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1. Personal
Protective
Equipment
Sponsored by

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3. Personal Protective Equipment iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Personal Protective Equipment........................................................................................................1
OSHA PPE rules................................................................................................................................1
OSHA General Duty Clause............................................................................................................2
Hazard assessment...........................................................................................................................2
Payment for PPE...............................................................................................................................3
Best practice: 4 steps to effective worker protection....................................................................4
Frequently Asked Questions............................................................................................................6

4. Personal Protective Equipment 1
Sponsored by
Grainger is North America's
leading broad line supplier
of maintenance, repair
and operating products.
Grainger provides
high-quality, dependable
products you can trust to
keep employees and work
sites safe.
www.grainger.com/safety
Employers must provide personal protective equipment (PPE) and
training to each employee who is or may be exposed to physical or
health hazards in the workplace when engineering and administrative
controls cannot feasibly or effectively reduce exposures to safe levels.
PPE is designed to protect your workers from serious workplace
injuries or illnesses resulting from contact with chemical, radiological,
physical, electrical, mechanical, or other workplace hazards. Besides
face shields, safety glasses, hard hats, and safety shoes, protective
equipment includes a variety of devices and garments such as
goggles, coveralls, gloves, vests, earplugs, and respirators.
Hazard assessment. To determine if hazards are present, or are
likely to be present, that require the use of PPE, OSHA requires you to
assess your workplace and the jobs employees perform. If hazards are
present, or likely to be present, you must:
◆ Select, and have each affected employee use, the types of PPE
that will protect the affected employee from the hazards
identified in the hazard assessment;
◆ Communicate selection decisions to each affected employee; and
◆ Select PPE that properly fits each affected employee.
The two basic objectives of any PPE program are to:
◆ Protect the wearer from workplace hazards.
◆ Prevent the wearer from being injured if there is a malfunction
of PPE or if he or she uses the equipment incorrectly.
OSHA PPE rules
General industry. The most commonly applicable regulations are
found at:
29 CFR 1910.132 PPE: General Requirements
29 CFR 1910.133 Eye and face protection
29 CFR 1910.134 Respiratory protection
29 CFR 1910.135 Head protection
29 CFR 1910.136 Foot protection
29 CFR 1910.138 Hand protection
29 CFR 1910.95 Occupational Noise Exposure
29 CFR 1910.120(c) and (g) HAZWOPER
Personal Protective
Equipment

5. Personal Protective Equipment 2
Sponsored by
Grainger is North America's
leading broad line supplier
of maintenance, repair
and operating products.
Grainger provides
high-quality, dependable
products you can trust to
keep employees and work
sites safe.
www.grainger.com/safety
Construction industry. The PPE requirements for the construction
industry are located at Personal Protective and Life Saving Equipment
(29 CFR 1926.95 to 1926.107).
OSHA General Duty Clause
OSHA may also apply its General Duty Clause to PPE-related situa-
tions. The General Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational
Safety and Health Act (OSH Act), requires an employer to furnish to
its employees “employment and a place of employment which are
free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause
death or serious physical harm to employees ….”
Role of other federal agencies
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
Though NIOSH does not have regulatory authority, OSHA rules
have incorporated by reference several NIOSH standards for the
design and use of respirators.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA regulates the
use of PPE for pesticide applications, emergency response to releases
or spills of hazardous substances, and for protection against expo-
sure to significant new uses of hazardous substances.
United States Coast Guard (USCG). The USCG regulates PPE
requirements for facilities and operations on the Outer Continental
Shelf (OCS).
National consensus standards. The American National Standards
Institute (ANSI) has developed specifications for various types of
PPE (gloves, footwear, eyewear, and headwear) and for measuring
their effectiveness and quality. The American Society for Testing and
Materials (ASTM) has developed specifications for electrical equip-
ment and PPE. Though ANSI and the ASTM do not have regulatory
authority, several of their industry consensus standards have been
incorporated into OSHA rules by reference.
Hazard assessment
Each employer must assess the workplace to determine if hazards are
present, or are likely to be present, and necessitate the use of PPE.
Every job in the workplace must be evaluated. The employer must
certify in writing that the PPE hazard assessment has been per-
formed. The written certification must identify:
◆ The workplace evaluated
◆ The date of the assessment

