1. Personal Protective Equipment
This presentation is designed to assist trainers conducting OSHA 10-hour General Industry outreach training for workers. Since workers are the target audience, this presentation emphasizes hazard identification, avoidance, and control – not standards. No attempt has been made to treat the topic exhaustively. It is essential that trainers tailor their presentations to the needs and understanding of their audience.
This presentation is not a substitute for any of the provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 or for any standards issued by the U.S. Department of Labor. Mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Labor.

2. Personal Protective Equipment
General Requirements
This regulation requires employers to ensure that personal protective equipment "be provided, used, and maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition wherever it is necessary…" to prevent injury.
Employer shall assure that all PPE is adequate and of a safe design and construction.

3. Personal Protective Equipment
Employers must protect employees from workplace hazards such as machines, hazardous substances, and dangerous work procedures that can cause injury
Employers must:
Use all feasible engineering and work practice controls to eliminate and reduce hazards
Then use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) if these controls do not eliminate the hazards.
Remember, PPE is the last level of control!
Additional information:
OSHA Instruction CPL 2.103, Field Inspection Reference Manual, Chapter IV, Section A
29 CFR 1910, Subpart I, Appendix B
(e)

4. Engineering Controls If . . . Then . . .
The machine or work environment can be physically changed to prevent employee exposure to the potential hazard,
Then . . .
The hazard can be eliminated using an engineering control.

5. Engineering Controls (cont’d)
Examples . . .
Initial design specifications
Substitute less harmful material
Change process
Enclose process
Isolate process
Ventilation

6. Work Practice Controls
If . . .
Employees can be removed from exposure to the potential hazard by changing the way they do their jobs,
Then . . .
The hazard can be eliminated using a work practice control.

7. Work Practice Controls (cont’d)
Examples . . .
Using wet methods to cut concrete
Personal hygiene
Housekeeping and maintenance
Job rotation of workers
Note: Job rotation of workers only reduces exposure – it does not eliminate the hazard.
Machine Shop Example:
A milling operation produces large quantities of metal chips that fly all over the surrounding work areas. Recognizing that flying metal chips were a potential hazard to employees in the surrounding areas, the machine shop owner had to decide how best to protect the workers.
Option 1—Engineering and work practice controls:
Engineering control - Enclose the milling operation or install a deflector to contain the metal chips and prevent them from flying into the surrounding areas.
Work practice control - Operate the machine only at certain times of the day when adjacent operations have stopped.
Option 2—PPE:
Provide employees with safety goggles or safety glasses with side shields.
Option 1 is more effective since enclosing the operation will eliminate the hazard of flying metal chips. Providing a deflector will contain most, if not all, of the flying chips. In a machine shop, however, safety glasses should also be required for added protection.

8. Personal Protective Equipment
Eye & Face protection - safety glasses, goggles, face shields
Head protection - hard hats
Foot protection- safety shoes
Hand & Arm protection - gloves
Hearing conservation - earplugs, earmuffs
Body protection – aprons, vests, coveralls
Respiratory protection – APR, PAPR, SAR, SCBA

9. Establishing a PPE Program
Sets out procedures for selecting, providing and using PPE as part of an employer’s routine operation
First -- assess the workplace to determine if hazards are present, or are likely to be present, which necessitate the use of PPE
Once the proper PPE has been selected, the employer must provide training to each employee who is required to use PPE
(d)
If all feasible engineering and work practice controls are in place, but employees are still exposed to potential hazards, PPE must be provided.
See Checklist B in OSHA Publication 3151, Assessing the Need for PPE, A Guide for Small Business Employers, to assess the need for PPE.

10. Training
Employees required to use PPE must be trained to know at least the following:
When PPE is necessary
What type of PPE is necessary
How to properly put on, take off, adjust, and wear
Limitations of the PPE
Proper care, maintenance, useful life and disposal
(f)
Each affected employee must demonstrate an understanding of the required training, and the ability to use PPE properly, before being allowed to perform work requiring the use of PPE.
When the employee does not have the required skill and understanding, retraining is required.
Written certification of completion of training is required.

11. Personal Protective Equipment
29 CFR Eye protection
Where possible danger of injury from:
physical (particulates, flying objects)
chemical (acids or caustics)
radiation agents (lasers, UV, infrared)
Must meet ANSI Z

12. Personal Protective Equipment
29 CFR Head protection
Where possible danger of head injury from:
impact,
falling or flying objects,
electrical shock and burns (non conductive)
Must meet ANSI Z

13. Personal Protective Equipment
29 CFR Foot protection
Where possible danger of foot injury
Heavy objects
Sharp objects
Hot or wet surfaces
ANSI Z (Test Methods)
ASTM F (Performance Criteria)

14. Personal Protective Equipment
29 CFR Hand protection
Employees shall use hand protection when hands are exposed to hazards.
ASTM F-1790 standard for cut protection performance
ANSI/ISEA chemical hand protection selection criteria
ASTM D , specification for rubber insulating electrical protective gloves

15. Personal Protective Equipment
29 CFR Hearing protection
Hearing protection required above 90 dB TWA
Hearing protection available at 85 dB TWA
Hearing protection will always have an assigned Noise Reduction Rating (NRR)
Hearing Conservation Program
Audiometric testing for employees
Baseline audiogram
Annual audiogram

16. Personal Protective Equipment
29 CFR 1926 Body protection
There are many specific OSHA standards that recognize hazards that require body protect.
Cuts, abrasions, and impacts from tools, machinery, or materials
Contact with Hazardous chemicals, or potentially infectious materials
Intense heat, Hot liquids
Radiation exposures

17. Personal Protective Equipment
29 CFR is identical to the Respiratory protection
Respirators shall be provided by the employer to protect the health of the employee
Respiratory protection may control occupational diseases caused by breathing air contaminated with harmful dusts, fogs, fumes, mists, gases, smokes, sprays, or vapors
The primary objective shall be to prevent atmospheric contamination

18. Personal Protective Equipment
Respirator program requirements
Written program and evaluation
Training
Medical evaluation
Fit testing
Proper selection
Cleaning, disinfecting and storage
On going medical monitoring

19. Personal Protective Equipment
Air purifying respirator (APR)
Chemical & mechanical filter cartridges
Combination mechanical filter / chemical cartridge
Gas masks
Powered air purifying respirators

20. Personal Protective Equipment
Air purifying respirator (APR)
Requirements & Limitations
Oxygen must be > 19.5%
Use only compatible parts
Filters (for particulates)
Cartridges & Canisters (for gases or vapors)
No facial hair (beards and gross sideburns)
No alterations

21. Personal Protective Equipment
Atmosphere or air supplying devices
Self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)
Supplied air respirators (SAR)
Combination SCBA & supplied air respirators
NOTE: Must be supplied with Grade D breathing air.

22. Personal Protective Equipment
User fit checks
Prior to each use the wearer must perform a user fit check to ensure a good seal on the face piece.
Negative pressure fit check
Positive pressure fit check

23. Summary Employers must implement a PPE program where they:
Assess the workplace for hazards
Use engineering and work practice controls to eliminate or reduce hazards before using PPE
Select appropriate PPE to protect employees from hazards that cannot be eliminated
Inform employees why the PPE is necessary and when it must be worn
Train employees how to use and care for their PPE
Require employees to wear selected PPE
For more information:
-- OSHA Publication 3151, Assessing the Need for Personal Protective Equipment: A Guide for Small Business Employers.
It is available at OSHA’s home page ( or for sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.