OSHA recently issued the Enforcement Guidance for Personal Protective Equipment in General Industry.  This is a directive that provides enforcement personnel with instructions for determining whether employers have complied with OSHA personal protective equipment (PPE) standards.  The directive was effective February 10, 2011.  Replacing Inspection Guidelines for 29 CFR 1910 Subpart I, the revised PPE Standards for General Industry which were issued in June, 1995, the updated standards include clarifying what type of PPE employers must provide at no cost to workers, and when employers are required to pay for PPE.  It also provides guidance that lets employers use PPE that meets current consensus standards and updates PPE enforcement policies based on court and review commission standards. 

These standards require employers to provide – at no cost to workers – protective equipment, such as goggles and face shields that fit properly without restricting vision; earplugs and earmuffs when they will reduce noise to acceptable levels, and are less costly than administrative and engineering controls; and respirators to protect workers from exposure to air contaminants.  The directive lists PPE and other items exempted from the employer payment requirements and includes questions and answers useful in clarifying PPE payments concerns.  The guidance can be downloaded as a pdf by visiting OSHA’s Safety and Health Topics page on PPE.  

Workers are not always compliant.

Many companies have a problem with workers wearing the PPE that is furnished to them.  In a 2010 survey of safety professionals attending the American Society of Safety Engineers annual conference, an exceedingly high 98 per cent of respondents said they had observed workers not wearing safety equipment when they should have been.  Even worse, 30 per cent of these respondents said this had happened on several occasions.  All survey respondents reported that workers’ compliance with PPE protocols was cited as the top workplace safety issue.  These findings reflect the fact that safety decisions relating to PPE use are not just made at the management level.  Individual workers make decisions on a daily basis to whether to follow PPE wearing protocols or not.  

Most of the reasons for PPE noncompliance were different; however, the biggest complaint was that is was uncomfortable, selected by 40 per cent of respondents, in addition to:

• Not available near the work task;
• Poor fit;
• Too hot;
• Unattractive looking. 

No matter the reason for not complying with the safety policies of wearing PPE, there must be things leaders can do to encourage compliance.  Some of the ideas are: purchasing more comfortable PPE; increased monitoring of employees; incorporating compliance to individual performance evaluations; buying more stylish PPE; and developing incentive programs to encourage greater PPE compliance. 

One of the complaints was that PPE was  not always available near the work task.  There are many products that make it very convenient for the employee – hardhats that have slots to accommodate hearing protection, winter liners, neck protection, and even a pencil holder.  Glove Guards are easily hooked onto the belt loop to keep gloves ready for use.  So this is simply a matter of looking into the detailed features of some ppe products, and seeing exactly what they provide.

Personal protective equipment products have come a long way to ensure comfort and looks.  Polarized safety glasses are as stylish as those one would pay several times more in an optical store.  Gloves are made in all styles for men, and also designed to fit the smaller hands of women –  and are available in pink!  Team and patriotic hardhats ensure compliance for those workers who enjoy showing team support.  Those who make the choices on what’s right for their employees should shop around and see just what all is available for workers to help them feel good about their PPE, as well as knowing it will help keep them safe (when worn). 

Source: Kimberly Clark Professional

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Most of the time, when we get ready to go out, we (guys and gals) have to be certain that everything is pretty close to perfect……from  hair, clothes, shoes, the works, we want to look good!  How about your work?  Many jobs require wearing several different types of personal protective equipment, all at the same time!  What serves the workplace correctly must not interfere with ones’ ability to perform their job.  Do you have the correct “outfit” for your job? 

Personal protective equipment, or p.p.e., as it is called, may cover a worker from head to toe.  Construction workers may wear hardhats, safety glasses, gloves, steel-toed boots, and other safety products.  Hospital employees not only wear scrubs or lab coats, but also may have to don face shields, goggles, safety glasses, and medical gloves.  There are many types of p.p.e. that can accommodate one another.  Hardhats are made with slots that allow several other protective devices to attach to them, such as earmuffs, glasses, and even a pencil clip! 

