Personal Protective Equipment OSHA 30-Hour Construction Fact Sheet Relevant Regulations Common Hazards Precautions to Take OSHA’s Personal Protective Equipment safety standards for construction are included in 29 CFR 1926, Subpart E. The main cause of eye damage: an object striking the worker’s eye. Eye damage is caused by: • Impact and penetration • Heat • Chemicals • Dust • Light and/or radiation. The main cause of foot damage: impact of another object on the foot. Foot damage is caused by: • Impact • Compression • Slipping • Chemicals Head Injuries range from minor abrasions to death, and can include concussions, lacerations, trauma, burns, or even electrocution. Head injuries are caused by: • Falling objects • Flying objects • Bumping the head against a fixed object • Exposure to electricity. Protect your eyes with safety glasses, goggles, face shields, and eyewash stations. Personal Protective Equipment shouldn’t be substituted for following other OSHA safety regulations. But even with those regulations in place, PPE can help protect you on the jobsite. When applicable, use only those items of PPE that meet NIOSH and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards. Newly purchased PPE must conform to the updated ANSI standards that have been incorporated into the OSHA PPE regulations, as follows: • Eye and Face Protection - ANSI Z87.1-1989 • Head Protection - ANSI Z89.1-1986 • Foot Protection - ANSI Z41.1-1991. 10 Steps for Identifying Needs and for Selecting and Using PPE 1. Do a personal protective equipment hazard assessment of the jobsite. Your company's Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) probably spells out what type of equipment you must use on the jobsite. Identify additional hazards that are not covered by the SOP. 2. Look for sources of hazards. 3. Look for all possible exposures to hazards. Don't forget to look at what the subcontractors and vendors are doing on your jobsite. 4. Make a list of job classifications that are exposed to hazards that would require PPE. 5. Identify affected employees. Ask them to explain each step of their jobs and point out potential job hazards. Note any situations where PPE is currently used, what type, and for what purpose. If your company has a policy that PPE be worn at all times in the jobsite, point that out. Protect your feet with steel, reinforced plastic, or hard rubber toed shoes. Standard safety shoes have toes that meet testing requirements found in the “American National Standard for Personal Protection - Protective Footwear,” ANSI Standard Z41.1-1991. Many styles are available to protect feet from specific workplace hazards. Protect your head with a hard hat. Hard hats must fit correctly. There are three classes of hard hats. Note: ANSI originally labeled hardhats as A, B, or C, but updated their labels in 1997 to G, E, and C. The three classes are: A. (General) - Low voltage protection and impact B. C. resistance for impact and electric dangers (Electrical) - High voltage protection and impact resistance for electrical workers (Conductive) - No voltage protection; use for impact resistance when no electrical dangers exist. 6. Report accidents and near misses to the safety office so that they can compile this type of information. Your safety coordinator will review injury/accident data to help identify areas with high incidence of accidents and injuries. 7. Identify areas where tools or equipment need to be repaired or replaced before an accident occurs. Get in the habit of repairing equipment immediately or tagging it and getting it out of the area. 8. Identify outdated or inefficient work practices. 9. Ask fellow workers to participate in a walk-through safety survey. 10. Once you get all this information, analyze the data. Review each of the hazards and determine what type of PPE can protect the workers.
