Personal Protective Equipment

Personal Protective Equipment


OUTSIDE LINKS
	Prevent Blindness America
	OSHA Personal Protective Equipment
	OSHA Noise and Hearing conservation
	NIOSH Respirator page

Did you know there are over 1000 eye injuries that occur every day in America's workplaces? It is estimated that 90% of all eye injuries could be prevented if individuals wore the appropriate protective eyewear. March is Workplace Eye Health and Safety Month, sponsored by Prevent Blindness America. What better time than now to consider the effectiveness of your organization's Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) program, as well as the effectiveness of PPE training.

Federal managers and safety personnel have a responsibility to provide a safe and healthful work environment, free of potential hazards. Agency employee protection policies and procedures should be designed so that the risks of employee exposures are eliminated or minimized. However, there are times when essential operations cannot be altered and administrative controls cannot completely eliminate potential risks. These situations require another layer of employee protection, the implementation of personal protective equipment programs. Whenever PPE is necessary, employers must furnish the appropriate equipment and must train employees on the proper care, maintenance, useful life, and disposal of issued equipment.

Do you have employees involved in tasks that put them at risk for occupational exposures? Is the PPE program that is currently in place adequately protecting your employees? Are your employees receiving sufficient training on required PPE? If you have these or any concerns regarding PPE, Federal Occupational Health and its staff of safety and health professionals can assist you by providing recommendations and guidance. FOH can also offer assistance with the implementation of a comprehensive personal protective equipment program.

FOH's Personal Protective Equipment services include:

Assessments of facilities and/or operations to determine if employees are being overexposed to potential hazards.
Job hazard analyses to examine the relationship between the worker, the tasks, the tools and the work environment. FOH professionals can prescribe safer solutions where indicated.
Recommendations on the appropriate PPE, for designated tasks.
Training on the proper use, care and maintenance of required PPE.
Medical monitoring and fit testing for employees who require respiratory protection.

Examples of PPE and the corresponding OSHA Standard:

General Requirements, 1910.132
Eye and face protection, 1910.133 - safety glasses, goggles, chemical goggles, face shields
Respiratory Protection, 1910.134 - air purifying respirators, powered air purifying, supplied air, Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)
Head Protection, 1910.135 - hard hats
Foot Protection, 1910.136- steel-toed boots
Hearing Protection, Hearing Conservation Program, Hearing Protectors 1910.95(i) - earplugs, muffs
Electrical Protection Equipment,1910.137 - gloves, protective clothing
Hand Protection, 1910.138 - gloves (chemical resistive, electrical, puncture resistive)
Respiratory Protection for M. tuberculosis, 1910.139

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