Personal Protective Equipment Program
1. Purpose
1.1. To ensure that personal protective equipment (PPE) for eyes, face, head, and extremities
are provided, used, and maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition whenever it is
necessary to use at (Insert your company's name) by reason of workplace hazard, which
may cause an injury or illness through absorption, inhalation or physical contact.
1.2. PPE is designed to protect our employees from health and safety hazards that cannot
practically be removed from the work environment. It is the last means of defense. It
should be used only when the hazards cannot be eliminated through engineering and/or
administrative controls. It will be used in conjunction with other controls unless no other
means of hazard control exist.
1.3. Respirators, hearing protection and rubber insulating equipment for electrical work are
considered PPE. However, because OSHA has specific requirements for them, they are not
specifically addressed in this program.
2. Policy
2.1. (Insert your company's name) is committed to providing employees with a safe and healthful
workplace and to complying with all applicable health and safety rules. We have adopted this
program to help prevent illnesses and injuries produced by exposure and to comply with the
OSHA Personal Protective Equipment Standard, 29 CFR §1910.132-138.
3. Eligibility
3.1. This program applies to all employees at (Insert your company's name)’s (Insert location
name) location who work in areas or complete tasks which require the use of PPE.
4. Definitions
4.1. Eyewear/Facewear
4.1.1. Face Shield: Device worn in front of the eyes and a portion of, or all of, the face. Its main
function is to protect the eyes and face.
Goggles: Device, with contour-shaped eyecups or facial contact with glass or plastic
lenses, worn over the eyes for the protection of the eyes and eye sockets.
4.1.2. Side Shield: Device of metal, plastic, or other material hinged or fixed firmly to the
frame of the safety glasses to protect the eye from side exposure.
4.2. Hardhats/Helmets
4.2.1. Helmet: Rigid device that is worn to provide protection for the head, or portions
thereof, against impact, flying particles, or electric shock, or any combination
thereof; and which is held in place by a suitable suspension.
4.2.2. Suspension: The internal cradle of the helmet which holds it in place on the head and is
made up of the headband and crown straps.
4.3. Gloves
4.3.1. Abrasion Resistance: The ability of the glove material to withstand the scuffing action
on the substrate to which it is exposed.
4.3.2. Breakthrough Time: The elapsed time between initial contact of the chemical on the
glove surface and the analytical detection of the chemical on the inside of the glove.
4.3.3. Degradation Characteristics: When the material of the glove itself begins to break
down.
4.3.4. Gloves: Personal protective equipment used for hand protection when handling
chemicals or objects that may pose hazards or cause injuries to the skin.
4.3.5. Laceration Resistance: The ability of the glove material to resist cuts from sharp
objects.
4.3.6. Penetration Resistance: The ability of the glove material to resist puncture due to sharp
objects.
4.3.7. Permeation: The process by which a chemical moves through a protective clothing
material on a molecular level. It involves: (1) absorption of molecules of the chemical
into the outside surface of the material; (2) diffusion of the absorbed molecules in the
material: and (3) desorption of the molecules from the inside surface of the material
into the collecting medium.
4.3.8. Tactile Dexterity: The property of the glove material which enables its user to feel and
allow freedom of movement.
4.4. Other/General
4.4.1. ANSI: American National Standards Institute
4.4.2. ASTM: American Society for Testing and Materials
4.4.3. Hazard Assessment Form a technique that focuses on job tasks as a way to identify
hazards before they occur. It focuses on the relationship between the worker, the
task, the tools, and the work environment. A sample form is in Appendix B.
4.4.4. ISEA: International Safety Equipment Association
4.4.5. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Equipment designed to protect individuals from
workplace hazards, which may cause injury or impairment of body function through
absorption, inhalation, or physical contact (e.g., gloves, eye protection, respirators,
safety boots, and head protection).
4.4.6. Respirator: A device designed to protect the wearer from inhaling harmful dusts,
fumes, vapors, or gases.
5. Procedures
5.1. Hazard Assessments
5.1.1. The Position Title, in conjunction with The Position Title (e.g., Supervisors), will
conduct a walk-through survey of each work area to identify sources of work
hazards. Each survey will be documented using the Hazard Assessment Form
(Appendix A), which identifies the work area surveyed, the person conducting the
survey, findings of potential hazards, and date of the survey.
5.1.2. An effective hazard assessment should include:
5.1.2.1. The jobs (or tasks) that employees complete;
5.1.2.2. The hazards employees are exposed to and where the hazards are located;
5.1.2.3. The likelihood that those hazards could injure the employees;
5.1.2.4. The severity of a potential injury; and
5.1.2.5. The types of PPE necessary to protect employees from those hazards.
5.1.3. During the hazard assessment, identify any hazards that require the use of head, eye,
hearing, face, hand, and/or foot protection. Below are potential hazards to look for:
