Evaluation initial hazard, objectives

The basic element of any PPE program is an in depth evaluation of the equipment needed to protect against the hazards at the workplace this is the initial hazard assessment for which written documentation is required. Two basic objectives of any PPE program should be to protect the wearer from incorrect use and/or malfunction of PPE. 

For example, once implemented, the European Commission s new chemicals policy REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) -endorsed in 2003 - would require manufacturers and importers of over one ton per year of any chemical substance to gather information on the properties, hazards, and use of that substance, and submit the data to the European Chemicals Agency. The Agency would then determine if the chemical substance needed to be further regulated, restricted, or banned from use. It is estimated that about 30,000 existing chemicals produced in or imported into Europe would be subject to REACH. Key objectives of the European Commission s initiative on the reformulation of chemicals policy are to raise human and environmental safety levels as well as to simplify and standardize the current legislation. 

Stipulate what needs to be done to prove accomplishment of the safety objectives allocated in Step 2. To eliminate or mitigate any particular hazard or event, recommendations may take the form of changes to the design, testing required to evaluate effects following an initiating event, further analysis to be conducted, manuals to be amended, etc. 

Clearance should be assigned to a certified risk assessor or inspector. To ensure that the evaluation is objective, it should not be done by anyone who is paid or employed by the contractor who did the abatement work. HUD recommends that if no risk assessment was done initially, one be done at this point, in case there are additional hazards that have not been identified. 

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