Page 42 - OHS, March 2020

PROTECTIVE APPAREL
Choosing the Right Protective Clothing
Three tips for choosing the right kind of protective apparel for workers.
BY SYDNY SHEPARD
Employers looking to choose the right protec- tive garments for their workers are walking a delicate line. They must look for clothing that is suitable to protect against the unique haz-
ards of the job while also making sure that the cloth- ing does not restrict or make the worker uncom- fortable. Protective clothing must meet federal and industry regulations while also allowing workers to finish their job effectively. It is a hard balance to strike, but when done correctly, employers can meet workers in the middle where comfort equals compliance and compliance minimizes injuries.
When looking for suitable protective clothing, OSHA’s Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Stan- dard (29 CFR 1910.132 for General Industry) ad- dresses the most important activities to complete when choosing protective apparel on the job: assess-
ment, selection and training.1
Assessing Hazards on the Job
Not all workers require the same protective apparel. The responsibilities of the position, environmental hazards surrounding the worker and the time of day on the job could all be factors when choosing protec- tive apparel.
The first question you should ask is: What am I trying to protect my team members from? The an- swer to this question is the basis from which the en- tire PPE program will be built. Employers must be open-minded when assessing hazards during this phase of the process and understand the how each hazard could affect the worker and the work envi- ronment as a whole.
Responsibility for assessing hazards should not fall
36 Occupational Health & Safety | MARCH 2020
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