OSH for ENGINEERS

ENGG 1030

Joanne S. Dionela, ChE

13. Personal
Protective
Equipment
Personal Protective Equipment 3

• When elimination, substitution,

engineering, and administrative
controls are not feasible or do
not provide sufficient protection,
employers must provide personal
protective equipment (PPE) to
their employees and ensure its
use.

• Remember, PPE is the last resort

in hazard control, not the first
choice. Some employers may
mistakenly believe PPE is the end
all to be all. They might do too
much, not too little.
Types of Personal Protective Equipment 4

1. Head Protection
2. Eye and Face Protection
3. Hand/Arm Protection
4. Foot/Leg Protection
5. Protective Clothing
6. Hearing Protection
7. Respiratory Protection
8. Fall Protection
Head Protection 5

General Classes of Industrial Hard hats:

• Class G (general)
 Protects against falling objects and
electrical shocks up to 2,200 volts.

• Class E (electrical)
 Protects against falling objects and
electrical shocks up to 20,000 volts.

• Class C (conductive)
 Protects against falling objects but
not intended to provide protection
from electrical conductors.
Eye and Face Protection 6

General Types of Eye/Face Protection

• Safety spectacles • Goggles

 Made with metal/plastic  Protect eyes, eye
safety frames
 Most operations require
side shields
 Used for moderate
impact from particles
produced by such jobs
as carpentry,  Some goggles fit
woodworking, grinding,
and scaling
• Welding shields
 Protect eyes from burns
sockets, and the
caused by infrared or
facial area
intense radiant light,
immediately
and protect face and
surrounding the
eyes from flying sparks,
eyes from impact,
metal spatter, and slag
dust, and splashes
chips produced during
welding, brazing,
over corrective
soldering, and cutting
lenses
Eye and Face Protection 7

• Laser safety goggles • Face shields

 Protect eyes from intense  Protect the face from nuisance dusts
concentrations of light and potential splashes or sprays of
produced by lasers. hazardous liquids.
 Do not protect employees from
impact hazards.
 Hand/Arm Protection 8

General Types of Hand/Arm Protection:

• Gloves • Gloves with a cuff • Gauntlets/sleeves/ • Arm sleeve

 Protects hand only  Protects hand long gloves  Protects part
and wrist  Protects hand, or whole of
wrist and part of forearm
forearm. and/or upper
arm.
Foot/Leg Protection 9

General Types of Protective Footwear:

• Leggings
 protect the lower legs and feet from heat hazards
such as molten metal or welding sparks. Safety snaps
allow leggings to be removed quickly.

• Metatarsal guards
 protect the instep area from impact and
compression. Made of aluminum, steel, fiber or
plastic, these guards may be strapped to the outside
of shoes.

• Toe guards
 fit over the toes of regular shoes to protect the toes
from impact and compression hazards. They may be
made of steel, aluminum or plastic.
Foot/Leg Protection 10

• Combination foot and shin guards

 protect the lower legs and feet, and may be used in
combination with toe guards when greater
protection is needed.

• Safety shoes
 have impact-resistant toes and heat-resistant soles
that protect the feet against hot work surfaces
common in roofing, paving and hot metal industries.
 The metal insoles of some safety shoes protect
against puncture wounds.
 Safety shoes may also be designed to be
electrically conductive to prevent the buildup of
static electricity in areas with the potential for
explosive atmospheres or nonconductive to protect
workers from workplace electrical hazards.
Body Protection 11

General Types of Protective Clothing:

• Separates – jackets, • Aprons – that only • Overalls/coveralls

trousers etc. that only cover part of the and full-body suits –
cover part of the body. which cover the
body. whole body.
Hearing Protection 12

General Types of Hearing Protection

• Single-use earplugs
 are made of waxed cotton, foam, silicone rubber or
fiberglass wool. They are self-forming and, when properly
inserted, they work as well as most molded earplugs.

• Pre-formed or molded earplugs

 must be individually fitted by a professional and can be
disposable or reusable. Reusable plugs should be cleaned
after each use.

• Earmuffs
 require a perfect seal around the ear. Glasses, facial hair,
long hair or facial movements
Respiratory Protection 13

Types of Respiratory Protection:

• Air-purifying respirators
 Filtering self-rescue – Used for dusts,
fumes, fibers, particulates and mists.

 Gas filtering absorption – Gas masks or

chemical cartridge respirators, used for
gases and vapors. Gas masks must not
be used in oxygen-deficient areas.

 Particulate filter – combination of

above two filters.
Respiratory Protection 14

• Air-supplying respirators
 Self-contained breathing apparatus
(SCBA) – provides respiratory
protection in any toxic gas or
oxygen-deficient conditions. SCBA
are used in emergency or rescue
work.

 Supplied-air respirator – Hose-masks

with/out blower or air-line respirator;
used where dust, mist, vapor, or gas
concentrations are immediately
dangerous to health and life. They
are light and comfortable and are
the best type of protection where
long-term respirator use is required.
Fall Protection 15

General Types of Fall Protection

• Class 1: Body belts (single or double D-ring) – are designed
to restrain a person in a hazardous work position and to
reduce the possibility of falls. They should not be used when
fall potential exists; positioning only.

•Class 2: Chest harnesses – are used when there are only

limited fall hazards (no vertical free fall hazard), or for
retrieving persons such as removal of persons from a tank or a
bin.

•Class 3: Full body harnesses – are designed to arrest the most

severe free falls.

•Class 4: Suspension belts – are independent work supports

used to suspend a worker, such as boatswain's chairs or raising
or lowering harnesses.
Fall Protection 16

• Rope Lanyard – Offers some elastic properties for all arrest;

used for restraint purpose.

• Web Lanyard – Ideal for restraint purposes where fall

hazards are less than 2 feet.

• Cable Positioning Lanyards – Designed for corrosive or

excess heat environments and must be used in conjunction
with shock absorbing devices.

• Shock Absorbers – When used, the fall arresting force will

be greatly reduced if a fall occurs.

• Retractable Lifeline Systems – Gives fall protection and

mobility to the user when working at height or in areas
where there is a danger of falling; can sustain a minimum
tensile load of 3,000 lbs.
Components of PPE Management Program 17

1. Management Commitment
2. Roles and Responsibilities of Employer and Employees
3. PPE Hazards Assessment
4. PPE Selection/Validation Process
5. PPE Matrix
6. PPE Issuance, Replacement and Disposal Policy
7. Employee Training
8. Monitoring and Recordkeeping
9. Management System review
Components of PPE Management Program 18

Example of PPE Hazard Assessment Form

Questions?