The objectives of this procedure statement is to establish a written guideline to address the following:
1. Introduction
2. Equipment Criteria
3. Written Personal Protective Equipment Program
4. Hazard Assessment
5. Training
6. Eye and Face Protection
7. Head Protection
8. Foot Protection
9. Hearing Protection
10. Hand Protection
11. Protective Clothing
12. Respiratory Protection
1. INTRODUCTION
The Federal OSHA Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Standard, 29 CFR 1910.132 establishes the guidelines for the use of personal protective equipment in the workplace. The standard applies to all work operations of the city of Salt Lake where employees may be exposed to workplace hazards. Employees shall use City approved personal protective equipment in the workplace.
2. EQUIPMENT CRITERIA
In determining the proper protective equipment to be used by employees, the department Safety Consultants and Supervisors will rely on information provided by manufacturers, using the following sources, as set out by the above federal standard and the NFPA.
1. ANSI Z87.1-1989 American National Standard Practice for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection.
2. ANSI Z88.2-1992 American National Standard Practices for Respiratory Protection.
3. ANSI Z89.1-1986 American National Standard for Personnel Assurance Protection – Protective Headwear for Industrial workers – Requirements.
4. ANSI Z41.1-1991 American National Standard for Personal Protection – Protective Footwear.
3. WRITTEN PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT PROGRAM
Salt Lake City Corp. relies upon the cooperation of each department/division/section in order to complete the following:
1. Identify hazardous environments in the workplace.
2. Select, and have affected employees utilize, the types of PPE that will protect employees from identified hazards.
3. Train affected employees to recognize when protective equipment use is required, and the proper use and care of this equipment.
4. HAZARD ASSESSMENT
An assessment of workplace hazards, or potential hazards, shall be completed for each workplace. The assessment shall include the type of hazard, recommended protective equipment, employees affected, and training requirements.
1. Select the type of protective equipment that will protect affected employees from identified hazards.
2. Communicate selection decisions and provide necessary equipment to affected employees.
3. Provide the proper fitting of protective equipment for each affected employee.
5. TRAINING
Each employee who is required to wear protective equipment as determined by the hazard assessment shall be properly trained in the use and care of this equipment.
1. Each affected employee shall be trained to know at least the following:
A. When protective equipment is necessary;
B. What protective equipment is necessary;
C. How to properly put on, take-off, adjust, and wear protective equipment;
D. The limitations of protective equipment and,
E. The proper care, maintenance, useful life and disposal of the protective equipment.
2. Each affected employee shall demonstrate an understanding of the training specified above, and the ability to use the equipment properly, before being allowed to perform work requiring the use of protective equipment.
3. Each Department will annually review their personal protective equipment use and incident frequencies and be responsible for training specific to each identified area of need.
4. When the City, through its supervisors or safety consultants, has reason to believe that any affected employee who has been trained does not meet the conditions in the above section the employee shall be retrained. Circumstances where an employee may need retraining include, but are not limited to, situations where:
A. Changes in the workplace render previous training obsolete; or
B. Change in the types of protective equipment render previous training obsolete; or
C. Inadequacies surface in an affected employee’s knowledge or use of assigned protective equipment.
5. The department shall verify that all affected employees have successfully completed training on required protective equipment as required under this heading. Verification shall include proper documentation, to include the employee’s name, date of training, and subject of training.
6. It is the responsibility of all City contractors/consultants to comply with 29 CFR 1910.132 regarding personal protective equipment. City employees should make every effort to identify any hazards that are not immediately obvious to consultants or contractors.
However, it is the contractor’s or consultant’s responsibility to inform his/her own employees about these hazards and precautions required by the above standard. The information provided by City employees should be used as a guide only, with final determination to rest with the contractor or consultant.
6. EYE AND FACE PROTECTION
Regulatory requirements are contained in 29 CFR 1910.133
Each affected employee:
1. Shall use approved eye and face protection when exposed to hazards from flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors, or potentially dangerous light radiation.
2. Shall use eye protection that provides side protection when there is a hazard of flying objects.
3. Shall wear prescription lenses while engaged in operations that involve eye hazards. Employees shall wear approved eye protection that incorporates the prescription in the design, or eye protection that can be worn over prescription lenses without disturbing the proper position of the prescription or protective lenses.
