Personal protective equipment, commonly referred to as “PPE”, is equipment worn to minimize exposure to a variety of workplace hazards and reduce the risk of injury or illness.
Controlling Hazards
Controlling a hazard at its source or eliminating the hazard altogether, is the best way to protect employees. OSHA recommends using engineering or work practice controls to manage or eliminate hazards to the greatest extent possible. For example, building a barrier between the hazard and the employees is an engineering control; changing the way in which employees perform their work is a work practice control.
Hierarchy of Controls
When to Require PPE
When engineering, work practice and administrative controls are not feasible or don’t provide sufficient protection, then Cal/OSHA CCR Title 8 section 3380 Personal Protective Devices requires employers to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to their employees and ensure its use.
PPE Selection
PPE selection will be based on a hazard assessment before providing PPE to employees for protection from workplace hazards. RSS ASSESSMENT is used for PPE selection in laboratories.
Types of PPE Available
Use safety glasses for minor splash hazards, goggles for moderate hazards, and goggles combined with a face shield for severe hazards.
Wear protective footwear when handling heavy materials or working around electrical and construction hazards or rotating machinery. "Safety" shoes are intended to protect feet from injury. A foot hazard assessment is needed to select the right protection features for the hazards.
Wear proper protective gloves for potential contact with corrosive or toxic materials, materials of unknown toxicity, sharp-edged objects, and very hot or cold materials. Select gloves based on the material handled, the particular hazard involved, and their suitability for the operation conducted.
Head protection is indicated for moving or falling objects, the possibility of bumping heads on objects or equipment, or contacting an electrical source. Hard hats must be worn by electricians, construction workers, and any other workers when there is a danger of objects falling from above. Areas with low clearance posing a risk of a person's head hitting the ceiling or protruding object will also require head protection.
Hearing protective equipment protects the ear from injury and prevents hearing loss. A variety of hearing protectors, including earplugs and earmuffs, are available for employees whose workplace reaches critical noise levels. Situations where employees are routinely exposed to elevated noise levels, must be evaluated to determine if employees must be included in the SFSU Hearing Conservation Program.
SF State Hearing Conservation Program
Personal fall protection systems and devices are intended to protect employees from injury from falling onto a surface when working from a height.
Work environments and processes where exposure to harmful material by inhalation is possible and cannot be prevented with engineering controls will be evaluated to determine if employees must be included in the Respiratory Protection Program.
Fitted (cartridge) air-filtering or air purifying face masks and other types of respirators are only used under the direction of EH&S.
Disposable "dust masks" that meet N95 or KN95 standards may be used for protection from nuisance dust, smoke from fires, and aerosols.
Dust masks and other respirators worn on a voluntary basis, not required to protect the user from hazardous air contaminants, may be issued to employees. These employees must review, sign, and submit the Voluntary Respirator Use Acknowledgement form. (This is a Cal/OSHA requirement to ensure wearers understand the limitations of dust masks and other respirators.)
Use protective clothing as a safeguard against hazardous material spills, splashes, intense heat, impact, cuts, infectious materials, and radiation exposures. Protective clothing includes lab coats, smocks, scrub suits, gowns, rubber or coated aprons, coveralls, uniforms, and pierce-resistant jackets and vests