Category: Personal Protective Equipment

No safety technology is changing as fast as that employed in PPE. The devices of just a few years ago are now obsolete by replacements that are lighter, easier to use, and more protective. These resources alert you to developments in the field, and equally important, supply training ideas to get your workers to use their PPE, and use it correctly.

Assign PPE? Not Before a Hazard Assessment You Don’t!

OSHA requires a thorough hazard assessment before PPE is selected and assigned to employees. Find out more. If you were a NFL coach, you wouldn’t send your team out on the field without helmets and shoulder pads. If you were a NASA manager, you wouldn’t send an astronaut for a space walk without a space […]

PPE Maker Opens Houston Facility to See, Touch, and Try Products

Honeywell, which manufactures PPE, fire alarm systems, and other products, has opened a $3 million facility to demonstrate their safety products and systems and train people to use them. Honeywell Life Safety President Mark Levy says the company chose Houston for its new safety product showcase because of its concentration of global oil and gas, […]

PPE: Is Your ‘Simple Solution’ Too Good to Be True?

Most of us have encountered a deal that was too good to be true. Could your approach to workplace safety and PPE also be too good to be true? Take a look at these “simple solutions” to workplace hazards, and consider whether you may need to look a little more closely. Disposable Foam Earplugs. If […]

PPE: Mistakes Workers Make

When workers make mistakes with PPE, the consequences can be grim. In the health and safety professional’s “hierarchy of controls,” PPE falls in last place—behind engineering controls and work practice or administrative controls. The reasoning is that engineering controls address the hazard directly, and have the fewest potential failure points, so they are most protective. […]

HAZWOPER PPE Requirements: Levels of Protection

HAZWOPER rules (29 CFR 1910.120 Appendix B) delineate four levels of PPE required to protect workers under various site conditions. Here’s what you need to know. Level A Should be worn when the highest level of respiratory, skin, and eye protection is needed (i.e., for use with highly toxic releases, such as chlorine or ammonia). […]

Four-Step Plan for Better Deployment of PPE

Here’s a simple four-step plan to improve PPE deployment in your workplace and help ensure that employees always use the right PPE for the hazards they face. 1.   Assess. Section 1910.132(d)(1) of the OSHA standard says that employers must “assess the workplace to determine if hazards are present, or are likely to be present, which […]

PPE Requirements: What You Absolutely Must Do

PPE is an employee’s personal barrier against many workplace hazards. That’s why OSHA makes a point of strictly enforcing PPE rules. And so should you. OSHA requires you to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) and training to employees who are or may be exposed to physical or health hazards in the workplace when engineering and […]

What Does OSHA Look For When Inspecting Your Workplace for PPE Compliance?

What will an OSHA inspector be looking for concerning PPE in your workplace. Find out. In 2011, the most frequently cited general industry PPE standards were: 1910.132, General requirements 1,830 citations and total of $3,217,665 in fines 1910.133, Eye and face protection 565 citations and total of $886,023 in fines 1910.138, Hand Protection 247 citations […]

Check Your Way to a Better PPE Program

This checklist can assist with PPE-related duties and help ensure that your PPE program complies with regulations and protects employees from hazards. Survey work areas for hazards and potential hazards such as: Chemical exposures Tool and equipment hazards Pinch points Sharp objects Rough surfaces Falling or dropped objects Bump hazards to heads and toes Respiratory […]

Survey Says Lots of Workers Not Wearing Required Eye Protection

On-the-job eye injuries can have devastating consequences, such as chemical burns or blindness. Despite these potential hazards, 85% of industrial workers in a Kimberly-Clark Professional survey said they had observed others failing to wear eye protection when they should have been. "This high rate of noncompliance seriously jeopardizes worker health and safety. In many instances, […]