Occupational Safety Training:
Personal Protective Equipment
Overview
• Personal Protective Equipment Requirements
• Types of Personal Protective Equipment
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Eye and Face Protection
Head Protection
Foot and Leg Protection
Hand and Arm Protection
Body Protection
Hearing Protection
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Personal Protective Equipment Requirements
• Employer Requirements
– Perform a workplace hazard assessment
– Identify and provide necessary Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE)
– Train employees on the use and care of PPE
– Maintain PPE, including replacing worn or damaged
PPE
– Review, evaluate, and update the effectiveness of PPE
on a periodic basis
• Employee Requirements
– Properly wear PPE
– Attend PPE training sessions
– Care for, clean, and maintain PPE
– Notify management when PPE needs to be repaired or
replaced
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Eye and Face Protection
• Everyday prescription lenses (eye glasses) will not provide
adequate protection for employees.
• Examples of potential eye and face hazards:
– Dust, dirt, metal or wood chips entering the eye from
activities such as chipping, grinding, sawing, hammering,
the use of power tools or even strong wind forces.
– Chemical Splashes
– Swinging objects like tree branches, ropes, or chains.
– Radiant energy from sparks, heat, glare, etc.
• Types of Eye and Face Protection:
Safety
Spectacles
Safety Goggles
Laser Safety
Goggles
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Welding Shield
Face Shield
Head Protection
• Employees must wear hardhats if:
– Objects might fall from above and strike the head.
– Someone might bump their head on a fixed object, like a pipe or
a beam.
– There may be accidental head contact with electrical hazards.
• Hard hats must have a hard outer shell and a shock-absorbing lining
that incorporates a headband and straps that suspend the shell from
1 to 1 1/7 inches away from the head.
• Types of Hardhats:
– Class A: hard hats provide impact and penetration resistance
along with limited voltage protection (up to 2,200 volts).
– Class B: hard hats provide the highest level of protection against
electrical hazards, with high-voltage shock and burn protection
(up to 20,000 volts). Also provide protection from falling objects.
– Class C: lightweight, provides impact protection, but does not
provide electrical hazard protection.
– Bump Hat: designed only for low head clearance situations,
does not have any additional protection.
Bump Hat
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Foot and Leg Protection
• Employees at risk for foot or leg injuries from falling,
rolling, crushing, penetrating, hot, corrosive, or
poisonous materials should wear foot and leg protection.
• Safety footwear must meet American National Standard
for Personal Protection-Protective Footwear
requirements for impact and compression.
• Types of Foot and Leg Protection:
Safety
Shoes/Boots
Metatarsal
Guards
Toe
Guards
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Foot and
Shin Guards
Leggings
Hand and Arm Protection
• Potential hazards include skin absorption of harmful substances,
chemical or thermal burns, electrical dangers, bruises, abrasions, cuts,
punctures, fractures and amputations.
• Types of Gloves
– Leather, Canvas, or Metal Mesh Gloves:
• Leather Gloves protect against sparks, moderate heat, blows,
chips and rough objects.
• Aluminized gloves provide reflective and insulating
protection against heat and require an insert made of synthetic
materials to protect against heat and cold.
• Aramid fiber gloves protect against heat and cold, are cut and abrasive - resistant and wear well.
• Synthetic gloves of various materials offer protection against
heat and cold, are cut - and abrasive - resistant and may
withstand some diluted acids. These materials do not stand up
against alkalis and solvents.
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Hand and Arm Protection (continued)
– Fabric and Coated Fabric Gloves
• Fabric Gloves: protect against dirt, slivers, chafing and
abrasions. They do not provide sufficient protection for use
with rough, sharp or heavy materials. Adding a plastic
coating will strengthen some fabric gloves.
• Coated Fabric Gloves: These gloves provide extra slip
resistance to plain fabric gloves and are used for tasks
ranging from handling bricks and wire to chemical
laboratory containers.
– Chemical and Liquid Resistant Gloves
• Butyl Gloves: made of a synthetic rubber and protect against
a wide variety of chemicals. Butyl gloves also resist
oxidation, ozone corrosion and abrasion, and remain flexible
at low temperatures. Butyl rubber does not perform well
with aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons and halogenated
solvents.
