Personal

Protective
Equipment
Department of University Safety
& Assurances
www.safety.uwm.edu

US&A (v. 2/07)

Why PPE is Important

Personal protective
equipment (PPE) is
designed to prevent or
lessen the severity of
injuries to workers.
The employer must
assess the workplace
and determine what
hazards may necessitate
the use of PPE before
assigning PPE to
workers.
US&A (v. 2/07)

Topics of Discussion

What is Included?
Head
Eye
Face
Hearing
Respiratory
Protection
Hands
Foot
Clothing

US&A (v. 2/07)

Head Protection
Hardhats
Helmets

US&A (v. 2/07)

How Hard Hats Protect You

A rigid shell that resists and
deflects blows to the head;

Suspension system inside

acts as a shock absorber
Some hats serve as an
insulator against electrical
shocks
Shields your scalp, face,
neck, and shoulders against
splashes, spills, and drips
Some can be modified so you
can add face shields,
goggles, hoods or hearing
protection
US&A (v. 2/07)

Hardhat Inspection
Shells should be inspected for dents, cracks,
gouges & any damage from impact, penetration,
abrasions, rough treatment or wear.
Degradation of thermoplastic material may be
apparent when the shell becomes stiff, brittle,
faded, dull in color or chalky in appearance.
Replace at the first sign of any of these
conditions

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US&A (v. 2/07)

PPE for Impact Hazards

Safety Glasses: Primary

protectors intended to shield
the eyes from a variety of
impact hazards
Goggles: Primary protectors
intended to shield the eyes
against flying fragments,
objects, large chips, and
particles.
Face Shields: Secondary
protectors intended to protect
the entire face against
exposure to impact hazards

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Eyewear

Some models have

molded-in side shields
and brow-guard for
extra protection above
and around eyes

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Eyes: Goggles and Glasses

Goggles
Chemical Splash
Impact

Safety glasses

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Ventilated Goggles
Ventilated goggles allow air circulation while providing
protection against airborne particles, dust, liquids or light.
Available with either Direct or Indirect ventilation

Direct ventilation goggles:

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Where strenuous work is

done in hot conditions,
'direct ventilation' goggles
may be more suitable.
However these are
unsuitable for protection
against chemicals, gases
and dust

Indirect Ventilation

Indirect ventilation
Goggles:
'Indirect ventilation'
goggles are not
perforated, but are fitted
with baffled ventilators
to prevent liquids and
dust from entering.
Indirect ventilation
goggles will not protect
against gas or vapor.

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Non-Ventilated Goggles

Non-Ventilated
Goggles:
Do not allow the passage of
air into the goggle
Prevent splash entry
May fog and require
frequent lens cleaning

US&A (v. 2/07)

Faceshields
DO NOT use any faceshield unless you
also wear suitable primary eye
protection devices (spectacles or
goggles).
Faceshields are heavier & bulkier than
other types of eye protector but are
comfortable if fitted with an adjustable
head harness.
Faceshields protect the face but do not
fully enclose the eyes and therefore do
not protect against dusts, mist or gases
Transparent face shields must be
replaced when warped, scratched or
brittle with age

US&A (v. 2/07)

An Eye Saved by Safety Glasses

While applying siding with an air powered staple gun, a

staple hit a metal plate behind the siding, ricocheted
back and one leg of the staple penetrated the wearers
safety glasses' lens
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US&A (v. 2/07)

EPA and ANSI

EPA is responsible for
determining adequacy of
hearing protector
attenuation (NRR).
EPA adopts ANSIs
protocol for making the
determination
ANSI has issued a new
protocol for the labeling
regulation for hearing
protectors that has yet
to be adopted by EPA
EPA is collecting
information on revising
their labeling regulation
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Hearing Protection
Ear plugs
Ear muffs
Audiometric testing
More information provided in
training on hearing
conservation

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Respirators
A hazardous task
assessment may be
done to determine if
you need to wear a
respirator
If you are required to
wear a respirator you
will be included in our
respiratory protection
program
You must be medically
cleared to wear a
respirator
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Respirator Selection

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Respirators
In addition to the
initial fit-test,
wearers must check
the seal of their
respirators every
time they put them
on
User seal checks are
necessary to ensure
that the respirator
has been put on
correctly

US&A (v. 2/07)

Dust Masks
Only suitable for
non-hazardous,
non-respirable nuisance
dusts.
If your employer provides
respirators for your voluntary
use, or if you provide your
own respirator, you need to
take certain precautions to be
sure that the respirator itself
does not present a hazard.
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Respirator Ratings
Many different types available

N if they
are not
resistant to
oil

R if

somewhat
resistant to
oil, and

P if

strongly
resistant (oil
proof).