6. Personal Protective Equipment 3
Sponsored by
Grainger is North America's
leading broad line supplier
of maintenance, repair
and operating products.
Grainger provides
high-quality, dependable
products you can trust to
keep employees and work
sites safe.
www.grainger.com/safety
◆ The person certifying that the evaluation has been performed
◆ The hazards found
◆ The PPE selected
Employers must determine what types of PPE are appropriate for
their workers and ensure that workers know how to use PPE items
properly.
OSHA has supplied what it calls “nonmandatory” compliance guide-
lines to aid employers in the hazard assessment and PPE selection
process (29 CFR 1910, Subpart I, Appendix B).
Payment for PPE
Employers must pay for most types of PPE when used by employees
exclusively in the workplace (i.e., not for personal use at home or
other nonworkplace activities).
PPE replacement. Employers must pay to replace worn or damaged
PPE as part of the employer’s obligation to ensure that the PPE is in
good condition. The employer is not required to pay for replacement
when the employee has lost or intentionally damaged the PPE.
Employee-owned PPE. When an employee voluntarily purchases
and wears his or her own PPE and is allowed to use it at the work-
place, the employer is not required to reimburse the employee for
that equipment. If employees are allowed to use their own PPE, how-
ever, the employer is responsible for its adequacy, maintenance, and
sanitation.
If an employee has provided his or her own PPE but the employer’s
hazard assessment determines that an upgrade to or replacement of
PPE is required, the employer must pay for the upgrade or replace-
ment regardless of who paid for the original PPE.

7. Personal Protective Equipment 4
Sponsored by
Grainger is North America's
leading broad line supplier
of maintenance, repair
and operating products.
Grainger provides
high-quality, dependable
products you can trust to
keep employees and work
sites safe.
www.grainger.com/safety
Best practice:
4 steps to effective worker protection
As an employer, you have two important safety goals to keep in mind:
1. Protect your employees as they perform their duties.
2. Comply with OSHA regulations that apply to your workplace.
These two goals must be considered for all phases of your opera-
tions, but they are clearly paramount in the case of PPE. As the name
clearly states, the purpose of the regulation is employee protection,
and OSHA spells out exactly how this protection must be achieved.
1. Hazard assessment. Section 1910.132(d)(1) of the OSHA stan-
dard says that employers must “assess the workplace to deter-
mine if hazards are present, or are likely to be present, which
necessitate the use of personal protective equipment.”
Think head-to-toe protection and be sure to consider all the haz-
ards—falling objects, chemical exposures, flying objects, sharp
objects, and rolling or pinching objects—as well as all the protec-
tions—hard hats, safety glasses and goggles, respirators, gloves,
safety shoes, and other clothing and equipment. The better you
identify and understand the impact of specific hazards, the better
able you will be to take the next step and select the most appro-
priate PPE.
2. Equipment selection. Section 1910.132(d)(1) also says that if
such hazards are present—or are likely to be—you must:
◆ Select, and have affected employees use, the types of PPE
that will protect them from the hazards you have identified.
◆ Communicate selection decisions to employees.
◆ Select PPE that fits each affected employee properly.
Section 1910.132(h) states that PPE, with only a few exceptions,
must be provided by the employer at no cost to the employee.
The exceptions are as follows:
◆ Nonspecialty safety-toe protective footwear (including
steel-toe shoes or steel-toe boots), provided the employer
permits such items to be worn off the jobsite
◆ Nonspecialty prescription safety eyewear, provided the
employer permits such items to be worn off the jobsite
◆ Shoes or boots with built-in metatarsal protection that the
employee chooses instead of metatarsal guards provided by
the employer
◆ Logging boots required by 29 CFR 1910.266(d)(1)(v)

