This guide explains what the general standard asks of employers and how to turn it into a practical purchasing process for your plant.

PPE is the last line of defense

OSHA’s hierarchy of controls puts PPE last. Hazards should first be eliminated or reduced through engineering and administrative controls. PPE protects workers from the risk that remains, so it has to be the right equipment, in the right size, used the right way.

What 29 CFR 1910.132 requires

• A written hazard assessment. Employers must assess the workplace to determine whether hazards are present that require PPE, and certify that assessment in writing (identifying the workplace, the person certifying and the date).
• Proper selection. Based on that assessment, select PPE that protects against the identified hazards and communicate the selection to each affected employee.
• Proper fit. PPE must fit each employee. One size rarely fits all, especially for gloves, safety glasses and footwear.
• Training. Employees must know when PPE is needed, what PPE is needed, how to put it on, adjust it and take it off, its limitations, and how to care for it and dispose of it. Retraining is required when the workplace or the PPE changes, or when an employee’s use shows a gap.
• Condition. Defective or damaged PPE must not be used.
• Payment. With limited exceptions (such as ordinary safety-toe footwear and prescription safety eyewear worn off the job site), the employer pays for required PPE.

Turning compliance into a purchasing process

Compliance gets much easier when your purchasing follows the hazard assessment:

• Build a job-by-job PPE matrix. List each job or area, its hazards and the PPE required. A press operator, a welder and a warehouse associate need very different protection.
• Specify, don’t just name products. Ask for the rating that matters: ANSI/ISEA 105 cut level for gloves, ANSI/ISEA Z87.1 marking for eyewear, NRR for hearing protection, and the correct NIOSH-approved filter for respirators.
• Stock multiple sizes. Fit is a requirement, and comfortable equipment is equipment people actually wear.
• Plan replenishment. Gloves, earplugs and filters are consumables. Set reorder points so the floor never runs out.
• Check compatibility. Make sure glasses don’t break the seal of earmuffs or a half-mask respirator.
• Review after changes. New equipment, new chemicals or new processes mean a new look at the hazard assessment and the PPE list.

One supplier for your plant’s PPE

DES Industrial supplies personal protective equipment for industry in El Paso: head, eye, hearing and respiratory protection, work gloves, safety footwear, high-visibility clothing, fall protection and safety signage. We review your hazards job by job before quoting, so you get the right equipment instead of a generic list.

Need to update your PPE program? Request a quote or call us at (915) 358-4994.

This article is for general information and does not replace the official text of OSHA standards or advice from a qualified safety professional.

La entrada OSHA PPE Requirements: A Practical Guide for Plant and Safety Managers se publicó primero en DES INDUSTRIAL.