Personal protective equipment employees

Before doing work requiring use of personal protective equipment, employees must be trained to know when personal protective equipment is necessary what type is necessary how it is to be worn and what its limitations are as well as know its proper care, maintenance, useful life, and disposal. In many cases, more than one type of personal protective equipment will provide adequate protection. In those instances employees should be given a choice. 

Do employees appear to have been trained in the use of personal protective equipment [OSHA Reference, 120(e)(2)(iii)]... 

Has the employer implemented the use of engineering controls, work practices, and personal protective equipment to reduce and maintain employee exposure to or below published exposure levels for hazardous substances and health hazards not regulated by 29 CFR Part 1910, Subparts G and Z (e.g., heat stress, lifting hazards) [OSHA Reference. 120(g)(2)]... 

Personal protective equipment (PPE) Devices and apparel worn by employees to prevent or reduce exposure to health and safety hazards in any adverse environment. Examples include respirators, gloves, chemical-resistant overalls, earplugs, and safety glasses. 

A written safety program that includes the following topics new employee safety orientation, safety training, hazard communication, emergency action plan, fall protection, scaffolding, heat stress, personal protective equipment, electrical, first aid, and bloodborne pathogens. 

Further, this standard provides for methods of compliance, personal protective equipment, adequate communication of benzene hazards to employees, regulated areas, and medical surveillance of workers who are or may be exposed to benzene. Any employee routinely exposed to benzene should, in addition to wearing protective equipment, receive periodic blood tests. 

Personal protective equipment and employee conduct required to control exposure... 

A written program developed and implemented by an employer designating proceedures, equipment, personal protective equipment, and work practices that are capable of protecting employees from the health hazards presented by hazardous chemicals usid in that particular workplace. 

OSHA requires employers of workers who are occupationally exposed to 2-butoxyethanol to institute engineering controls and work practices to reduce employee exposure and maintain it at or below pennissible exposure limits (PEL). The PEL for 2-butoxyethanol is 50 ppm (OSHA 1974). Workers exposed to 2-butoxyethanol should wear personal protective equipment such as gloves, coveralls, and goggles to protect exposure to tire skin (OSHA 1974). NIOSH recommends that industrial hygiene surveys be completed at work places where airborne exposure to 2-butoxyethanol or 2-butoxyethanol acetate may occur (NIOSH 1990). If exposure levels are at or above one-half the recommended exposure limit (REL = 5 ppm), NIOSH recommends that a program of personal monitoring be instituted so that tlie exposure of each worker can be estimated. If exposure levels are at or greater than the REL, or if there is a potential for skin contact, NIOSH recommends that 2-butoxyacetic acid be measured in the urine of the workers. 

For line supervisors and employees covering cleaning and preparation, escape routes, training, monitoring, personal protective equipment, communication devices, emergency planning. 

Wastewater employee safety program. Safety policy, eye care, health screening, personal protective equipment, foot protection, equipment maintenance, and motor vehicle safety. Produced by Washington Surburban Sanitation Commission, Hyattsville, Maryland. 

Hazard communication and personal protective equipment and emergency procedures training are addressed in Chapter 4. As with conventional warehouse operations, employees should be trained in safe lift truck operations, lifting and other procedures which are not specific to chemical warehouse operations. However, in a chemical warehouse, instructions on these routine functions should be tailored to address the unique hazards present in the chemical warehouse environment. 

Hazards will be assessed by a five-tiered scale which ranges from 0 to 4. A "0" hazard denotes a minimal hazard, while a 4" hazard indicates a severe hazard. In addition, the system tells the employee the proper personal protective equipment to be worn while using a material under specific conditions. The degree of hazard for each of the three types of hazard is explained in table 1. 

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