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Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) comprises items of clothing and equipment that are used by themselves or in combination with other protective clothing and equipment to isolate the individual wearer from a particular hazard or a number of hazards. PPE can also be used to protect the environment from the individual such as in the case of cleanroom apparel and medical devices for infection control. PPE is considered the “last line of defense” against particular hazards when it is not possible to prevent worker exposure by using engineering or administrative controls. Engineering controls should be first used to eliminate a hazard from the work place by modifying the work environment or process to prevent any contact of workers with the hazard. When neither engineering nor administrative controls are possible, PPE should be used. Workers should not rely on PPE exclusively for protection against hazards, but should use PPE in conjunction with guards, engineering controls, and sound manufacturing practices in the workplace setting. While PPE is designed for protection of personnel against various hazards, PPE cannot provide protection to the wearer against all hazards under all conditions. The use of PPE itself may create additional hazards for the wearer including heat stress; reduced mobility, dexterity, and tactility; and impaired vision or hearing. Therefore, PPE must be selected not only for the level of protection that it provides, but also for the specific wearer hazards that it creates, or its impact on worker productivity. PPE covers a broad range of different clothing and equipment items, including: full and partial body protective garments; protective gloves and other handwear; protective footwear; protective headwear; protective face and eyewear; respirators; and hearing protectors or hearing protection devices. The selection and use of PPE is relevant to several different industries, where different hazards exist requiring: physical protection; environmental protection; chemical protection; biological protection; thermal protection; and electrical protection. OSHA regulations dictate the use of PPE when hazards exist and require employers to select PPE based on a risk assessment and to provide proper training in the use of selected PPE. Because of the broad range of PPE types and applications, this chapter focuses on those areas in which there is less information available to industry for selection of “appropriate” PPE. The chapter emphasizes information and processes for PPE selection. This chapter specifically excludes respiratory protection and hearing protection that are covered in other chapters.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) comprises items of clothing and equipment that are used by themselves or in combination with other protective clothing and equipment to isolate the individual wearer from a particular hazard or a number of hazards. PPE can also be used to protect the environment from the individual such as in the case of cleanroom apparel and medical devices for infection control. PPE is considered the “last line of defense” against particular hazards when it is not possible to prevent worker exposure by using engineering or administrative controls. Engineering controls should be first used to eliminate a hazard from the work place by modifying the work environment or process to prevent any contact of workers with the hazard. When neither engineering nor administrative controls are possible, PPE should be used. Workers should not rely on PPE exclusively for protection against hazards, but should use PPE in conjunction with guards, engineering controls, and sound manufacturing practices in the workplace setting. While PPE is designed for protection of personnel against various hazards, PPE cannot provide protection to the wearer against all hazards under all conditions. The use of PPE itself may create additional hazards for the wearer including heat stress; reduced mobility, dexterity, and tactility; and impaired vision or hearing. Therefore, PPE must be selected not only for the level of protection that it provides, but also for the specific wearer hazards that it creates, or its impact on worker productivity. PPE covers a broad range of different clothing and equipment items, including: full and partial body protective garments; protective gloves and other handwear; protective footwear; protective headwear; protective face and eyewear; respirators; and hearing protectors or hearing protection devices. The selection and use of PPE is relevant to several different industries, where different hazards exist requiring: physical protection; environmental protection; chemical protection; biological protection; thermal protection; and electrical protection. OSHA regulations dictate the use of PPE when hazards exist and require employers to select PPE based on a risk assessment and to provide proper training in the use of selected PPE. Because of the broad range of PPE types and applications, this chapter focuses on those areas in which there is less information available to industry for selection of “appropriate” PPE. The chapter emphasizes information and processes for PPE selection. This chapter specifically excludes respiratory protection and hearing protection that are covered in other chapters.
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