The University of Chicago
Safety Manual
Occupational Safety and Health Programs

Personal Protective Equipment

Policy

All personal protective equipment (PPE) shall be provided, utilized and maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition whenever deemed necessary by reason of hazards, processes or environment.

Scope

This policy applies to all employees who by nature of their job function have the potential to be exposed chemical, physical, radiological or biological hazards which can cause illness, injury or impairment to any part of the body through absorption, inhalation, or physical contact. 

Authority and Responsibility

Immediate Supervisors are responsible for:

1. Ensuring PPE is available;
2. Providing PPE as required;
3. Providing PPE as required or upon request to all employees;
4. Ensuring PPE is being used by each affected employee during all job tasks which require such protection;
5. Conducting specific hazard assessments for personal protective equipment use upon request;
6. Documenting purchase and distribution of all PPE; and
7. Taking the appropriate corrective action in accordance with the University of Chicago’s Personnel Policy on Progressive Corrective Action, Section U703 for employees not wearing required PPE.

Environmental Health and Safety is responsible for:

1. Assessing the workplace to determine if hazards are present, or are likely to be present, which necessitate the use of PPE;
2. Communicating selection decisions to each affected employee and supervisor;
3. Selecting and recommending PPE that properly fits each affected employee;
4. Providing training in the proper use and care of PPE; and
5. Documenting aforementioned hazard assessment components. 

Employees are responsible for:

1. Inspecting all PPE prior to its use;
2. Wearing PPE upon the direction of their immediate supervisor;
3. Participating in mandatory training;
4. Notifying their supervisor when new PPE is necessary;
5. Contacting Environmental Health and Safety when a hazard or process has changed which may render previously used PPE ineffective; and
6. Notifying their supervisor of any changes which might impact the type of PPE they utilize.

Considerations

PPE devices alone shall not be relied on to provide protection against hazards, but shall be used in conjunction with guards, engineering controls, administration controls and sound manufacturing practices.

When selecting PPE, utilize the following considerations as a basic directive.

• Application:  What part of the body is being protected?
• Chemical Resistance:  Will material maintain its structural integrity and protective qualities?
• Strength:  Is the material resistant to punctures, tears, and abrasions?
• Flexibility:  Does PPE provide the necessary dexterity?
• Thermal Limits:  Does clothing maintain its mobility and protective capacity in temperature extremes?
• Cleanable:  Can material be easily cleaned and reused?
• Longevity:  Will clothing resist aging?

Contact Environmental Health and Safety at 702-9999 for PPE product recommendations.

Hand Protection

Hand protection shall be worn when hands are exposed to hazards such as those from skin absorption of harmful substances, severe cuts or lacerations, severe abrasions, punctures, chemical burns, thermal burns and harmful temperature extremes.

The type of hand protection used shall be based on the performance characteristics of the hand protection relative to the task(s) to be performed, conditions present, duration of use, and the hazards or potential hazards identified.

With respect to selection of gloves for protection against chemical hazards:

1. The toxic properties of the chemical(s) must be determined; in particular, the ability of the chemical to cause local effects on the skin and/or to pass through the skin and cause systemic effects;
2. Generally, any "chemical resistant" glove can be used for dry powders;
3. For mixtures and formulated products (unless specific test data are available), a glove shall be selected on the basis of the chemical component with the shortest breakthrough time, since it is possible for solvents to carry active ingredients through polymeric (a chemical compound or mixture of compounds formed by polymerization and consisting essentially of repeating structural units) materials; and
4. Employees shall be able to remove the gloves in such a manner as to prevent skin contamination.

Gloves shall be removed before touching public objects such as telephones, elevator buttons, or door handles to avoid cross contamination. 

Head Protection

Head protection shall be worn in areas where there is a potential for injury to the head from impact, flying or falling objects (e.g., working below other workers who are using tools and materials which could fall through grates), or electrical shock and burns.

Helmets for protection against impact and penetration of falling objects shall comply with the "American National Standard for Personal Protection - Protective Headwear for Industrial Workers Requirements" (ANSI) Z89.1.1986.  Helmets for protection against electrical shock and burns shall comply with ANSI Z89.2-1971.

Eye/Face Protection

Suitable eye protection or face protection shall be worn when there is the potential for exposure to the eyes or face from flying particles, molten metal, chemicals, gases or vapors or potentially injurious light radiation.  Side protection is required when there is a hazard potential from flying objects. Detachable side protectors (e.g., clip-on or slide-on shields) meeting the pertinent requirements are acceptable.

Eye protection shall be durable, comfortable and easy to clean.  Persons whose vision requires the use of corrective lenses and who by nature of their job duties require eye protection shall wear goggles or a full face shield that can be worn over the prescription lenses.

