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Equipment Protection

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT POLICY

I. Policy and Scope

This policy establishes procedures pertaining to safety equipment and is designed to comply with federal and state regulations and to protect employees from serious injuries.

II. References

    1. OSHA 29 CFR 1910, Subpart I, Section 1910, 132 to 1910, 140.
    2. Raffles Loss Prevention Program Manual, Section 17.
    3. OSHA Voluntary Compliance Outreach Program Manual, Section 5.

III. Administration of the Program

    1. The administrator of the program shall be the Director of Safety and Security who has responsibility for its development and coordination.
    2. Deans, Directors, Department Chairs, Chemical Hygiene Officers, and Supervisors are responsible for ensuring employee compliance with this policy and they should conduct routine monitoring of their subordinates.
    3. Disciplinary action will be administered by supervisory personnel to those employees who fail to comply with the provisions of this policy.

IV. General Requirements

    1. Personal protection for the eyes, face, head, and extremities, protective clothing, and protective shields and barriers, shall be provided and used, maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition wherever it is necessary by reason of hazards, or mechanical irritants encountered in a manner capable of causing injury or impairment in the function of any part of the body through absorption, inhalation, or physical contact.
    2. Where employees provide their own protective equipment, the employer shall be responsible to assure its adequacy, including proper maintenance, and sanitation of such equipment.
    3. All personal protective equipment (PPE) shall be of safe design and construction for the work to be performed.
    4. Supervisors are required to conduct a hazard assessment of the workplace to determine if any hazards are present that would require the use of PPE and then select the appropriate PPE based on those hazards.
    5. Supervisors shall arrange training for each employee who is required to use personal protective equipment. Training must consist of the following:
      1. When the equipment is necessary
      2. What equipment is used
      3. How to properly don, adjust and remove the equipment
      4. The limitations of the equipment
      5. Proper care, maintenance, and disposal practices

V. Eye and Face Protection

    1. Always use the correct eye and face protection if you work with:
      1. Molten metals
      2. Liquid chemicals
      3. Hazardous gases
      4. Flying particles
      5. Injurious radiant energy
            B.    Safety glasses are the main form of eye protection
      1. Coverage from the front and sides is required anytime there is a hazard from flying objects.
      2. Detachable side protectors are acceptable.
      3. Types of eye and face protection include:
      1. Safety glasses
      2. Goggles
      3. Face Shields
      4. Welding helmets
      5. Full hoods
                        4.    Safety glasses or goggles should be worn under face shields and
                               welding helmets for added protection.
                        5.    Tinted or shaded lenses may be needed to protect you from glare
                               when working in a bright environment.
                        6.    Tinted lenses can limit your vision when moving from a bright area to a
                               dim area.
                        7.    A specifically numbered filtering lens should be used when welding or
                               using other radiant heat source.
                        8.    To ensure that your eye protection is safe, identification of the
                               manufacturer must be listed on the item.

               C.   Prescription Lenses

      1. If you wear contact lenses, you may face additional hazards from dust or chemicals.
                              a.   Dust caught underneath the lens can cause painful abrasions.
                              b.   Some chemicals can react with your contacts and cause permanent
                                    injury.
                              c.   Keep in mind that contact lenses are not considered protective
                                    devices. If eye hazards are present, you must wear protection in
                                    addition or instead of contact lenses.

                       2.    If you wear prescription glasses, you must wear one of the following:

                              a.   Goggles and other protective devices to fit over your regular
                                    prescription glasses.
                              b.   Protective eye wear ground to your prescription.

VI. Head Protection

    1. Hard hats are designed to protect you from impact and penetration caused by objects hitting your head, and from limiting electrical shock or burns.
      1. The shell of the hat is designed to absorb some of the impact.
      2. The suspension system, which consists of the headband and strapping, is critical to absorbing impact. It must be adjusted to fit the wearer and keep the shell a minimum distance of one and one fourth inches above the wearer's head.
      3. Hard hats must meet requirements for weight, flammability, and electrical insulation.
             B.   Classes of Hard Hats

Hard hats come in 3 classes:

      1. Class A hard hats are made from insulating materials to protect you from falling objects and electric shocks by voltages of up to 2,200 volts.
      2. Class B hard hats are made from insulating material to protect you from falling objects and electrical shocks by voltages of up to 20,000 volts.
      3. Class C hard hats are designed to protect you from falling objects, but are not designed for use around live electrical wires or where corrosive substances are present.