For p.p.e. to be effective, workers must know that it is for their protection.  If it is uncomfortable or does not fit, they may not wear it.  Managers, who have employees’ safety in mind, must be a positive influence on their workers.  It is their responsibility to convey the importance of wearing the right p.p.e. that fits both the employee and the job.  They have prior experience and know the hazards of each particular job.  As well as enforcing safety, they must deal with issues, such as keeping up with OSHA guidelines, enforcing policies, and training workers in first aid and being prepared for workplace emergencies.   If safety glasses are too big, they certainly aren’t going to protect the eyes.  (Hundreds of persons have had their eyes damaged seriously because they were not even wearing their safety glasses.)   If the hardhat doesn’t fit, it’s going to fall off and be of little use.  Not wearing p.p.e., or wearing it incorrectly can affect one’s health, quality,  and possibly duration of life. 

There are many kinds of p.p.e. that must be available at a moment’s notice.  Disposable clothing, for instance, may become soiled or damaged, and need to be replaced quickly, therefore, replacement supplies should be kept in stock.  Letting the workers make a personal choice of their p.p.e. could help ensure acceptance and compliance of safety policies.  Whatever it takes, the bottom line is the importance of personal protective equipment for the entire team – the managers, supervisors, and workers.  Each person is responsible for his own safety, but having good training and understanding of personal protective equipment and the role it plays in keeping each person safe is primary. 

You wouldn’t see a race car driver get into his vehicle without his entire suit of protective clothing, or a football or hockey player start to compete without first putting on those pads under their uniforms, so why should we begin our work without the right total “outfit?”

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Last week, we covered different types of personal protective equipment and the applications for each.  With all of the technological advances and machinery used in today’s world, understanding and using proper PPE is more important than ever before.

In determining the proper PPE for industries, a walk-through survey should be done by employers to develop an organized safety program.  Both workplace physical and health hazards must be analyzed.  Employers then would determine what types of PPE would be needed.  It is suggested that a higher level of protection than the minimum be chosen to ensure employees are protected from hazards.  Written certification is required which includes the Hazard Assessment Date, Company Identification, and Name of the Document.

Personal Protective Equipment is available to protect you from such hazards as:
¨    Chemicals – Coveralls, Gloves, Face Shields, Goggles
¨    Heat/Cold- Gloves, Earmuffs, Hardhats
¨    Biologic (blood, infected materials)-Lab Coats, Disposable Gloves, Coveralls
¨    Light Radiation-Safety Glasses, Goggles, Welding Hoods
¨    Harmful Dust-Respirators, Goggles, Side shields
¨    Sharp Objects-Cut Resistant Gloves
¨    Falling Objects-Hard Hats

Take the time to determine what hazards are present in your particular situation.  Once determined, take the steps to supply yourself and your employees with the needed equipment.

Source:
OSHA

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Work hazards exist in most professions.  Employers must provide as much administrative assistance and planning to eliminate these hazards as they can, by either work practice control (changing the way employees do their jobs) or engineering control (building barriers between hazards and workers, when possible).  When these measures aren’t enough, OSHA requires that employers provide their employees with PPE (Personal Protective Equipment).  (Note:  Certain Standards of OSHA state that the employer must provide PPE at no cost to the employee, while others state only that the employer must provide PPE.) Examples of PPE are hardhats, respirators, full body suits, hearing protection devices, foot, hand, face and eye protection.

In several installments, we will share information with you to help you understand the basics of determining the proper types of PPE that will keep employees safe!  It is important that employers and employees:

• Do a hazard assessment of their workplace

• Be familiar with the different types of PPE

• Train in proper wear and care of PPE

• Select appropriate PPE for various circumstances

• Report to supervisor when PPE needs to be replaced

• Replace worn or damaged PPE

We hope to help you decide what products to furnish to ensure your safety!

Source:  OSHA, PPE 3151-12R

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