(Newswire.net — January 3, 2022) — January 3, 2022) –
What is personal protective equipment or (PPE)?
Personal protective equipment is also known as “PPE”, is equipment that is used to protect the worker from exposure to hazards that cause serious injury and ill healthiness in the workplace. These injuries and ill health can result from contact with chemical hazards, radiological hazards, physical hazards, electrical hazards or machinery substances, mechanical or other hazards in the workplace. Personal protective equipment can include items safety glasses, goggles, face shields, hard hats, safety shoes, gloves, vests, Hearing – earplugs, earmuffs, Mask, Breathing Apparatus.
General Industry (29 CFR 1910)
Protecting Employees from Workplace Hazards
- Employers must protect employees from workplace hazards such as machines, and other hazardous substances, and dangerous work procedures that can cause injury or ill health.
- Employers must:
- Ø Use all feasible engineering controls and work practice controls to eliminate, reduce and prevent hazards
- Ø Then use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) or PPE kit Eye – safety glasses, goggles, Face – face shields, Head – hard hats, Feet – safety shoes, Hands and arms – gloves, Bodies – vests, Hearing – earplugs, earmuffs Breathing- Mask, Breathing Apparatus if these controls do not eliminate, reduce or prevent the hazards.
- Note: PPE is the boundary line of control!
REF: Additional information: OSHA Instructions CPL 2.103, Field inspection Reference Guide, Chapter IV, Section A29 CFR 1910, Subpart I, Appendix B1910.1000 (e)
The hazard can be eliminated through a technical test. Example “First design specifications, replace less harmful material, change processes, close processes, isolate processes, ventilation.
Examples of PPE
• Safety glasses for the eyes, protective goggles
• Face masks
• Protection for the feet Shoes
• Hand and arm gloves
• Body vests
• Earplugs, earmuffs
• Breathing mask, respiratory protection equipment
Training Employees
Who has to wear PPE should be trained in at least the following knowledge:
• When PPE is required
• What type of PPE is required?
• Donning and doffing, donning and wear and tear
• Limitations of PPE
• Proper care about your Personal protective equipment, maintenance of PPE, service life of PPE, and disposal of the PPE
REF: 1910.132 (f)
Employers try to improve a PPE program:
- Assess the workplace for hazards
- Use engineering controls, administrative control, and work practice controls to eliminate or reduce hazards before using PPE
- Select the related PPE to protect employees from workplace hazards that cannot be eliminated, reduce or prevent.
- Aware the employees why the PPE is necessary for them and when it should be used.
- Give Training to the employees and make them aware about the care for their PPE and how to recognize deterioration and failure
- Aware the worker to wear approved PPE in the workplace to protect themselves
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