• Natural (latex) Rubber Gloves: comfortable to wear, which
makes them a popular general-purpose glove. They feature
outstanding tensile strength, elasticity and temperature
resistance. In addition to resisting abrasions caused by
grinding and polishing, these
gloves protect workers' hands
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from most water solutions of acids, alkalis, salts and ketones.
Hand and Arm Protection (continued)
• Neoprene Gloves: made of synthetic rubber and
offer good pliability, finger dexterity, high density
and tear resistance. They protect against hydraulic
fluids, gasoline, alcohols, organic acids and alkalis.
They generally have chemical and wear resistance
properties superior to those made of natural rubber.
• Nitrile gloves: made of a copolymer and provide
protection from chlorinated solvents such as
trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene. Although
intended for jobs requiring dexterity and sensitivity,
nitrile gloves stand up to heavy use even after
prolonged exposure to substances that cause other
gloves to deteriorate. They offer protection when
working with oils, greases, acids, caustics and
alcohols but are generally not recommended for use
with strong oxidizing agents, aromatic solvents,
ketones and acetates.
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Body Protection
• Employees must wear body protection if there is any risk for injury.
Such injuries can be caused by radiation, cuts, extreme
temperatures, hot splashes from molten metal or other hot liquids,
chemicals, and possible impact from tools, machinery, or other
materials.
• Body protection needs to be inspected before each use, needs to fit
properly, and needs to provide protection for it’s intended usage.
• Types of Body Protection:
Lab Coat
Apron
Vest
(Radiation)
Surgical
Gown
Jacket
Full
Body Suit
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Coveralls
Body Protection (Continued)
• Materials used on Body Protection:
– Paper-like Fiber: for disposable suits provide protection against
dust and splashes.
– Treated Wool and Cotton: adapts well to changing
temperatures, is comfortable, and fire-resistant and protects
against dust, abrasions, and rough and irritating surfaces.
– Duck: a closely woven cotton fabric that protects against cuts
and bruises when handling heavy, sharp or rough materials.
– Leather: often used to protect against dry heat and flames.
– Rubber, Rubberized Fabrics, Neoprene and Plastics: protect
against certain chemicals and physical hazards. When chemical
or physical hazards are present, check with the clothing
manufacturer to ensure that the material selected will provide
protection against the specific hazard.
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Hearing Protection
• Employees’ exposure to noise is determined by how loud the noise
is (measured in decibels, dB), how long employees are exposed, if
employees move between work areas with different noise levels,
and if the noise is coming from one source.
• Employees must wear hearing protection when noise levels are at an
unacceptable level.
• Types of Hearing Protection:
– Single-use Earplugs: made of waxed cotton, foam, silicone
rubber or fiberglass wool. They are self-forming and, when
properly inserted, they work as well as most molded earplugs.
– Pre-formed or Molded Earplugs: must be individually fitted by
a professional and can be disposable or reusable. Reusable plugs
should be cleaned after each use.
– Earmuffs: require a perfect seal around the ear. Glasses, facial
hair, long hair or facial movements such as chewing may reduce
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the protective value of earmuffs.
Hearing Protection (continued)
• Take a moment to compare everyday noises that you are exposed to
and the acceptable amount of exposure to the noise.
Permitted Noise Exposure
Everyday Noise Sources
Noise Source
Sound
level in
dB*
92
Normal Conversation
60
4
95
Washing Machine
70
3
97
2
100
Duration per day,
in hours
Sound
level in dB*
8
90
6
Compare Alarm Clock (2 ft away)
80
Average Traffic
85
Lawnmower
90
Amplified Music
110
11/2
5
102
1
105
1/2
110
Chainsaw
110
1/4 or less
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Screaming Child
110
Aircraft Takeoff
180
*This is based on continuous noise, with noise
gaps lasting one second or less.
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Questions, Concerns, Assistance
For Questions, Concerns, and Assistance please contact Human
Resources:
Steve Sager
Director of Human Resources, Airborne Global Solutions
Phone: 937-366-2830
Email: steve.sager@airborneglobal.com
References
United States Department of Labor. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Personal Protective Equipment. 2003. Web.
<http://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3151.html>.
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