P.P.E (Personal Protective Equipment)

OSHA's new final standard on personal protective equipment, 29CFR 1910 132, Subpart I (here-after referred to as the standard), imposes several new and important requirements relating to basic safety and health programs. The standard adds new general requirements for the selection and use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Included in these requirements are the following:

• Employers must conduct a hazard assessment to determine if hazards present necessitate the use of PPE.
   
• Employers must certify in writing that the hazard assessment was conducted.
   
• PPE selection must be made on the basis of hazard assessment and affected workers properly trained.
   
• Defective or damaged PPE must not be used.
   
• Established training requirements for employees using PPE must be established. This should include requirements for employees to demonstrate an understanding of the training.
   
• Employer must certify in writing that training programs were provided and understood.
   

At Sacramento State, the office of Environmental Health and Safety may be contacted to assist departments with their hazard assessment and the required PPE training.

A variety of laboratory personal protective equipment is commercially available and commonly used in laboratories. However, for the equipment to perform the desired function, it must be used and managed properly. Laboratory supervisors and/or departmental chemical hygiene officers shall determine a need for such equipment, monitor its effectiveness, train the employees, and monitor and enforce the proper use of such equipment.

Eye Protection

Eye protection is mandatory in all areas where there is potential for injury. This applies not only to persons who work continuously in these areas, but also to persons who may be in the area only temporarily, such as maintenance or clerical personnel. All eye protective equipment shall comply with the requirements set forth in the American National Standard for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection, Z 87.1-1968.

1. The type of eye protection required depends on the hazard. For most situations, safety glasses with side shields are adequate. Where there is a danger of splashing chemicals, goggles are required. More hazardous operations include conducting reactions which have potential for explosion and using or mixing strong caustics or acids. In these situations, a face shield or a combination of face shield and safety goggles or glasses should be used.
    
2. Plastic safety glasses should be issued to employees who do not require corrective lenses.
    
3. For persons requiring corrective lenses, safety glasses ground to their prescription are available in a safety frame. Contact Environmental Health Services for additional information about availability. Please note that the wearing of safety glasses does not excuse the employee from the requirement of wearing safety goggles.
    
4. It is recommended that contact lenses not be permitted in the laboratory. The reasons for this prohibition are:
    
1. If a corrosive liquid should splash in the eye, the natural reflex to clamp the eyelids shut makes it very difficult, if not impossible, to remove the contact lens before damage is done.
    
2. The plastic used in contact lenses is permeable to some of the vapors found in the laboratory. These vapors can be trapped behind the lenses and can cause extensive damage.
    
3. The lenses can prevent tears from removing the irritant. If Departmental Chemical Hygiene Officer chooses to allow contact lenses to be worn, they shall be protected by goggles designed specifically for use with contact lenses. (The protective goggles for use with contact lenses fit loosely around the eyes and have no vents for access by vapors.) If chemical vapors contact the eyes while wearing contact lenses, these steps should be followed:
    

* Immediately remove the lenses *

* Continuously flush the eyes, for at least 15 to 30 minutes *

* Seek medical attention *


5. Although safety glasses are adequate protection for the majority of laboratory operations, they are not sufficient for certain specific operations where there is danger from splashes of corrosive liquids or flying particles. Examples are: washing glassware in chromic acid solution, grinding materials, or laboratory operations using glassware where there is significant hazard of explosion or breakage (i.e., in reduced or excess pressure or temperature). In such cases, goggles or face shields shall be worn if there is need for protection of the entire face and throat.
    
6. If, despite all precautions, an employee should experience a splash of corrosive liquid in the eye, the employee is to proceed (with the assistance of a co-worker, if possible) to the nearest eyewash fountain and flush the eyes with water for at least 15 to 30 minutes. Flush from the eye outward. During this time, a co-worker should notify the proper authorities.
    
7. Visitors shall follow the same eye protection policy as employees. If they do not provide their own eye protection, it is the laboratory's responsibility to provide adequate protection. It should be the responsibility of the employee conducting the tour to enforce this policy. After use safety glasses/goggles used by visitors should be cleaned prior to reuse.
    

Clothing

The following guidelines for laboratory clothing are offered strictly from a safety standpoint.

1. Due to the potential for ignition, absorption, and entanglement in machinery, loose or torn clothing should be avoided unless wearing a lab coat.
    
2. Dangling jewelry and excessively long hair pose the same type of safety hazard.
    
3. Finger rings or other tight jewelry which is not easily removed should be avoided because of the danger of corrosive or irritating liquids getting underneath the piece and producing irritation.
    
