Safety and Health Program- Personal Protective Equipment Upgrade Chapter

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Personal Protective Equipment Program

Policy:

Protective clothing will be provided whenever it is necessary by reason of hazards, processes or environmental conditions. The Company requires that protective clothing be used when chemical hazards, radiological hazards, or mechanical irritants are encountered in a manner capable of causing injury or impairment through absorption, inhalation, or physical contact.

Responsibilities:

The Safety and Health Manager will be responsible for assessing the hazards and exposures that may require the use of PPE, determining the type of equipment to be provided, and purchasing the equipment. Input from managers, supervisors, and employees will be obtained and considered in selecting appropriate equipment.

Managers/supervisors will be responsible for training employees in the use and proper care of PPE, ensuring that all employees are assigned appropriate PPE, and ensuring that PPE is worn by employees when and where it is required.

Employees are responsible for following all provisions of this program and related procedures. They are expected to wear PPE when and where it is required.

Purpose:

The purpose of this program is to protect our employees by ensuring that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is provided, used, and maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition whenever it is necessary due to hazards from processes or in the work environment. To the extent that it is possible and feasible, the company will remove or eliminate hazards or exposures through engineering means to eliminate the need for PPE.

This program covers eye and face protection, head protection, foot protection, hand protection, and electrical protection. Respiratory hazards and hearing hazards are covered by other programs, but they will also be included in the Hazard Assessment described below. This program covers the responsibilities of managers, supervisors and workers, assessment of hazards, selection and use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and training.

Procedures:

a. Personal protective clothing is to include approved lab coats, surgical caps, masks, gloves, special shirts, trousers, overalls, jumpsuits, safety shoes, hard hats, coats and smocks. As a minimum, Company furnished lab coats should always be worn during laboratory work.

b. Requests for all personal protective clothing not available as Company stock items are generated by the supervisor and are approved by the Safety and Health Manager. The protective clothing must be worn by the employees and visitors as dictated by Company policy. The clothing will be available only in compromise sizes (i.e. small, medium, and large).

c. Personal protective clothing may not be worn in the cafeteria or other food consumption areas, conference rooms, picnic areas or off campus.

d. Sandals, and open-toed shoes, are prohibited in laboratory, shop, warehouse, and animal housing areas.

e. Safety shoes should be worn by all shop, warehouse and maintenance personnel as dictated by the nature of the work. Safety shoe areas are recommended by the supervisor and approved by the Safety and health Manager. The user will be responsible for the proper cleaning, maintenance and use of the safety shoes.

f. Hard hats should be worn in all posted areas (e.g., locations in warehouses, shops, and building construction or renovation areas) and when performing work in which the supervisor Safety and Health Manager decides such hazards exist.