4. Shall use equipment with filter lenses that have a filter number adequate for the work being performed for protection from injurious light radiation. The usual recommended lens shade for electric arc welding is 10, 11 or 12 while the usual recommended lenses shade for oxy-acetylene is 5, 6 or 7.
5. Eye and face protective equipment shall bear the manufacturers identification mark.
7. HEAD PROTECTION
Regulatory requirements are contained in 29 CFR 1910.135
1. Each affected employee shall wear approved head protection when working in areas where there is a possibility of injury from falling objects.
2. Each affected employee shall wear approved head protection when working in areas near exposed electrical conductors which could contact the head.
3. Protective helmets shall be regularly cleaned by the affected employee and inspected for defects, such as cracks and dents. Any helmet with damage or defects sufficient to effect its structural integrity, shall be replaced.
4. (Protective helmets shall be stored out of direct sunlight, and application of non-approved decorations, logos or other markings is prohibited.)
8. FOOT PROTECTION
Regulatory requirements are contained in 29 CFR 1910. 136
1. Each affected employee shall wear approved foot protection when working in areas where there is a possibility of foot injuries due to falling or rolling objects, objects piercing the sole, and where the feet are exposed to electrical hazards.
2. The employee shall provide proper care and maintenance of safety footwear. Inspections for defects that effect employee safety, shall be made on a regular basis.
9. HEARING PROTECTION
Regulatory requirements are contained in 29 CFR 1910.95
1. Each affected employee shall be provided approved hearing protection against the effects of noise exposure when the sound levels in the workplace exceed the limits established by OSHA.
2. In cases where the noise levels consistently exceed allowable limits, the City shall institute and administer a continuing, effective hearing conservation program. This program should include:
A. The effects of noise on hearing:
B. The purpose of using hearing protection, the advantages and disadvantages of various types of equipment;
C. Instructions on selection, fitting, use, and care of hearing protectors; and
D. The purpose of audiometric testing and an explanation of the test procedure
3. The supervisor is responsible for ensuring that devices are properly fitted and are used correctly by the employee.
4. Proper care and maintenance shall be given to hearing protection equipment. Reusable plugs shall be inspected before each use for cracks and defects.
5. Defective and/or disposable plugs shall be disposed of, and not reused.
6. Earmuffs shall form a tight seal around the ears. During regular inspections, check seals for cracks and loose headbands.
10. HAND PROTECTION
Regulatory requirements are contained in 29 CFR 1910.138
1. Each affected employee shall wear approved hand protection when exposed to hazards such as those from skin absorption of harmful substances; cuts and lacerations; abrasions; punctures; chemical burns; thermal burns; and harmful temperature extremes.
2. Work activities shall be assessed to determine the proper type of glove for the environment involved.
3. All hand protection shall be properly cared for and regularly inspected for defects and holes. All disposable and/or defective equipment shall be disposed of properly.
11. PROTECTIVE CLOTHING
Regulatory requirements are contained in 29 CFR 1910.120
1. Each affected employee shall wear appropriate protective clothing when exposed to conditions where skin absorption of a hazardous substance could occur.
2. All protective clothing that is non-disposable shall be properly cleaned and disinfected after each use. Disposable equipment shall be properly discarded. Regular inspections shall be made for tears or rips, seam discontinuities or pin holes. Immediately dispose of any defective clothing.
3. Clothing shall be stored in the following manner:
A. Potentially contaminated clothing shall be stored in an area separate from street clothing.
B. Potentially contaminated clothing shall be stored in a well-ventilated area, with good airflow around each item, if possible.
C. Different types of clothing shall be stored separately to prevent issuing the wrong material by mistake.
D. Protective clothing shall be folded or hung in accordance with manufacturer’s recommendations.
12. RESPIRATORY PROTECTION
Regulatory requirements are contained in 29 CFR 1910.134
1. Elements of the Respiratory Protection Program shall include:
A. Written standard operating procedures governing the selection and use of respirators.
B. Respirators shall be selected based on hazards to which workers are exposed.
C. All affected employees shall be trained in the proper use, selection and maintenance of respirators, and their limitations.