4. Lab coats should be provided for protection and convenience. They should be worn at all times in the lab areas. Due to the possible absorption and accumulation of chemicals in the material, lab coats should not be worn in the lunchroom or elsewhere outside the laboratory.
    
5. Where infectious materials are present, closed (snapped) lab coats and gloves are essential.
    
6. Shoes shall be worn at all times in the laboratories. Sandals, open-toed shoes, and shoes with woven uppers, shall not be worn because of the danger of spillage of corrosive or irritating chemicals.
    
7. Care should be exercised in protective clothing selection; some protective clothing has very limited resistance to selected chemicals or fire.
    
8. Consult the MSDS for a chemical to find out the recommended clothing or PPE for a particular chemical. (Examples are latex, nitrile, or PVC gloves, or aprons.)
    

Aprons - Rubber or Plastic

Some operations in the laboratory, like washing glassware, require the handling of relatively large quantities of corrosive liquids in open containers. To protect clothing in such operations, plastic or rubber aprons may be supplied. A high-necked, calf- or ankle-length, rubberized laboratory apron or a long-sleeved, calf- or ankle-length, chemical- and fire-resistant laboratory coat should be worn anytime laboratory manipulation or experimentation is being conducted. Always wear long-sleeved and long-legged clothing; do not wear short-sleeved shirts, short trousers, or short skirts.

Gloves

When handling chemicals, it is recommended that the correct gloves be used to protect the worker from accidental spills or contamination. If the gloves become contaminated they should be removed and discarded as soon as possible. There is no glove currently available that will protect a worker against all chemicals.

Protection of the hands when working with solvents, detergents, or any hazardous material is essential in the defense of the body against contamination. Exposure of the hands to a potentially hazardous chemical could result in burns, chafing of the skin due to extraction of essential oils ("de-fatting"), or dermatitis. The skin could also become sensitized to the chemical and once sensitized, could react to lesser quantities of chemicals than otherwise would have any effect. It is well documented that primary skin irritations and sensitizations account for significantly greater numbers of lost time incidents on the job than any other single type of industrial injury.

Proper selection of the glove material is essential to the performance of the glove as a barrier to chemicals. Several properties of both the glove material and the chemical with which it is to be used should influence the choice of the glove. Some of these properties include: permeability of the glove material, breakthrough time of the chemical, temperature of the chemical, thickness of the glove material, and the amount of the chemical that can be absorbed by the glove material (solubility effect). Glove materials vary widely in respect to these properties; for instance, neoprene is good for protection against most common oils, aliphatic hydrocarbons, and certain other solvents, but is unsatisfactory for use against aromatic hydrocarbons, halogenated hydrocarbons, ketones, and many other solvents.

Gloves of various types are available and should be chosen for each specific job for compatibility and breakthrough characteristics. An excellent information is Guidelines for the Selection of Chemical Protective Clothing published by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) or information provided by glove manufacturers.

1. Selection
   For concentrated acids and alkalis, and organic solvents, natural rubber, neoprene or nitrile gloves are recommended. For handling hot objects, gloves made of heat-resistant materials (leather or Nomex) should be available and kept near the vicinity of ovens or muffle furnaces. A hot object should never be picked up with rubber or plastic gloves. Special insulated gloves should be worn when handling very cold objects such as liquid N2 or CO2. Do not use asbestos containing gloves.
    
2. Inspection
   Before each use, gloves should be inspected for discoloration, punctures, and tears. Rubber and plastic gloves may be checked by inflating with air and submersing them in water to check for air bubbles.
    
3. Usage
   Gloves should always be rinsed with a compatible solvent, soap and water prior to handling wash bottles or other laboratory fixtures.
    
4. Cleaning
   Before removal, gloves should be thoroughly washed, either with tap water or soap and water.
    
5. Removal
   Employees shall remove gloves before leaving the immediate work site to prevent contamination of door knobs, light switches, telephones, etc. When gloves are removed, pull the cuff over the hand.
    

Respirators

Respirator use should be avoided if at all possible (and is usually not required if adequate precautions are taken). Where possible, engineering controls (fume hoods, etc.) should be utilized to minimize exposure. If respirators are worn because OSHA PELs are being exceeded or other reasons, a respirator program must be established in accordance with OSHA 29 CFR 1910.134. Your Departmental Chemical Hygiene Officer should be consulted for additional information and guidance.