SECTION V: SAFE WORK PRACTICES

(Understand the Hazards of Your Work Environment)

Information presented is not intended to be comprehensive or all inclusive; contact your supervisor, safety officer, or the Environmental Health and Safety Office, 475-7041, for assistance or further information

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

Existing Washington Administrative Codes require that personal protective equipment (PPE) be provided and worn wherever “necessary by reason of hazard of process or environment.” Generally, before PPE is recommended, engineering controls (such as protection by some type of mechanical means or process design) and/or administrative controls (e.g., rotation of work assignments, limiting of employees’ exposure time, etc.) will have been enacted. However, there will still be many instances where the use of PPE is needed.

Where work conditions require the use of personal protective equipment, both users and their supervisors need to know specifically what type of protective equipment is needed for the particular hazard, under what conditions the protective equipment is to be used and how to use and maintain it properly. Some examples of personal protective equipment include:

· hearing protection

· clothing appropriate to the hazard

· face shield

· safety glasses

· chemical splash goggles

· footwear

· fall restraint protection

· respiratory protection

· gloves

· hard hat

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT CAN ONLY BE EFFECTIVE IF IT IS THE RIGHT KIND FOR THE PARTICULAR HAZARD; IF IT IS USED; AND IF IT USED PROPERLY. In the final analysis, safety in the workplace is dependent upon the commitment of both management and employee to enforce and to follow safe work practices, including the wearing of personal protective equipment wherever and whenever the need is indicated. There are stringent and specific requirements for selection, fitting and care of personal protective equipment, depending on the specific exposures, need, and usage.

HEAD PROTECTION

Safety hats or caps (whose purpose is to resist penetration and absorb the shock of a blow or prevent electrical conduction) are needed when there is the likelihood of encountering the following work hazards:

· bumping the head against a fixed object

· falling or flying objects

· contact with high voltage equipment

EYE AND FACE PROTECTION

Statistics indicate that over 1,000 eye injuries occur each day in American workplaces; 90 per cent of those eye injuries could be prevented through the use of protective eyewear. Eye protection is required in the workplace in those areas where there are activities potentially hazardous to the eyes (those which present a reasonable probability of preventable injury if such equipment is not used). Workplace examples include those where machines or operations present the hazard of:

· flying objects

· glare

· hazardous liquids

· injurious radiation

· any combination of such hazards

Available eye and face protection equipment includes :

· goggles (with or without tinted lens)

· spectacles (with or without tinted lens and with or without side shields)

· face shields

· welding helmets

When making a selection, eye protective equipment should meet the following minimum requirements:

· provide adequate protection against the specific hazards for which they are designed

· be reasonably comfortable to wear

· be snug-fitting without interfering with the wearer’s movements or vision

· be durable

· be capable of being disinfected and easily cleaned

HEARING/EAR PROTECTION

Because there is no cure for noise-induced hearing loss, prevention of excessive noise exposure is the only means of avoiding this type of hearing damage. If normal voices two feet away from the listener cannot be understood, excessive noise levels may exist. To make a factual determination, contact the Environmental Health and Safety Office, 533-8623, to request professional measurement of sound levels in your work area.

Types of hearing protection equipment include:

· self-forming ear plugs, both disposable and reusable types

· ear muffs

TORSO PROTECTION

Torso protection may be needed if you work where there is excessive heat, or where there is the potential for splashes from hot metals and liquids, impacts, cuts, acids or radiation. Types of protective equipment available include:

· vests

· jackets

· aprons

· coveralls

· full body suits

PROTECTION OF ARMS, HANDS, FINGERS

Selection must be made specific to the particular job, depending upon the specific type of material being handled, the work atmosphere and existing work processes. Available protection includes:

· gloves

· mittens

· hand pads

· thumb guards

· finger cots

· sleeves

· wristlets

These protective devices are available in a variety of materials, to meet specific needs. When working around moving machinery or equipment, gloves should not be worn due to the danger of the glove becoming caught and pulling the worker’s hand into the moving equipment.

PROTECTION OF LEGS, FEET, TOES

This type of equipment offers protection where there is the danger of rolling or falling objects, sharp objects, molten metal, hot surfaces and wet slippery surfaces. Types of equipment available include:

· foot guards

· specialized safety shoes (e.g., safety-toe, conductive, foundry, explosive operations, electrical hazard)

· boots

· leggings

RESPIRATORY/LUNG PROTECTION

Respiratory hazards exist when a toxic or otherwise harmful material is present in the atmosphere at a concentration which is high enough to impair bodily function when inhaled. The two major classes of respiratory hazards include:

1. oxygen deficiency: Oxygen deficient atmospheres occur most frequently in confined spaces (e.g., sewers, manholes, tanks, silos, etc.) where oxygen present in the atmosphere may be inadequate to maintain normal body functions. If applicable to your work situation, contact the Environmental Health and Safety Office regarding the CCS established confined space entry program.

2. air contamination: May occur in the form of a variety of physical states, such as gases, vapors, or particulate contamination (e.g., dusts, fogs, mists, fumes, smoke).

Control of exposures to respiratory hazards and respirator usage is very specifically regulated by state and national laws. Respirator usage requires initial and annual training and respirator fit testing. Contact the Environmental Health and Safety Office, 475-7041, for further information.