Personal protective equipment: The right working tool

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is employees’ last line of defense against injury and illness. That defense will not work unless it’s the appropriate gear. OAR 437-002-0134(1) directs Oregon employers to have a written evaluation of hazards, including documentation and the name of the person who completed it. Once the hazards have been documented, appropriate steps should be taken to engineer, substitute, or manage the hazard through policy. If that cannot be done, personal protective equipment may be the answer.

Employees should be well versed in the below information so they are equipped to keep themselves safe. Remember, PPE does not eliminate the hazard, but rather manages the employee’s exposure to the hazard.

• Necessary PPE
• When PPE is needed
• Donning/doffing PPE
• Capacity of the PPE
• Care, maintenance, and lifespan of the gear
• When to replace gear
• How to discard used/contaminated PPE

PPE can include eyewear, clothing, gloves, chaps, footwear, respiratory protection of many types, ear and hearing protection, high visibility clothing items, headwear, and even skin applications such as sunscreen. Most PPE has ratings that apply to qualifying the gear’s capabilities and which situations it is designed to protect humans.

At a very basic minimum, employees should:

• Inspect PPE every shift and following any incident that could have damaged the gear
• Know what the gear is protecting them from and how
• Understand proper use of the gear

For more on this topic, visit saif.com/ppe.