Personal Protective Equipment 1 PPE Webinar 043012.

Personal Protective Equipment

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• PPE – What is PPE? What is it for?

• PPE Program

• Selection criteria for PPE

• Types of PPE

• Considerations for PPE

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TOPICS COVERED

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1. What is PPE?May be defined as an protective equipment worn by a worker to protect them from one or more hazards likely to endanger their health and/or safety at the worksite.

2. What is it for?It should be the second line of defense for protection from worksite hazards.

The first line of defense is elimination of the hazards through engineering and/or administrative controls.

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Personal Protective Equipment

PPE Webinar 043012

1. Hazard assessment.

2. Written Policy or Guidelines on usage of PPE.

3. Selection of proper type of equipment.

4. Implementation of a thorough training program to make certain employees know why the PPE is necessary, its limitations, the correct use, how to maintain (clean, disinfect, repair), useful life span, and how to properly dispose of the PPE.

5. Enforce the use of PPE.

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PPE Program

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1. Type of work.

2. Type of hazard(s).

3. Effects of exposure to the hazard(s).

4. Threshold limit value.

5. Body part(s) involved.

6. Duration of exposure.

7. Maintenance requirements.

8. Lifespan of the PPE.

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Selection Criteria for PPE

PPE Webinar 043012

Head

Eye & Face

Hearing

Respiratory

Hand & Arms

Feet & Legs

Body

Fall Arrest

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Types of PPE

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Head

• Type 1 –to reduce force to top of head.• Type II –to reduce force to sides and/or top of

the head.• Class G (general ) – general service, limited

voltage protection.• Class E (electrical) – utility service, high-voltage

protection.• Class C (conductive) – special service, no

voltage protection (bump caps).

May incorporate other types of PPE

(face shield, hearing protection, etc.).

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Eye & Face

• Safety glasses – may need to have side protection.

• Safety goggles – primarily for chemical protection.

• Face shields – solid or wire mesh (depends on hazard).

• Helmets, goggles, or glasses – protection from electrical flash/arc, and possibly laser beams around construction sites.

Must not restrict vision or movement, easily cleaned or disinfected, and does not interfere with other PPE.

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Hearing

1. Should consider using PPE when noise level is greater than 85 decibels (dBs).

2. Employees should never work in an environment with noise levels greater than 115 db without hearing protection.

3. Devices should have a Noise Reduction Rating.

A good rule of thumb is:

if you have to raise your voice to be heard by someone standing three feet away, the noise

around you could be damaging. 

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Respiratory

Used to protect workers from one or more of the following hazards:• Dust• Fumes• Mists• Gases• Vapors• Smoke• Oxygen deficiency• Biological agents

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Hand & Arms

Used to protect Hands & Arms from one or more ofthe following: • Cuts• Abrasions• Blisters• Chemicals• Biohazards• Electrical • Heat/cold

Remember – no single type of glove will protect good against all hazards.

Also, it’s a good practice to wash yourhands after removing your gloves.

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Feet & Legs

Protective footwear – to protect from:• Slips/trips/falls• Strains or Sprains• Liquids• Chemicals• Biohazards• Crushing injuries

Chaps or Leggings – to protect legs from:• Cuts• Abrasions• Heat

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Body

Equipment which protects the body from one or more of the following:

• Liquid splashes

• Chemical or biological hazards

• Exposures to extreme heat or cold

• Impact or penetration

• Struck by vehicles or equipment

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Fall Arrest

Used to protect a person from experiencing a fall from elevations.

This can be one of the following:

• Safety net

• Body harnesses and lanyard

• Body harness with rope/cable grabbing device

• Body harness with self-retracting lanyard

When selecting a fall arrest system,

the height at which the worker will be working should be taken into consideration.

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1. Adequate protection from hazard(s).

2. Light weight & comfortable to wear for employee.

3. Does not restrict essential movement of the employee wearing the PPE.

4. Durable and limited maintenance.

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Considerations for PPE

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Summary

• PPE is the last resort in protecting an employee.

• All organizations should have a policy or guidelines concerning the use of PPE.

• All employees shall be trained on the PPE assigned to them.

• All PPE should be:– Inspected before use– Kept in good condition (clean/maintained)– Worn correctly– Removed from service if any defects or damage is

observed.

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Thank You for your attendance!

Remember, PPE is only effectivein protecting You, when You use it!

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