Hardhats, safety glasses, steel-toed boots. These are only some of the types of personal ‘protective equipment (PPE) that are required to be used in our day-to-day job activities. PPE is assigned to create a barrier between you and workplace hazards. PPE devices alone should not be relied on to provide protection against hazards, but should be used in conjunction with guards, engineering controls and/or administrative controls.
   

Many times the question of what type of PPE is required for the job that I’m going to be doing is asked. The PPE Hazard Assessment can help you decide the right choice for the job being performed. PPE needs should be addressed when the job is being bid.
The hazard assessment addresses temperature, chemical exposure, dust, light radiation, falling objects, sharp objects, pinch points, electrical hazards and workplace layout.
 

The first step in conducting a hazard assessment is to identify jobs performed and then review the history of incidents for that particular job. A review of the last two years OSHA 300 Log would be great help here.
 

For each incident indicated on the OSHA logs, determine if any of the following possible sources were involved. Determine if PPE was involved. Was it required for the job? Was it being used properly? Was the PPE defective? What corrective actions were taken? Were the corrective actions effective? As a note, PPE alone should not be relied on to provide protection against hazards. First, determine if engineering controls (wet cutting concrete) or administrative controls (job rotation) can be used.
 

If the Hazard Assessment determines PPE is required, then match the assessment with the capabilities of the PPE. For example, if someone was using a hand held grinder, the level of risk and the potential for injury is high for foreign material flying into the operator’s eyes, safety glasses alone would not be adequate. Safety goggles or better yet safety goggles and a face shield would be a good choice. MSDS are another source that will have required PPE for the user.
 

The question that has been asked on several occasions is “when is a hardhat required’? Many safety professionals throughout the country agree that a hardhat should be required at all times on the jobsite. There are too many instances where someone walks into an area where head injury could occur and they have forgotten their hardhat. The following is a thought-provoking Hard Hat Exemption Program that you might enjoy handing out the next time someone on your jobsite says, “I don’t need a hardhat”.

HARD HAT EXEMPTION PROGRAM

In a continuing effort to establish a progressive safety program, we hereby announce a unique policy of concern to everyone. It is a HARD HAT EXEMPTION PROGRAM. If you are one of those “Hard Headed” individuals who want to let your hair blow in the breeze, who feels that their hard hat is shortening their neck, and that in general, it is just a pain in the you-know-what, this program is for you.
 

Every employee is required to wear a hard hat on the job. If you meet the following requirements, you will be exempted from wearing a hard hat. First, let me make it perfectly clear that all employees will be required to continue wearing their hardhat until they obtain a certificate of exemption.
 

The program works like this: If your head meets the US government standards for head protection, you don’t need a hardhat. Contact the safety department and they will schedule you for testing. Upon completion of testing, you will receive a beautiful certificate suitable for framing, identifying your head as conforming to American National Standards. You will also receive a wallet- size card that you must carry on the job. The test goes like this.

· First you will undergo a 24-hour underwater test. Maximum permitted absorption is 0.5 percent by weight. The company will furnish air for the 24 hours at no extra charge.

· Passing that, an impact test will be conducted. While lying horizontal with your head resting on a steel plate, an 8 pound steel ball must be dropped 5 feet several times with no damage to your head.

· Next, your head will be subjected to a variety of additives, solvents, oils and industrial gases. It must pass with no damage or deformities.

· A propane torch will be used to determine if your head is fire resistant.

· If there are any holes in your head, it will restrict you from a class B rating.

· For the final test, you must sustain 2200 volts AC, 60 Hz, for three minutes with leakage currents not exceeding nine milliampers. Breakdown threshold has been established at 30,000 volts.

· All tests must be conducted at a variety of temperatures ranging from -20 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

· If you don’t feel you can qualify, don’t despair. Although not as pretty as your hairdo, your hard hat does provide protection for your head from all of the above.

Remember, unless you receive an exemption certificate, you must continue wearing your hardhat. Not wearing one is a privilege that will be given only to those who undergo proper certification and are designated: “HARD HEADS”.

FAQ

Q. When does retraining have to be con- ducted on PPE?

A. When the employer has reason to believe that an affected employee who has already been trained does not have the understanding and skill required by your training program, the employer must retrain the employee. Circumstances when retraining would be required include, but are not limited to, situations where:

· Changes in the workplace render previous training obsolete; or

· Changes in the types of PPE to be used render previous training obsolete; or

· Inadequacies in the employee’s knowledge or use of assigned PPE indicate that the employee has not retained the understanding or skill.

Q. Once we do the assessment do we ever have to do a reassessment?

A. Re-assessment must be performed whenever there is a new or revised process in the job, new equipment is introduced, or when inci- dents (near misses or injuries) occur.