| "PPE" Personal Protective
Clothing and Equipment OSHA Purpose: to prevent or minimize the entry of materials into the worker's
body. Summary p.57
Selection of: based on the specific work and exposure conditions that will
be encountered and anticipated level of risk.
When engineering controls and work practices are insufficient to eliminate
exposure then PPE must also be utilized to address the remaining exposure
potential.
OSHA 1910.1030(d)(3)(i)
Provision. When there is occupational exposure, the employer
shall provide, at no cost to the employee, appropriate personal protective
equipment such as, but not limited to, gloves, gowns, laboratory coats, face
shields or masks and eye protection, and mouthpieces, resuscitation bags,
pocket masks, or other ventilation devices. Personal protective equipment
will be considered "appropriate" only if it does not permit blood or other
potentially infectious materials to pass through or reach the employee's
work clothes, street clothes, undergarments, skin, eyes, mouth, or other
mucous membranes under normal conditions of use and for the duration of time
which the protective equipment will be used.
OSHA 1910.130(d)(3)(ii)
"Use. The employer shall ensure that the employee uses
appropriate personal protective equipment...
OSHA 1910.1030(d)(3)(iii)
"Accessibility. The employer shall ensure that appropriate
personal protective equipment in the appropriate sizes is readily accessible
at the worksite or is issued to employees. Hypoallergenic gloves, glove
liners, powderless gloves, or other similar alternatives shall be readily
accessible to those employees who are allergic to the gloves normally
provided."
Powdered gloves have subsequently been banned from use.
OSHA
1910.1030(d)(3)(iv)
"Cleaning, Laundering and Disposal. The employer shall clean,
launder, and dispose of personal protective equipment required by paragraphs
(d) and (e) of this standard at no cost to the employee."
OSHA 1910.1030(d)(3)(v)
"Repair and Replacement. The employer shall repair or replace
personal protective equipment as needed to maintain its effectiveness, at no
cost to the employee."
What is appropriate?
"...PPE will be considered 'appropriate' only if it does not permit blood or
OPIM to pass through to or reach the employee's work clothes, street
clothes, undergarments, skin, eyes, mouth, or other mucous membranes under
normal conditions of use and for the duration of time which the protective
equipment will be used." Op Cit Summary p.57
The provision does not mean "potential for" but rather "reasonably
anticipated" skin, eye, mucous membrane, or parenteral contact with blood or
OPIM that may result from the performance of an employee's duties." p.57
If an item of clothing is intended to protect the employee from blood or
OPIM occupational exposure it must be provided by the employer. p.58
Provision of PPE is based, therefore, upon the existence of occupational
exposure which, by definition, is 'reasonably anticipated' skin, eye, mucous
membrane, or parenteral contact with blood or other OPIM that may result
from the performance of an employee's duties." Summary p.58
"The CDC recommends, therefore, that personal protective equipment should be
used to protect not only skin...but also to prevent contamination of
clothing." Summary p.61
"...the Agency (OSHA) has concluded that requiring provision of PPE to
prevent work clothes, street clothes, undergarments, skin, eyes, mouth, or
other mucous membranes from contact with blood or OPIM is justified and
appropriate." Summary p.62
1910.1030(d)(3)(vii)
"All personal protective equipment shall be removed prior to leaving the
work area."
"This provision will minimize migration of contamination beyond the work
area to..." Summary p.69
1910.1030(d)(3)(viii)
"When personal protective equipment is removed it shall be placed in an
appropriately designated area or container for storage, washing,
decontamination or disposal."
"This ensures that the PPE will remain in a recognized area and helps ensure
that it will be dealt with by employees who have been trained in the proper
handling of these items." OpCit Summary p.69
"The employer must evaluate the task and the type of exposure expected and
based upon this determination, select appropriate personal protective
clothing. 'Appropriate' protective clothing must prevent contamination of an
employee's skin or clothing by blood or OPIM." OpCit p.77
Selection of personal protective equipment is performance-oriented...Only
that equipment necessary to protect against reasonably anticipated exposure
associated with a specific task is required to be provided for performance
of that task....in those instances where such equipment was incapable of
halting penetration of blood or OPIM normally encountered during a
procedure, then a more resistant barrier would be required. p.78
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