VII. Foot Protection

    1. Foot protection is required when working in areas where there is a potential of foot injury due to falling or rolling objects, objects piercing the sole, or exposed electrical standards.
    2. Foot injuries are most likely to occur:
      1. When heavy or sharp objects fall on your foot
      2. When something rolls over your foot
      3. When an object that is stepped on pierces the sole of the shoe

             C.   Safety shoes and boots are made with steel-reinforced box toe to protect your
                    foot from being pierced or crushed. Many safety boots are now required to
                    have puncture resistant soles.

      1. If you work around exposed electrical wires or connections, you will need to wear metal-free non-conductive shoes or boots.
      2. If you work in a static free environment, such as working with computers or other electrical equipment, wear a conductive shoe designed to drain static charges into floor or mat.
      3. Rubber or synthetic footwear may be needed when working around chemicals.
      4. Avoid wearing leather shoes or boots when working with caustic chemicals because these substances will eat through leather.
      5. Supervisors will assist in determining what is necessary for your job.

VIII. Hearing Protection

    1. Hearing loss can be a common workplace injury, all to often ignored because it happens gradually over time. Permanent hearing loss can be suffered by loud noises without causing pain. There is no cure for noise induced hearing loss, so the prevention of excessive noise exposure is the only way to avoid hearing damage. Hearing protection worn incorrectly can be almost as damaging as wearing no hearing protection at all.
    2. You need to protect your ears when:
      1. The sounds in your work area are irritating
      2. You have to raise your voice to be heard by someone closer than two feet away
      3. There are signs indicating that hearing protection is required
      4. There are short bursts of sound that can cause hearing damage
              C.   Earplugs

Earplugs offer the best protection. Foam earplugs that fit snugly are the most effective. To insert properly:

      1. Roll the plug into a small diameter (with clean hands)
      2. Place it well into the ear
      3. You may find it helpful to pull your ear back up as you insert the plug
      4. After insertion hold the plug in your ear for a few seconds to ensure a good fit
               D.   Earmuffs

Earmuffs may also be used to protect your hearing. Earmuffs fit over the outside of the ear. Though they look like they would provide better protection than earplugs, their effectiveness is actually limited by the seal they form around the ear.

      1. The cups on the earmuffs should be made of sponge to give a good seal
      2. Facial hair can decrease your protection by breaking the seal
      3. Wearing eyeglasses with earmuffs can pose a similar problem
                 E.   Proper Protection

To ensure the proper degree of protection, earplugs and earmuffs may have to be worn together. This is especially true in an extremely noisy work environment. Keep in mind that when using hearing protection to block out noises, you may be blocking out sounds you need to hear, such as voices and alarms.

IX. Hand Protection

    1. Personal protection equipment to protect hands is required for employees who are exposed to hazardous substances, severe cuts or lacerations, severe abrasions, punctures, chemical burns, thermal burns or harmful temperature extremes.
    2. Gloves

Gloves are the most common protection for hands.

      1. When working with chemicals, gloves should be taped at the top, or folded with a cuff to keep liquids from running inside your glove or onto your arm.
      2. Vinyl, rubber, or neoprene gloves are sufficient when working with most chemicals. However, if you work with petroleum based products, a synthetic glove will be needed.
      3. Leather or cotton gloves are appropriate for handling most abrasive materials. Gloves reinforced with metal staples offer greater protection from sharp objects.
      4. Do not wear metal reinforced gloves when working with electrical equipment.
      5. It is dangerous to wear gloves while working on moving machinery. Moving parts can easily pull your glove, hand and arm into the machine.
      6. Your supervisor will instruct you on the best type of hand protection available for your job. Whatever gloves are selected, make sure they fit properly.

X. Limitations of Personal Protective Equipment

Know the limits of your PPE. It won't protect you from everything. For example, your gloves may protect you from the chemicals you work with but those used in another area could dissolve your gloves.

    1. Inspection
      1. Earmuffs with cracked, cut, or missing gaskets reduce your protection
      2. Dirty or scratched eye wear could limit your vision
      3. Periodically, check the suspension of your hard hat. Look for loose or torn cradle straps, loose rivets, or other defects.
      4. Personal protective equipment must fit properly to protect you. If you are not wearing the right size shoe, there is a greater danger of tripping then from any other hazard
              B.   Maintenance
      1. Learn how to clean and sanitize your equipment. Earplugs may protect your hearing but they could cause infection if they are put in with dirty hands
              C.   Care and Storage
      1. Know how to store your equipment. For example rubber gloves could be damaged if stored in extreme heat.
      2. If your equipment is damaged, repair or replace it.

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