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Hood Respirators

Helmet or hood
respirators can be
effective in

HEPA filtered powered air

purifying respirator (PAPR)
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protecting workers
with facial hair, or in
other applications
where conventional
respirators do not
provide adequate fit,
comfort or
protection.

US&A (v. 2/07)

Why Its Important

It has been estimated that almost
20% of all disabling accidents on the
job involve the hands
Some examples of traumatic injuries
to your hands:
Cuts: Tools and machines with a sharp
edges
Punctures: Staples, screwdrivers, nails,
chisels and stiff wire
Sprains, Crushing Injuries: Getting your
hands caught in machinery

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Hand Protection

Gloves

Cotton
Leather
Latex
Viton
Butyl
Neoprene
PVC
Nitrile
Other

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Disposable Vinyl

Deliver comfort,
flexibility, sensitivity
Translucent white, 5-mil
vinyl
Non-allergenic
alternative to latex
Lightly-powdered or
powder-free

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Coated Gloves

Provide cut,
puncture and
abrasionresistance
Latex coating
on palm,
fingertips and
thumb
Crinkle finish for
superior grip in
wet and dry
applications
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Coated Gloves
Tacky nitrile coating
for sure grip
Light nylon shell for
dexterity
Offers better fit and
grip than uncoated
cotton or string knit
gloves

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Reusable Latex
Versatile, reusable Latex
18-mil, 100% natural
latex excellent tensile
strength and sensitivity;
good grip
Resists detergents, acids,
salts, caustics, fats and
alcohol
Cotton lining for ease of
donning
12 length protects wrists
and forearm
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Disposable Latex

Strong, comfortable
and economical
Textured fingertips
for secure grip
Available lightly
powdered or
powder-free

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Latex + Neoprene
Comfort of latex plus the
chemical protection of
neoprene
Provides excellent chemical
resistance against acids, oils,
grease, salts, animal fats
and battery acid
Resist puncture, tears and
abrasion
Ideal for auto and battery
manufacturing, chemical
plants, cleaning printing
presses and wiping down
machinery
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Butyl
Offers greater
resistance to
gas and water
vapors than
Neoprene
Provides
greater safety
when handling
toxic
substances like
ketones,
esters, etc

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PVC/Nitrile Gloves

Gloves are PVC

with nitrilereinforced
coating
Textured to
improve wet grip
Cotton interlock
liner for comfort

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Reusable Nitrile
Excellent resistance
to a variety of
solvents and
petroleum products
Resist most liquids
Resist cuts, snags,
punctures, swelling
and degradation by
organic solvents
and hydrocarbons

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Glove Selection

Be sure you
know which
glove is
appropriate
for the
chemical
you are
using

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Why Its Important

Compression Injuries Heavy
machinery, equipment, and other
objects can roll over your feet.
The result of these types of
accidents is often broken or
crushed bones.
Injuries from Spills and
Splashes Liquids such as acids,
caustics, and molten metals can
spill into your shoes and boots.
These hazardous materials can
cause chemical and heat burns.

US&A (v. 2/07)

Foot Protection
What kind of shoe
should electricians
wear?

Shoes with nonconductive soles

meeting the
requirements of
ANSI Z41 PT9l (M/F)
I-75 C-75 EH. "EH"
represents the
"electrical hazard"
designation.

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Types of Foot
Protection
Work shoes
Boots
Steel-toed shoes & boots

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Foot Protection
Other options in
steel-toed shoes

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Protective Clothing and Vests

Uniforms
Disposable clothing
Vests
Cooling
Visibility

Cold weather
protection

US&A (v. 2/07)