Lot’s of OSHA standards require employers to provide personal protective equipment, when it is necessary to protect employees from getting sick or hurt at work. OSHA requires employers to pay for personal protective equipment when it is used to comply with OSHA standards (almost always). These typically include: goggles, safety glasses hard hats, gloves, welding helmets, face shields, chemical protective equipment and fall protection equipment.
What is personal protective equipment?
Personal protective equipment, commonly referred to as “PPE”, is equipment worn to minimize exposure to hazards that can cause serious workplace injuries and illnesses. These injuries and illnesses can come from contact with chemical, radiological, physical, electrical, mechanical, or other workplace hazards.
What can be done to ensure proper use of personal protective equipment?
All personal protective equipment should be safely designed and constructed, and should be maintained in a clean and reliable fashion. It should fit comfortably, encouraging worker use. Workers should have a couple of options to choose from. If the personal protective equipment does not fit properly, it can make the difference between being safely covered or exposed. When engineering, work practice, and administrative controls are not feasible or do not provide sufficient protection, employers must provide personal protective equipment to their workers and ensure it is used correctly. Employers are also required to train each worker required to use personal protective equipment to know:
- When it is needed
- What kind
- How to put it on, adjust, wear and take it off
- The limitations of it
- Proper care, maintenance, lifespan, and disposal of the equipment
If PPE is to be used, a PPE program should be implemented. This program is written and should address the hazards present; the selection, maintenance, and use of PPE; the training of employees; and monitoring of the program to ensure its ongoing effectiveness.
Please reach out to East Shore Safety for your PPE Assessments or to have a written program developed.