Personal Protective Equipment Basics for Workers Who Wear PPE

The hazard assessment decides

Why PPE

PPE must be provided, used and kept in a sanitary and reliable condition wherever hazards could injure any part of your body through absorption, inhalation or physical contact.

Your employer's hazard assessment

Your employer must assess the workplace to find hazards that are present, or likely to be present, that call for PPE. When it finds them, your employer must:

• Select the types of PPE that protect you from those hazards, and have you use it
• Tell you what was selected
• Select PPE that properly fits you

Your employer must verify that the assessment was performed through a written certification that identifies the workplace evaluated, the person certifying that the evaluation was performed, and the date(s) of the hazard assessment, and that identifies the document as a certification of hazard assessment.

What your training covers

Your employer must train you to know at least:

• When PPE is necessary
• What PPE is necessary
• How to properly put on (don), take off (doff), adjust and wear it
• Its limitations
• Its proper care, maintenance, useful life and disposal

Reference: 29 CFR 1910.132(a) · 29 CFR 1910.132(d)(1) · 29 CFR 1910.132(d)(1)(i) · 29 CFR 1910.132(d)(1)(ii) · 29 CFR 1910.132(d)(1)(iii) · 29 CFR 1910.132(d)(2) · 29 CFR 1910.132(f)(1) · 29 CFR 1910.132(f)(1)(i) · 29 CFR 1910.132(f)(1)(ii) · 29 CFR 1910.132(f)(1)(iii) · 29 CFR 1910.132(f)(1)(iv) · 29 CFR 1910.132(f)(1)(v)

Eyes and face

When eye or face protection is required

Your employer must make sure you use appropriate eye or face protection when you are exposed to flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors, or potentially injurious light radiation.

• Flying objects: your eye protection must give side protection. Detachable clip-on or slide-on side shields that meet the standard are acceptable.
• Prescription glasses: regular glasses alone are not eye protection. You need eye protection with your prescription built in, or eye protection that fits over your glasses without disturbing the position of either set of lenses.
• Welding, cutting, brazing and similar light radiation: you must use filter lenses with a shade number appropriate for the work. The standard's table lists minimum shades. Its rule of thumb: start with a shade too dark to see the weld zone, then go lighter until you can see enough, without going below the minimum.
• Eye and face PPE must be marked to identify the manufacturer. Unmarked eyewear is a red flag.

Reference: 29 CFR 1910.133(a)(1) · 29 CFR 1910.133(a)(2) · 29 CFR 1910.133(a)(3) · 29 CFR 1910.133(a)(4) · 29 CFR 1910.133(a)(5)

Head, feet and hands

Head

• Where there is a potential for head injury from falling objects, your employer must make sure you wear a protective helmet.
• Near exposed electrical conductors that could contact your head, the helmet must be one designed to reduce electrical shock hazard.

Feet

Protective footwear is required where there is a danger of foot injury from falling or rolling objects, or objects piercing the sole. It is also required when it will protect you from an electrical hazard, such as static discharge or electric shock, that remains after your employer takes other necessary protective measures.

Hands

Your employer must select, and require you to use, appropriate hand protection when your hands are exposed to hazards such as skin absorption of harmful substances, severe cuts or lacerations, severe abrasions, punctures, chemical burns, thermal burns and harmful temperature extremes.

Your employer chooses gloves based on how they perform for the task, the conditions, how long you wear them, and the hazards. Use the glove chosen for the job you are doing.

Reference: 29 CFR 1910.135(a)(1) · 29 CFR 1910.135(a)(2) · 29 CFR 1910.136(a) · 29 CFR 1910.138(a) · 29 CFR 1910.138(b)

Usable gear, proven skill

Keep it usable

• PPE must be used and kept in a sanitary and reliable condition.
• All PPE must be of safe design and construction for the work you are doing.
• Defective or damaged PPE must not be used. A cracked face shield, a split glove or a dented helmet comes out of service. Tell your supervisor and get a replacement.
• If you bring your own PPE, your employer is still responsible for making sure it is adequate, maintained and sanitary.

Show you can use it

Before you are allowed to do work that requires PPE, you must demonstrate that you understand the training and can use the PPE properly.

Your employer must retrain you when it has reason to believe you no longer have the understanding and skill. Examples include:

• Changes in the workplace make your earlier training obsolete
• Changes in the types of PPE you use make your earlier training obsolete
• Your knowledge or use of your assigned PPE shows you have not kept the understanding or skill

Reference: 29 CFR 1910.132(a) · 29 CFR 1910.132(c) · 29 CFR 1910.132(e) · 29 CFR 1910.132(b) · 29 CFR 1910.132(f)(2) · 29 CFR 1910.132(f)(3) · 29 CFR 1910.132(f)(3)(i) · 29 CFR 1910.132(f)(3)(ii) · 29 CFR 1910.132(f)(3)(iii)

Paid by your employer, with a few exceptions

The general rule

PPE used to comply with these rules must be provided by your employer at no cost to you. Your employer must not require you to provide or pay for your own PPE, except for the items the rule lists.

Exceptions, for example

• Non-specialty safety-toe footwear (such as steel-toe shoes or boots) and non-specialty prescription safety eyewear, when your employer lets you wear them off the job site.
• Shoes or boots with built-in metatarsal protection that you ask to use when your employer provides metatarsal guards.
• Everyday clothing, such as long-sleeve shirts, long pants, street shoes and normal work boots.
• Ordinary clothing and items used solely for protection from weather, such as winter coats, jackets, gloves, parkas, rubber boots, hats, raincoats, ordinary sunglasses and sunscreen.

Replacements

Your employer must pay for replacement PPE, except when you have lost or intentionally damaged it.

If another OSHA standard says whether the employer must pay for specific equipment, that standard's payment rule wins.

Reference: 29 CFR 1910.132(h)(1) · 29 CFR 1910.132(h)(2) · 29 CFR 1910.132(h)(3) · 29 CFR 1910.132(h)(4)(ii) · 29 CFR 1910.132(h)(4)(iii) · 29 CFR 1910.132(h)(5) · 29 CFR 1910.132(h)(6) · 29 CFR 1910.132(h) Note