D. Respirators shall be regularly cleaned and disinfected, and stored in a sanitary container or location.
E. Respirators shall be regularly inspected for worn or deteriorated parts, which shall be replaced upon detection.
F. Appropriate review of workplace conditions and degree of exposure shall be maintained.
G. Respirator guidelines do not apply to specialized Police Department operations or equipment where tear gas or pepper spray is utilized for crowd control or suspect apprehension.
2. Selection of Respirators
The City shall select its respirator equipment in accordance with the regulations set forth in the following:
A. Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) permissible exposure limits;
B. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) approvals.
C. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Code of Federal Regulations, Title 29, Part 1910, Subpart I, Subsection 1910.134.
A Respirator Selection Guidelines chart is attached. (See Appendix A.)
3. Use of Respirators
A. When effective engineering controls are not feasible, appropriate respirators shall be used by all affected employees.
B. Respirators shall be issued by a supervisor or a designated employee on an individual basis for the employee’s exclusive use. Respirators shall be clearly marked to identify the person to whom the unit is assigned.
4. Fit Testing
A. Employees shall be properly fitted for their own personal respirator before performing work requiring the use of a respirator.
B. Affected employees shall receive a qualitative fit test, including demonstrations and practice in how the unit should be worn, how to adjust it and how to determine if it fits properly, in the training sessions.
C. Facial hair may prevent the proper seal of a respirator. Employees shall remove facial hair that prevents the proper seal of required respirators.
5. Respirator Certifications
A. Each affected employee shall complete a medical evaluation questionnaire and receive a Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) prior to performing work requiring the use of a respirator. The City's designated medical provider shall perform the PFT and review the medical evaluation questionnaire.
B. The City's designated medical provider shall determine what health and physical conditions are pertinent.
6. Training
A. All affected employees shall be trained in the proper use of respirators and informed of their limitations.
B. Training shall allow the employee to handle the respirator, have it properly fitted, wear it in normal atmosphere, and wear it in a test atmosphere.
C. Annual training will include information regarding:
(1) The nature of the respiratory hazard, and what may happen if the unit is not used properly.
(2) Engineering and administrative controls being used, and the need for additional respiratory protection.
(3) Reasons for selecting a particular type of respirator.
(4) Cleaning and storage methods.
(5) Inspection and maintenance procedures.
(6) Limitations of the selected respirator.
(7) Recognizing warning labels and signs.
(8) Qualitative fit test procedures.
7. Respirator Service Life
A. The service life in which air-purifying elements can provide adequate respiratory protection depends on the specific nature of the air contaminant, the concentration of the contaminant in the work atmosphere, and the breathing rate of the user.
B. Each Department shall develop a respirator or respirator cartridge replacement schedule based on the specific conditions of each of its operations.
C. The replacement of air-purifying elements shall be done in a safe area containing non-contaminated, breathable air.
D. Whenever the respirator wearer experiences either difficulty in breathing through the air-purifying elements or odor/taste while inhaling, they shall consider it to be a sign that:
(1) The filter portions have become plugged with retained particulate matter; or
(2) The vapor or gas has penetrated the cartridge portions.
When this occurs, the filter and/or cartridge must be replaced.
8. Recordkeeping
A respirator fit test record will be kept for each employee who is, or may be, required to wear a respirator to fulfill his or her job requirements. This record shall be completed during the respirator fit test, and must be updated with any change in the type of respirator used, or any other condition changing the effectiveness of respiratory equipment. See sample form in Appendix B.
9. Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)
A. SCBA shall only be used by qualified, trained employees.
B. Parts from one unit may not be exchanged with another.
C. Affected employees shall place special emphasis on care and maintenance of SCBA.
D. Always follow manufacturer’s recommendations in regards to use, inspection, cleaning and storage of SCBA.
(1) SCBA shall be inspected at least every month.
(2) A record shall be kept of inspection dates and findings unless inspections are more frequent than monthly.
Questions concerning this policy can be addressed by:
1. Your Department Safety Officer
2. Risk Management
451 South State, Suite 505
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
535-7788
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