Page 44 - OHS, March 2020

PROTECTIVE APPAREL
It is a good idea to couple PPE auditing with mandated training to ensure the PPE program is still effective...
to just one person or organization. Instead, collaborate with work- ers on the job to see what hazards are most often faced daily. If the person assessing the hazards is detached from the day-to-day op- erational responsibilities, they can help to avoid inherent conflicts between current practice, production and cost pressures, hazard potentials and best practice.
It is helpful to look at your workplace as a whole when assess- ing for hazards, but employers should also look at the tasks that workers are completing daily. The following list of potential hazard sources2 could be helpful when determining risk and hazards on the job:
1. Motion that includes moving machinery, or machine parts or tools, or movement of personnel that could result in collision with stationary objects
2. High temperatures that could result in burns, eye injury or ignition of protective equipment
3. Chemical exposures that could result in burns, exposure to skin or eyes or respiratory hazards
4. Harmful dust that could result in scratches or burns to eyes or lungs
5. Light radiation that could cause burns to skin and eyes (weld- ing, brazing, cutting, furnaces, heat treating, high intensity lights)
6. Falling objects or potential for dropping objects
7. Overhead obstructions which create head bumping hazards 8. Sharp objects that might pierce the feet or cut the hands
9. Rolling or pinching objects that could crush the feet
10. Electrical hazards
Selection of Proper PPE
PPE is not the entire safety answer, however. Before the selection of PPE, employers should ask themselves if PPE is the sole solu- tion for a hazard, and they shouldn’t rely solely on PPE devices to provide protection if there other ways to protect against the hazard. When approached with a hazard, be sure that guards, engineer- ing controls and sound manufacturing processes cannot be ap- plied first. Oftentimes, the collaboration of PPE used in conjunc- tion with these analytical problem-solving techniques is the key to proper protection and remaining in compliance.
However, even with the implementation of engineering con- trols, work practices and administrative controls, the need for PPE will dominate. Rules and guidance for selecting protective clothing are more general due to the broad range of hazards protective ap- parel can address such as heat, flame, arc, and exposures to toxic solids, vapors, liquids, aerosols and bloodborne pathogens.
When choosing proper PPE, the fundamental decisions come
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