Occupational Health and Safety Program Personal Protective Equipment in Area Technology Centers

Selecting PPE for the Program Areas

The ATC management and staff must assess each program area and determine if hazards that necessitate the use of eye and face protection are present, or are likely to be present, before assigning PPE to students and instructors.

Protecting Students and Staff from Hazards

PPE devices alone should not be relied on to provide protection against hazards, but should be used in conjunction with guards, engineering controls, and appropriate tool and machine operation.

Hazard Assessment

Hazard Type Impact Heat Chemicals Dust Hazard Type

Flying objects such as large chips, fragments, particles, sand, and dirt.

Anything emitting extreme heat.

Splash, fumes, vapors, and irritating mists.

Harmful dust.

Optical Radiation

Radiant energy, glare, and intense light

Common related tasks

Chipping, grinding, machining, masonry work, wood working, sawing, drilling, riveting, sanding, etc.

Furnace operations, pouring, casting, hot dipping, welding, etc.

Acid and chemical handling, degreasing, plating, and working with blood.

Woodworking, buffing, and general dusty conditions.

Welding, torch-cutting, -brazing, soldering, and laser work.

PPE Requirements

Provide adequate protection against the particular hazards for which they are designed.

Be of safe design and construction for the work to be performed .

Be reasonably comfortable.

Fit snugly and shall not unduly interfere with the movements of the wearer.

PPE Requirements

Be durable.

Be capable of being disinfected.

Be easily cleaned.

Be distinctly marked.

Training and Qualification

When PPE is necessary.

What PPE is necessary.

How to properly don, doff, adjust, and wear PPE. The limitations of the PPE. The proper care, maintenance, useful life, and disposal of the PPE.

Face and Eye Protection

Employees must be provided with eye and face protection equipment when machines or operations present potential eye or face injury from physical, chemical or radiation agents.

Face and Eye Impact Hazards: Safety Spectacles

Intended to shield the wearer's eyes from impact hazards such as flying fragments, objects, large chips, and particles.

Staff and students are required to use eye safety spectacles with side shields when there is a hazard from flying objects.

Face and Eye Impact Hazards: Safety Goggles

Safety goggles are intended to shield the wearer's eyes from impact hazards such as flying fragments, objects, large chips, and particles. Goggles fit the face immediately surrounding the eyes and form a protective seal around the eyes. This prevents objects from entering under or around the goggles.

Face and Eye Contacts and Rx Lenses

ATC management must ensure that staff and students who wear prescription lenses or contacts use PPE that incorporates the prescription or use eye protection that can be worn over prescription lenses.

Face and Eye Impact Hazards: Face Shields

Face shields are intended to protect the entire face, or portions thereof, from impact hazards such as flying fragments, objects, large chips, and particles. Use face shields in combination with safety spectacles or goggles for additional protection.

Face and Eye Optical Radiation: Welding

Welding helmets are protectors intended to shield the eyes and face from optical radiation, heat, and impact.

Use welding helmets

in addition

to protection such as safety spectacles or goggles to provide adequate protection .

Head Protection-Hard Hats

ATC’s must ensure that staff and students have head protection if any of the following apply:  Objects might fall from above and strike them on the head.

 They might bump their heads against fixed objects, such as exposed pipes or beams.

 There is a possibility of accidental head contact with electrical hazards.

   

Head Protection-Hard Hats

Hard hats should do the following:

Resist penetration by objects.

Absorb the shock of a blow.

Be water resistant and slow burning.

Have clear instructions explaining proper adjustment and replacement of the suspension and headband.

Head Protection-Hard Hats

 Hard hats must have a hard outer shell.

 Hard hats must have a shock absorbing lining.

 Hard hats must have a headband and straps that suspend the shell from 1 to 1 ¼ inches away from the head.  This design provides shock absorption during an impact and ventilation during normal wear.

Foot and Leg Protection

• Employees who face possible foot and/or leg injuries from falling or rolling objects or form crushing or penetrating materials must wear protective footwear. • Includes employees whose work involves exposure to hot substance or corrosive or poisonous materials.

• If an employee’s feet may be exposed to electrical hazards, non-conductive footwear should be worn.

• Workplace exposure to static electricity may necessitate the use of conductive footwear.

Foot and Leg Protection

Examples of hazards requiring foot and leg protection:

 When heavy objects such as tools might fall on the individual’s feet.

 Working with sharp objects such as nails or spiked that could pierce the soles or uppers of ordinary shoes.

 Working on or around hot, wet or slippery surfaces.

 When cutting grass and/or eat eating.

 When electrical hazards are present.

Hand and Arm Protection

*

Absorption of harmful substances, *Chemical or thermal burns, *Electrical dangers, *Bruises, *Punctures, *Fractures, and/or *Amputations.

Hand and Arm Protection

Protective equipment includes: *Gloves, *Finger guards, *Arm coverings, *Elbow length gloves.

Hearing Protection

If engineering and work practice controls do not lower exposure to workplace noise to acceptable levels, employees and students must wear appropriate haring protection.

Hearing protectors reduce only the amount of noise that gets through to the ears.

Hearing protectors worn by employees must reduce an employee’s noise exposure to within the acceptable limits specified by OSHA.

If employees are exposed to occupational noise at or above 85 dB averaged over an eight hour period, the employer is required to institute a hearing conservation program that includes regular testing of employees’ hearing by qualified professionals. OSHA Standards describe the requirements for a hearing conservation program.

Hearing Protection-Types

SINGLE USE EARPLUGS

-made of waxed cotton, foam, silicone rubber of 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 such as chewing may reduce the protective value of earmuffs.

Thank You For Your Participation

Safety is as Easy as ABC-- Always Be Careful