8. Personal Protective Equipment 5
Sponsored by
Grainger is North America's
leading broad line supplier
of maintenance, repair
and operating products.
Grainger provides
high-quality, dependable
products you can trust to
keep employees and work
sites safe.
www.grainger.com/safety
Hazard assessment and equipment selection—the first two steps—
are actually the easy part. The hard part is encouraging employees to
actually use the PPE. The next two steps—training and follow-up—
present the challenge of reaching employees and communicating
your important message.
3. Train employees. Section 1910.132(f)(1) requires you to train
employees concerning each type of PPE before allowing them to
perform any work requiring its use. At a minimum, your PPE
training program must include the following information:
◆ When PPE is necessary;
◆ What PPE is necessary;
◆ How to properly don, doff, adjust, and wear PPE;
◆ Limitations of the PPE; and
◆ Proper care, maintenance, useful life, and disposal of the
PPE.
The regulations [1910.132(f)(3)] also require you to retrain
whenever:
◆ Changes in the workplace render previous training obsolete;
◆ Changes in the types of PPE to be used render previous
training obsolete; or
◆ Inadequacies in an employee’s knowledge or use of
assigned PPE indicate that the employee has not retained
the requisite understanding or skill.
4. Follow up—Reinforce and enforce. You have to accept the fact
that no matter what you do, a few employees will still forget to
use their PPE, ignore the rules, think that PPE is for wimps, or
believe that accidents happen to someone else. Daily monitoring
is essential to see that employees are actually wearing their PPE.
Try these suggestions to motivate your employees and keep your
PPE program from going down the drain:
◆ Use a behavioral approach. As you walk around the depart-
ment every day, give employees positive feedback for using
PPE.
◆ Make it easy to get and exchange PPE. If it’s a hassle for
employees to get PPE or exchange damaged or worn arti-
cles for new ones, they probably won’t bother and will opt
for just not using it.
◆ Recognize and reward employees for using PPE. At safety
meetings, praise employees for using PPE.

9. Personal Protective Equipment 6
Sponsored by
Grainger is North America's
leading broad line supplier
of maintenance, repair
and operating products.
Grainger provides
high-quality, dependable
products you can trust to
keep employees and work
sites safe.
www.grainger.com/safety
◆ Recognize proper use of PPE in performance appraisals. Be
sure that employees realize that this will be part of their
evaluations.
◆ Enforce PPE policies. Use discipline, if necessary, as a last
resort to show employees you are serious about their wear-
ing assigned PPE.
Like any other program, your PPE program should be reviewed peri-
odically to make sure it still meets your company’s needs and OSHA
requirements. Following the four essential steps, however, should
also give you confidence that you are complying with OSHA regula-
tions and are doing all that is possible to keep your employees safe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. I wear prescription lenses; what are my safety eyewear options?
A. Workers who wear prescription lenses must wear a pair of safety
glasses that incorporate the prescription in its design, or wear safety
glasses that can be worn over prescription lenses without disturbing
the proper position of either.
Q. How should I maintain my protective eyewear?
A. Safety eyewear must be maintained properly in order to provide you
with maximum protection. Protective eyewear should be cleaned
according to the manufacturer's instructions. If no instructions are
available, clean or soak the eyewear with mild soap and warm water
(120°F). Rinse thoroughly and allow to air dry.
Q. What size respirator should I order: small, medium, or large?
A. Even though approximately 80 percent of people wear a medium-
sized respirator, the only way to determine the correct size mask is
to perform a fit test. When performing a fit test, start with a medium
mask. If during the fit test it is determined that the mask does not fit
properly, proceed testing with the next possible appropriate size for
the person being tested.
Q. How do I go about selecting the proper cartridge for my
application?
A. Cartridges do have limitations. A chemical cartridge contains
activated charcoal. The charcoal is activated based on the
contaminant it is designed to absorb. To determine the proper
cartridge for air-purifying respirators, either contact a safety
professional or consult the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) of the substance
that needs to be filtered. All cartridges are assigned a color desig-
nating the type of contaminant they will filter.

10. Personal Protective Equipment 7
Sponsored by
Grainger is North America's
leading broad line supplier
of maintenance, repair
and operating products.
Grainger provides
high-quality, dependable
products you can trust to
keep employees and work
sites safe.
www.grainger.com/safety
Q. Can I wear my hard hat backward?
A. In January 2009, ANSI updated the Z89.1 standard to include three
non-mandatory tests that hard hat manufacturers can use to evaluate
their product. One of these tests is the Reverse Donning test. Helmets
marked with a "reverse donning arrow" can be worn frontward or
backward in accordance with the manufacturer's wearing instruc-
tions. Hard hats marked with this "arrow" pass all testing require-
ments, whether worn frontward or backward.
Q. What is a Noise Reduction Rating (NRR)?
A. The Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) is defined as the maximum
number of decibels (dB) the sound level will be reduced when the
hearing protector is worn.

11. We have what you need to help keep your people and facility protected.
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