5.1.3.1. Sources of motion; i.e., machinery or processes where any movement of
tools, machine elements or particles could exist, or movement of personnel
that could result in collision with stationary objects
5.1.3.2. Potential chemical exposures
5.1.3.3. Sources of high temperatures that could result in burns, eye injury, ignition
of protective equipment, etc.
5.1.3.4. Sources of harmful dust
5.1.3.5. Sources of light radiation, i.e., welding, brazing, cutting, furnaces, heat
treating, high-intensity lights, etc.
5.1.3.6. Sources of falling objects or potential for dropping objects
5.1.3.7. Sources of sharp objects which might pierce the feet or cut the hands
5.1.3.8. Sources of rolling or pinching objects which could crush the feet
5.1.3.9. Any electrical hazards
5.1.4. The Position Title shall verify through written certification that all of his/her areas
have been assessed for hazards requiring PPE. This certification shall contain the
following information:
5.1.4.1. A heading that says the document is a “certification” of the hazard
assessment;
5.1.4.2. Name of the workplace evaluated;
5.1.4.3. Name of the person certifying the hazard assessment was completed; and
5.1.4.4. Date(s) that the hazard assessment was performed.
5.1.5. An example form with a written certification is included in Appendix B.
5.2. PPE Selection
5.2.1. After completing the hazard assessments, The Position Title, will determine if the
hazards can first be eliminated or reduced by methods other than PPE such as
engineering or administrative controls.
5.2.2. If such methods are not adequate or feasible, then The Position Title will determine
the suitability of the PPE presently available; and as necessary, will select new or
additional equipment which ensures a level of protection greater than the minimum
required to protect our employees from the hazards.
5.2.3. Careful consideration must be given to comfort and fit. PPE must fit properly to be
effective. For the worker’s comfort and protection, proper fit is critical. If the
protective gear does not fit, it may not adequately protect the worker. Defective or
damaged personal protective equipment shall not be used.
5.2.4. Eye and Face Protection
5.2.4.1. Where eye and face protection are required the selected protection shall be
adequate to protect against machines or operations, which create the risk
of eye or face injuries due to physical, chemical and/or radiation agents.
5.2.4.2. Hazards associated with the potential for flying objects shall utilize eye protection
with side shields. Detachable side shields are permissible, but must meet
ANSI/ISEA Z87.1.
5.2.5.
5.2.6.
5.2.7.
5.2.8.
5.2.4.3. Personnel who are required to wear safety eyewear and need prescription
lenses to conduct their work shall be provided with protective eyewear that
can be worn over the employee’s prescription lenses.
5.2.4.4. Where radiant energy is a hazard, properly shaded lenses shall be selected
for use. Such hazards may include but are not limited to: welding (gas or
electric), ultraviolet light, and heat treat furnaces.
5.2.4.5. Employees desiring eye and face protection and who are not normally assigned
to activities that necessitate eye protection, will be provided with suitable eye
protection where hazards are present.
5.2.4.6. Eye and face equipment must comply with ANSI/ISEA Z87.1.
Respiratory Protection
5.2.5.1. Refer to (Insert your company's name) Respiratory Protection Program.
Head Protection
5.2.6.1. Employees working in areas where there is the possible danger of head
injury from the impact of falling or flying objects, striking against objects, electrical
shock and/or burns, or any combination of these hazards will be protected by
protective hard hats.
5.2.6.2. All head protection shall comply with the specifications contained in ANSI
ANSI/ISEA Z89.1-2014.
5.2.6.3. Protective headwear is broken into the following types and classes:
5.2.6.3.1. Type I: helmets offer protection from blows to the top of the
head
5.2.6.3.2. Type II: helmets offer protection from blows to both the top and
sides of the head
5.2.6.3.3. Class G (general): Class G helmets are proof tested at 2,200 volts
5.2.6.3.4. Class E (electrical): Class E helmets are proof tested at 20,000
volts
5.2.6.3.5. Class C (conductive) helmets: This class provides no electrical
insulation.
5.2.6.4. Hard hats may not be altered in a way that will reduce their efficiency.
5.2.6.5. Typical prohibited alterations include: painting, drilling holes in the shell,
application of metal jewelry, etc. Hats with these alterations or excessive
scratches will be replaced.
Foot Protection
5.2.7.1. Employees who are exposed to hazards that may cause foot injuries due to
falling or rolling objects, objects piercing the sole, extreme cold, wetness,
slipping, electrical shock, or any other hazard identified by the hazard assessment,
shall be required to use safety footwear.
5.2.7.2. Employees who are exposed to hazards that may cause slips and falls shall
be required to wear anti-slip footwear.
5.2.7.3. All steel toed footwear shall comply with ASTM F2412-11.
Hand Protection
5.2.8.1. Hand protection must be selected, provided and worn when employees are
exposed to hazards such as skin absorption of harmful substances, severe
cuts or lacerations, severe abrasions, punctures, chemical burns, thermal
burns, harmful temperature extremes, or any other hazard identified by the
hazard assessment.
5.2.8.2. Glove selection shall include consideration of the following factors:

Whether or not the glove will be reused.

Length of time that the glove may be worn.

The specific chemical or chemicals to which the glove will be exposed.

The ability of the chemical to be skin absorbed.

Permeation characteristics of the glove fabric.

Degradation characteristics of the glove fabric.

Chemical breakthrough times of the glove fabric.

Abrasion resistance.

Penetration resistance.

Laceration resistance.

Tactile dexterity.

Glove fit and ergonomic issues.

Heat resistance.

Vibration damping.

Electrical shock resistance.

Whether or not the gloves need to be sterile or sanitary.

Applicability to work with infectious agents.
 Protection during extreme weather/temperatures.
5.2.8.3. In certain cases it may be necessary to provide two pairs of gloves to
adequately provide protection from the identified hazard(s).
5.2.8.4. A properly fitted glove is important to the wearer’s comfort. Tight-fitting
gloves can cause fatigue while loose fitting gloves can be hazardous. *See
Appendix A for help determining proper glove size.*
5.2.8.5. Employees must be cautious of allergic reactions to natural rubber latex in
the workplace. Whenever necessary, employees should be provided with
non-latex gloves. If latex gloves are chosen, reduced protein, powder-free
latex gloves may help to reduce exposure to allergy-causing proteins.
5.2.9. Hearing Protection
5.2.9.1. If (Insert Company Name) has employees exposed above 85 dBa (decibels
measured on the A scale of a sound level meter), based on an 8-hour timeweighted average (TWA), hearing protection devices must be made
available. Refer to (Insert Company’s Hearing Conservation Program if one
is available) for detailed information on hearing protection.
6. Responsibilities
6.1. The Position Title (e.g., Safety Coordinator, Safety Manager, Operations Manager, etc.)
6.1.1. Ensures this program and its associated documentation is completed and maintained,
including all the required records in Section 8.
6.1.2. Works with the employee(s) who performs the job(s) to evaluate anticipated work
conditions, via a hazard assessment form in their respective areas to determine what, if
any, PPE is required to protect the worker while performing his/her job duties.
6.1.3. Ensures that all job types or categories at (Insert Company Name) have been
evaluated for PPE requirements.
6.1.4. Provides technical consultation and assistance with choosing the proper PPE for work
tasks.
6.1.5. Reviews and approves all of new PPE to ensure it meets all the requirements as
described in this program.
6.1.6. Where feasible, works to develop engineering and/or administrative controls to reduce
the need for PPE.
6.1.7. Develops training materials and trains employees on the topics required by this
program.
6.1.8. Reviews the effectiveness of this program to make sure that it satisfies the
requirements of all applicable federal, state or local requirements.
6.2. The Position Title (e.g., Supervisors, Line Management, Operations Director, etc.)
6.2.1. Ensures that appropriate PPE is worn and used properly.
6.2.2. Reviews how the PPE is issued and keeps records to control equipment misuse, and any
equipment deficiencies.
6.2.3. Ensures any deficient PPE is not used, but is taken out of service immediately and
new PPE is issued.
6.2.4. Ensures that employees are properly trained before beginning work with PPE.
6.3. The Position Title (e.g., Employees)
6.3.1. Understands and properly wears the provided PPE when work assignment or
operations require the use of PPE.
6.3.2. Inspects the provided PPE each day before the start of work.
6.3.3. Notifies The Position Title (e.g., Supervisor) if, upon inspection, the provided PPE is
found to be defective or damaged. Employees shall not perform any work duty that
requires PPE until the defective or damaged PPE is replaced with properly working PPE.
