.
Respiratory Protection
Potential hazards (continued):
Potential hazards can include:
•
Gases and vapors (xylene, isopropyl alcohol)
•
Mists and fogs (aerosol paints)
•
Fumes (welding, brazing, lead, hexavalent chromium)
•
Particulates (asbestos, silica, hexavalent chromium)
•
Oxygen deficiency
Respiratory Protection
Selecting the right respirator:
•
Respirator selection must be based on an evaluation of the kind of
exposure present. The general options are air purifying respirators
or air supplying respirators.
•
Air purifying respirators:
 Dust mask: Simple one or two straps mask (does not require
a medical evaluation if used only voluntarily)
 Particulate respirator: Tight-fitting and filtering face-piece with
cartridges.
 Chemical cartridge respirators
 Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPR)
 Canister respirators
These respirators do not supply oxygen and cannot be used in oxygen
deficient atmospheres!
Respiratory Protection
Selecting the right respirator
(continued):
Air supplying respirators:
• Supplied Air Systems
• Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)
Never wear a respirator unless it is designed for the hazard
and you are authorized and trained to use it.
Foot Protection
Use foot protection in cases like these:
• When heavy objects such as barrels or tools could roll or fall onto
employees’ feet.
• When sharp objects such as nails or spikes could pierce ordinary
shoes.
• When molten metal could splash on feet.
• On hot or wet surfaces.
• On slippery floors or walking surfaces.
Foot Protection
Selecting the right safety shoe:
• Safety shoes must be selected for the kinds of hazards present and
for the kind of work being done. Choose the right shoes for the job!
• Be sure they meet current design specifications, such as the ANSI
Standard.
• Safety shoes with impact-resistant toes and heat-resistant soles
should be selected to protect against hot surfaces common in
roofing and paving work.
• Some safety shoes will have metal insoles to protect against
puncture wounds.
• Other safety shoes may be electrically conductive for use in
explosive atmospheres, or nonconductive to protect against
electrical hazards.
Foot Protection
Selecting the right safety shoe (continued):
•
A good jobsite hazard assessment identifies the possible sources
of foot injuries.
•
After this has been completed, the right kind of shoes and soles,
can be purchased to prevent injuries from such things as slips,
falls, and punctures.
Hand Protection
Use hand protection:
When any of these kinds of injuries might result from work duties:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Chemical burns
Heat burns
Bruises
Abrasions
Cuts
Punctures
Fractures
Amputations
Hand Protection
Selecting the right hand protection:
•
There are many kinds of protective gloves available. Each style is
designed to protect against certain kinds of hazards.
− Durable gloves made of metal mesh, leather, or canvas protect
against cuts, burns, and heat.
− Fabric and coated fabric gloves protect against dirt and
abrasion.
− Chemical and liquid resistant gloves protect against burns,
irritation, and dermatitis. Read the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) of
the material being handled to select the best type of glove
material.
− Rubber gloves protect against cuts, punctures, and abrasions.
Hand Protection
Types of rubber gloves:
• Various kinds of materials are used to
make chemically resistant gloves and
clothing.
• Compatibility and penetration tests are
done with the glove materials to determine
the best protection.
• The manufacturer’s SDS and test standards
must be referenced when doing a hazard
assessment to determine the best type of
glove to use.
SDS’s do not always indicate the proper glove
type. Refer to glove manufacturer too.
Hand Protection
Types of gloves:
• Common types used primarily with
chemicals:
−
−
−
−
−
Nitrile
Latex
Synthetics
Neoprene
Butyl
• Other types:
− Kevlar: Protects against cuts,
slashes, and abrasion.
− Stainless steel mesh: Protects
against cuts and lacerations.
− Food grade: These are also
available.
Body Protection
Body protection needs to be worn:
When body parts or the entire body is exposed to any of the following
sources of injury:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Intense light and heat.
Splashes of hot metals or liquids.
Impacts from tools, machinery, or materials.
Cuts or abrasions.
Hazardous chemical exposure.
Radiation exposure.
Full body suit
Body Protection
Selecting the right body protection:
When choosing protective clothing for body
parts exposed to hazards, consider these types
of protection:
•
Vests
•
Aprons
•
Jackets
•
Coveralls
•
Full body suits
Cooling vest
Sleeves and apron
Body Protection
Selecting the right body protection (continued):
•
Protective clothing comes in a variety of materials suited to
particular hazards.
•
Conduct a hazard assessment to identify potential sources of
bodily injury.
•
Use feasible engineering and administrative controls to eliminate
the hazards.
•
If the possibility of injury still exists, provide protective clothing
that will protect against the specific hazards remaining.
•
Choose the right protection for the job!
Summary
•
Assess the workplace for hazards.
•
Use engineering and administrative controls to eliminate or reduce
the hazards - before resorting to PPE.
•
Select the appropriate PPE to protect workers against all remaining
hazards.
•
Train workers on why the PPE is necessary and how and when it
must be used.
•
Train workers on how to care for their PPE and on how to
recognize deterioration of the PPE.
•
Make sure workers are properly wearing all required PPE.
Personal Protective Equipment
This form documents that the training specified above was presented to the listed participants. By signing below, each participant acknowledges receiving this training.
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