Foot Protection

Foot protection shall be worn when there is the potential for injury to the feet from falling or rolling objects, objects piercing the sole of the foot, electrical hazards, hot surfaces and slippery surfaces.  Safety toe shoes are required for all trades at the University of Chicago (e.g., electricians, building engineers, grounds).

Foot protection shall comply with ANSI Z41-1991 "American National Standard for Personal Protection - Protective Footwear".

Respirators

Use of respirators shall be done in accordance with the Respiratory Protection Program, Section 3.6.

Hearing Protection

Use of hearing protection shall be done in accordance with the Hearing Conservation Program, Section 3.11.

Fall Protection

Use of fall protection shall be done in accordance with the Fall Protection policy, Section 3.17.

Body Protection

Full body protection shall be worn when there is a potential for contamination or exposure to other parts of the body (e.g., legs, arms, back, chest) from heat, splashes from hot metals and liquids, impacts, cuts, chemicals and radiation.

Body protection includes the following:

• Lab coats;
• Boot covers;
• Aprons;
• Bouffant caps;
• Tyvek suits; and
• Coveralls.

Electrical Protective Devices

Rubber insulating equipment shall be used/worn to protect employees from shocks/burns while working on "live" electrical systems.

Rubber insulating equipment shall comply with the following American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards:

• Specification for Rubber Insulating Gloves (D120-87);
• Specification for Rubber Insulating Matting (ASTM D178-93 or D178-88);
• Specification for Rubber Insulating Blankets (ASTM D1048-93 or D1048-88a);
• Specification for Rubber Insulating Covers (ASTM D1049-93 or D1049-88);
• Specification for Rubber Insulating Line Hose (ASTM D1050-90); and
• Specification for Rubber Insulating Sleeves (ASTM D1051-87).

All electrical protective equipment shall be subjected to periodic electrical tests conducted in accordance with appropriate voltages identified by ASTM standards to reliably indicate whether the insulating equipment can withstand the voltage involved.  Insulating equipment failing to pass inspections or electrical tests shall NOT be used by employees.

Rubber insulating equipment test intervals shall occur as follows:

• Rubber insulating line hoses shall be tested upon indication that the insulating valve is suspect;
• Rubber insulating covers shall be tested upon indication that the insulating valve is suspect;
• Rubber insulating blankets shall be tested before first issue and every twelve months thereafter;
• Rubber insulating gloves shall be tested before first issue and every six months thereafter; and
• Rubber insulating sleeves shall be tested before first issue and every twelve months thereafter.

Note:  If the insulating equipment has been electrically tested but not issued for service, it shall not be placed into service unless it has been electrically tested within the previous twelve months.

All departments using rubber insulating equipment shall make the appropriate arrangements for testing of such equipment.

Maintenance Schedules

PPE shall be inspected, cleaned and maintained by employees at regular intervals so it can be discarded, changed and/or decontaminated as deemed necessary.  At a minimum, all PPE shall be discarded when it has become contaminated, worn, torn or has other integrity problems.

It is important to ensure that contaminated PPE which cannot be decontaminated is disposed in a manner that protects employees from exposure to hazards while ensuring compliance with appropriate regulations. 

Note:  Inspect PPE before each use for tears, punctures, holes, cuts, cracks, embedded foreign objects and texture changes (e.g., swelling, softening, hardening, becoming sticky or inelastic).

Training

Initial Training

Initial training shall be provided by Environmental Health and Safety or the appropriate department for each employee who is required to use PPE.  This training shall utilize the "Personal Protective Equipment" training booklet generated by Environmental Health and Safety which shall be updated to ensure consistency with changes in protective equipment and work processes.  Each employee shall be trained in at least the following:

• When PPE is necessary;
• What PPE is necessary;
• How to properly don, doff, adjust, and wear PPE;
• The limitations of the PPE; and
• The proper care, maintenance, useful life and disposal of the PPE.

Each affected employee shall demonstrate an understanding of the aforementioned training and the ability to use PPE properly before being allowed to perform work requiring the use of PPE.

When there is reason to believe that any affected employee who has already been trained does not have the understanding and skill as required above, Environmental Health and Safety or the affected department shall retrain each such employee.  Circumstances where retraining is required include, but are not limited to, situations where:

• 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 affected employee's knowledge or use of assigned PPE indicate that the employee has not retained the requisite understanding or skill.

Recordkeeping

Environmental Health and Safety shall verify that each affected employee has received and understood the required training through a written certification containing the name of each employee trained, the date(s) of training and the subject of the certification.

Section 3 Index

Table of Contents

Environmental Health and Safety
Issued: 01/24/96
Revised: 07/31/08