What PPE is appropriate for Workplace Harzards?

The following references aid in recognizing the need for personal protective equipment (PPE) and provides information about proper PPE selection and usage.
Personal Protective Equipment. OSHA Publication 3151, (2003), 629 KB PDF, 46 pages. Discusses the types of equipment most commonly used to protect the head, torso, arms, hands, and feet. Additional topics include requirements, hazard assessment, selection, and employee training.
Guide for the Selection of Personal Protection Equipment for Emergency First Responders, NIJ Guide 102–00 (Volumes I, IIa, IIb, and IIc). National Institute of Justice (NIJ), (2002, November). Provides information on personal protection equipment (PPE) for consideration by emergency first responders when purchasing and using PPE, including duration of protection, dexterity/mobility, launderability, and use/reuse.
Personal Protective Equipment. OSHA Fact Sheet, (2002), 293 KB PDF, 2 pages. Answers common PPE questions.
Respiratory Protection. OSHA Publication 3079, (2002), 274 KB PDF, 42 pages.
OSHA Technical Manual (OTM). OSHA Directive TED 01-00-015 [TED 1-0.15A], (1999, January 20).
Chemical Protective Clothing. Describes the various types of clothing that are appropriate for use in chemical operations and provides recommendations in their selection and use.
Eye Protection In The Workplace. OSHA Fact Sheet No. 93-03, (1993). Describes contributions to and causes of eye injuries, as well as measures to prevent them.
Assessing the Need for Personal Protective Equipment: A Guide for Small Business Employers. OSHA Publication 3151, (2000), 193 KB PDF, 57 pages. Helps employers to examine their workplace, review their work procedures, select appropriate PPE for their employees, and teach their employees how to wear and care for PPE.
Personal Protective Equipment Program. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), (1997, January 2). Addresses eye, face, head, foot, and hand protection.
OSH Answers: Designing an Effective PPE Program. Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS), (1997). Gives an overview of designing a personal protective equipment (PPE) program.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH). Covers employer PPE requirements, as well as the various types of PPE.
Emergency Response Guidebook. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Office of Hazardous Materials Safety, (2004).
Protective Clothing. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Safety and Health Topic.
Personal Protective Equipment Selection Guide. Environmental Health and Safety at Stoney Brook University, 63 KB PDF, 12 pages. Assists with selecting the most appropriate personal protective equipment, with an emphasis on glove selection, for chemical hazards.

Safety Policy

A successful safety system consists of five very simple building blocks:
* A safety policy,
* Effective planning to manage the identification/assessment and control of risks,
* An implementation process,
* A performance measurement system, and
* A system for management review.

There is a greater awareness of safety and that people accept that everyone is accountable for safety. About 80 per cent of the survey respondents believed that:
* safety is a high priority for management;
* they are encouraged to work in a manner that ensures safety of themselves and others; * everyone works towards improving safety;
* they are encouraged to identify and report hazards;
* it is their business if correct safety protocols are not followed by others.

However, another 40% thought that:
* safety is not rewarded or recognised;
* the level of risk in their job is a concern;
* they are not familiar with and do not understand the safety policy;
* management trade safety for operational deadlines and goals;
* safety procedures are not followed under tight deadlines;
* not all incidents and near misses are reported;
* investigations focus on finding someone to blame.

Lockout/Tagout Kits

Lockout/Tagout is in reference to procedures in safeguarding employees from the release of dangerous electrical or mechanical energy during the maintenance or service of equipment and machines and from and unexpected startup of these machines and equipment. The requirement designates that a worker switches off and disconnects the equipment or machinery from its energy sources prior to the performance of maintenance or service. The authorized employee should either lock or tag the energy-isolating device to prevent the release of dangerous or hazardous energy and take the proper steps to insure that the energy has been properly isolated. According to OSHA, about ten percent 10% of all accidents in the workplace are caused by not following the procedeures in containing dangerous and hazardous energy. This results in about 250,000 incidents, 50,000 injuries over 100 fatalities annually. OSHA is increasing the inspections related to lockout/tagout because of these statistics. A fatality related to such lax procedures in an organization can lead to millions of dollars in lawsuits. Additional costs can be incurred from the damage unexpected startup of equipment as well.