Personal Protective Equipment Hazard Assessment

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According to OSHA standards, employers are required • Penetration to assess the workplace to determine if potential (sharp objects injury-causing hazards are present or are likely to piercing foot/ become present. If a hazard cannot be managed or hand) eliminated through engineering, work practice and • Compression administrative controls, employers must protect their (roll-over employees with personal protective equipment (PPE) or pinching appropriate for the identified hazard. This Tech Sheet hazards) outlines the recommended procedure for conducting • Temperature a PPE hazard assessment. extremes • Respiratory Collect and Review Supporting Information hazards • Begin by reviewing injury data to obtain • Noise information about some of the hazards in your • Electrical hazards facility. Workers’ compensation claims history • Light radiation (welding, brazing, cutting, etc.) and OSHA 300 logs can provide insight into some • Chemical or biological exposure (inhalation, of the hazards in your facility. ingestion, skin contact, etc.) • Review material safety data sheets (MSDS or the newer SDS) to identify chemical hazards and Organize the Data suggested PPE. Following the walk-through survey, organize the data into a written hazard assessment. Your data • Review equipment operator manuals to should include the work activities assessed, location determine the manufacturer’s safety warnings of the assessment and hazards identified. The Hazard and recommended PPE. Assessment Table on the back of this sheet is an • Involve employees and supervisors from each example of how to organize the data. work area being assessed. Review job procedures, potential hazards and the PPE currently in use. PPE Selection Guidelines The next step is to determine what types of PPE should Discuss the reasons for conducting the PPE be used to protect employees from the identified assessment and ask for employee and supervisor hazards. Your assessment should determine if your input. In many cases, production employees are employees need PPE to protect the following: aware of hazards unknown to the evaluator, so • Torso and abdominal protection obtaining employee input is a critical part of the • Eye and face hazard assessment. • Head Conduct A Walk-Through Survey • Feet Conduct a walk-through survey of the work areas • Legs where employees may need PPE. Observe the layout • Hands of the workplace, location of the workers, work • Hearing protection Continued operations and associated hazards, areas where PPE • Respiratory system is currently being used and the reason for its use. The following basic hazard categories should be • Fall hazards considered when performing the hazard assessment: • Impact (workers hitting or being hit by objects) Personal Protective Equipment Hazard Assessment

The following steps should be taken to complete Hazard Assessment Certification this process: Each PPE hazard assessment should be documented by issuing a written Hazard Assessment Certification. 1. Become familiar with the potential hazards, the This document should include: types of PPE available and what they can and cannot do in preventing injuries and illnesses. • The workplace that was evaluated • The individual(s) who conducted the evaluation 2. Compare the hazards associated with the work • The date of the hazard assessment environment and the capabilities of the available PPE. • The document labeled as a Certification 3. Select PPE that ensures a level of protection of Hazard Assessment greater than the minimum required to protect employees from the hazards. For Additional Information EMC Insurance Companies: www.emcins.com 4. Fit the user with the PPE and provide training • Safety by Topic – Personal Protective Equipment on the care, use and limitations of PPE. Occupational Safety & Health Administration: Once the PPE is selected, you can add the final www.osha.gov column to the PPE Hazard Assessment Table. • Eye and Face Protection e-Tool Remember, personal protective equipment should not be used as the only method to protect employees • Publication 3151– Personal Protective Equipment from hazards. Instead, PPE should be used in conjunction with engineering controls, administrative controls and procedural controls.

Hazard Assessment Table Work Activity Location of Hazards Identified PPE Selected Assessed Assessment Flying particles Safety glasses with side shields Grinding – Metal Building #7 – Shop Noise Ear plugs or muffs Flash burn (optical radiation) Welding goggles 4-8 shading Gas Welding Building #5 – Shop Burns to hands Leather gloves

Around the Falling branches Hardhats (Type I, class C or G) Tree Trimming building Cuts to hands Leather gloves Sodium hydroxide/Respiratory Air purifying respirators Mastic Floor exposure Office hallways Stripping Sodium hydroxide/Skin exposure Neoprene or nitrile gloves Sodium hydroxide/Eye exposure Chemical goggles Office Work Building #6 None None

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