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SECTION 3: Personal Protective Equipment
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is special gear
used to protect the wearer from specific hazards of a hazardous substance. It is a last resort protection system, to be
used when substitution or engineering controls are not feasible. It should be understood that PPE does not reduce
or eliminate the hazard. It only
protects the wearer and does nothing for anybody else in the area or for
any equipment exposed to the chemical.
PPE includes gloves, respiratory protection, eye protection,
and protective clothing. The need
for PPE is dependent upon the type of operations and the nature and quantity
of the materials in use, and must be assessed on a case by case basis.
Workers who rely on PPE must understand the function, proper use,
and limitations of the PPE used.
Glove Selection And Use (top)
Gloves should be worn whenever the possibility of skin
contact with hazardous chemicals exists.
Every glove is permeable to a chemical.
The permeability varies with the chemical being used, the length
of time of the exposure and the thickness of the glove. General use gloves, such as the latex surgical gloves, are appropriate
when using small amounts of most chemicals for short periods of time.
These gloves should be changed whenever they become contaminated
with the chemical. Otherwise, the glove that offers the best resistance to the chemical
should be used. The following
guidelines should be used to determine the appropriate glove.
- Review the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for the chemical
of interest.
- Determine the potential consequences of skin contact by the chemical.
- Determine the exposure period and characteristic of the potential
contact. That is, are you choosing gloves to protect you from an occasional splash
or spill or are you planning to wear the gloves while you immerse
your
entire hand and arm in a container of material.
- Determine which gloves or glove materials offer the best resistance
to the chemical. This information may be found in the Personal Protective Equipment section
of the MSDS, glove vendor information or the Chemical Protective
Clothing
database available through EHS.
- Establish the dexterity and sizing requirements.
- Determine physical resistance properties required of the glove.
That is, resistance to heat, cutting, punctures, etc.
- Other considerations - color, cuffs, length of glove, use of liners.
- Establish a decontamination procedure.
Be sure to check for pinholes before use, wash or decontaminate
gloves before removing, and wash hands after removing.
In
addition to protecting hands and skin from chemical exposures, there are
many gloves which offer protection from physical hazards, such as high
or low temperatures, electrical shock, skin abrasions, vibration or sharp
objects. Always match the glove
to the hazard.
A respirator may only be used when engineering controls,
such as general ventilation or a fume hood, are not feasible or do not
reduce the exposure of a chemical to acceptable levels. The use of a respirator is subject to prior review by EHS, according
to university policy, since their use is regulated by the OSHA respiratory
protection standard.
Any worker who believes that respiratory protection
is needed must notify EHS for evaluation of the hazard and enrollment
in the Respiratory Protection Program.
This program involves procedures for respirator selection, medical
assessment of employee health, employee training, proper fitting, respirator
inspection, maintenance, and record keeping.
Eye Protection (top)
Safety
glasses
should be worn for protection from impact of particles. Standard eyeglasses fitted with side shields
are generally not sufficient. Workers who are interested in prescription
safety glasses should contact EHS at x8-5294. Goggles should be worn when a potential
splash from a hazardous material exists.
They may be worn over prescription glasses. Face shields are in
order when working with large volumes of hazardous materials, either
for protection
from splash to the eye or flying particles. Face shields may be used in conjunction with
goggles for maximum protection from corrosives
and hot chemicals. Contact
lenses do not offer any protection from chemical contact.
When the possibility of chemical contamination
exists, protective clothing, which resists physical and chemical hazards,
should
be worn over street clothes. Smocks are appropriate for minor chemical
splashes and spills, while plastic
or rubber aprons are best for protection from corrosive or irritating
liquids.
Loose clothing (such as overlarge smocks or ties),
skimpy clothing (such as shorts), torn clothing and unrestrained hair
may pose a hazard. Perforated
shoes, sandals, or cloth sneakers should not be worn in chemical use areas
or where mechanical work is being performed.
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