6.3.4. Knows how to properly use, maintain, inspect, and store PPE required for their job.
6.3.5. Informs The Position Title (e.g., Supervisor) whenever a need arises to use PPE for
which the employee has not received training, or when a condition exists, where
adequate PPE is not available.
7. Training
7.1. The Position Title shall provide training/retraining to each employee who is required to use
PPE for his/her job function.
7.2. Each employee shall be trained to know and understand the following:
7.2.1. When PPE is necessary
7.2.2. What type of PPE is necessary, based on job function
7.2.3. How to wear PPE including how to don (put-on), doff (remove), adjust, and wear
7.2.4. Limitations of the PPE.
7.2.5. Proper care and maintenance of PPE.
7.2.6. Useful life of PPE.
7.2.7. Proper disposal of PPE.
7.3. Each employee required to wear PPE shall demonstrate his/her understanding of the training
elements listed above, before being allowed to perform work requiring the use of PPE.
7.4. The Position Title shall provide training during the following situations:
7.4.1. Upon an employee’s initial assignment to a work area or activity that requires PPE.
7.4.2. When changes in the workplace render previous PPE training obsolete.
7.4.3. When there are changes to the selected types of PPE, which render previous training
obsolete.
7.4.4. When Employees no longer demonstrate proficiency with their assigned PPE.
7.5. The Position Title shall verify that each employee, who is required to wear PPE, has received
and understood the required training and that records of training are kept per Section 8.
8. Recordkeeping
8.1. The Position Title will store all documents related to this program including the hazard
assessment forms, hazard assessment certification forms, and training records, in the
(specify a location) for at least 3 years.
8.2. Records shall be maintained which indicate that training was completed and the
employee(s) understand when and how to use PPE.
8.2.1. Training Records shall include:
8.2.1.1. Date of the training session.
8.2.1.2. A brief summary of the session’s subject matter.
8.2.1.3. Name, social security number, and job title of all attendees.
8.2.1.4. Name and qualifications of persons conducting training.
9. Associated Documents
9.1. References for this program include:
9.1.1. OSHA Personal Protective Equipment Standard, 29 CFR §1910.132-138
9.1.2. OSHA Directive CPL 02-01-050: 29 CFR Part 1910, Subpart I, Enforcement Guidance for
Personal Protective Equipment in General Industry
9.1.3. ASTM F2412-11: Standard Test Methods for Foot Protection
9.1.4. ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2010: American National Standard for Occupational and Educational
Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices
9.1.5. ANSI/ISEA Z89.1-2014: American National Standard for Industrial Head Protection
10. Change Control
Table 1: Change Control Record
Revision # Date
0
Description of Changes
Original Documentation for Release.
Author
Appendices
Appendix A: Glove Size and Type Determination
Appendix B: Hazard Assessment and Certification Form
Appendix A: Glove Size and Type Determination
To determine glove size use a tape measure to find the circumference of the hand around the palm area.
This measurement in inches is closest to the actual glove size.
Glove Size:
Hand Size (in.)
XS
6-7
S
7-8
M
8-9
L
9-10
XL
10-11
To choose the proper chemical resistance gloves for a specific chemical, available Internet sources include:
 Showa Best Glove Chemical Resistance Guide: http://www.showabestglove.com/site/chemrest/
 Ansell Glove Chemical Resistance Guide:
http://www.ansellpro.com/download/Ansell_8thEditionChemicalResistanceGuide.pdf
Appendix B: Hazard Assessment and Certification Form
NOTE: Double Click the 2 forms below to open them as a .pdf file in Adobe Acrobat Reader.