Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

 General Information: For your personal safety on the job, do not wear:
      loose clothing or cuffs
      greasy or oily clothing, gloves, or boots
      torn or ragged clothing
      finger rings
 

 Neck chains are hazardous and must be worn under clothing so that they don’t
hang out.
 Long hair must be tied back or otherwise confined.
 Clothing made of synthetic fibres can be readily ignited and melted by electric flash. Cotton or wool fabrics are more flame-retardant and therefore recommended.

Head Protection

 Construction workers must obtain and wear, at all times on the job, a Canadian Standards (CSA) certified Class E (formerly B) safety hat.
      The class E hard hats are designed to provide protection from impact and penetration by falling or flying objects.
      The class E (Electrical) hard hats are intended to reduce the danger of exposure to high voltage electrical conductors, poof tested at 20,000 volts.
      The old standard class B (Z98.1-1986) is now class E (Z89.1-1997) of the new standard.
 

 Do not use a hard hat when it shows signs of deterioration such as:
      The suspension system is cracking, tearing, or fraying.
      The suspension system no longer holds the shell from 1 inch to 11/4 inches away from the head.
      The brim or shell is cracked, perforated, or deformed.
      The brim or shell shows signs of exposure to heat, chemicals, ultraviolet light, or other radiation, such as loss of surface gloss, chalking, or flaking.
 

 Proper Care
      Do not paint or add stickers to your hard hat, this can hide signs of deterioration in the hard hat shell.
      Paints, paint thinners, and some cleaning agents can weaken the shell of the hard hat and may eliminate electrical resistance.
      Ultraviolet light and extreme heat, such as that generated by sunlight can reduce the strength of the hard hats. Do not store or transport hard hats on the rear window shelves of automobiles or otherwise in direct sunlight.

 Foot protection
At all times on the job, construction workers must wear CSA-certified Grade 1 footwear. Such boots bear a green triangle patch stamped with the CSA registered trademark on the outside and a rectangular green label on the inside.

 It is recommended that workers wear electric shock resistant footwear identified by a white rectangular label bearing the CSA trademark and the Greek letter omega in orange. This footwear does not provide absolute protection from electrocution but does provide some shock resistance in dry locations. Certain sites may require footwear with metal-torsal.

 Inspect the footwear before wearing.
      Before you put it on, check for signs of deterioration.
      Check cuts or rips in the outer shell.
      Check for excessive amounts of grease and/or oil build-up on the outer shell.

Eye Protection

 Basic safety rules and common sense will tell you to wear proper eye protection on the job.
 Specific classes of eye protectors should be matched to specific hazards. There are many types of eye and face protection – safety glasses, goggles, face shields, and hoods.
 For basic eye protection, wear properly fitted industrial quality glasses with side shields to provide limited protection from the sides for tasks such as sanding, buffing, and drill-press work.
 When hazards come from above and below as well as the side, as in lathe work or other high speed cutting and shaping operations, goggles can be used instead of glasses or a face shield can be worn over the safety glasses.
 A face shield is normally used in operations such as grinding in conjunction with safety glasses, which need to be worn under your face shield.
 Lenses – must meet CSA standards. These lenses are stronger than regular lenses and are impact resistant.
 Lens marking – the manufacturer’s logo is marked on all approved safety glasses.
 Frames – safety frames are stronger than regular frames and are often heat resistant. They prevent lenses from being pushed into your eyes.
 Frame Imprint – All CSA-certified safety frames have imprint “Z943” stamped on them and may have the CSA logo as well.
 Contact lenses do not provide eye protection. Gases or vapors at a worksite can be absorbed by the lenses and harm the eyes. Many worksites have loose particles (air particles) posing a danger to contact wearers.
 Safety glasses are designed to protect you from accidental injury. They will not withstand repeated impact or abuse. Inspect them regularly for scratches, cracks or other wear and replace them if they are scratched, bent or uncomfortable. Scratches not only interfere with your ability to see what you are doing but also are a hazard in itself; they can also weaken the structure of the lens and its resistance to impact.

Hearing Protection

 It is recommended that each worker have hearing protection available at the workplace since continuous exposure to excessive noise from certain construction activities can lead to hearing loss.

 Hearing protection is available in three general types:
      Disposable Ear Plugs
      Reusable Ear Plugs
      Earmuffs

Respiratory Protection

 There is a wide range of respiratory protection – from dust masks, cartridge respirators, to self-contained breathing apparatus and work packs. This equipment should never be used without proper training and work procedures. Misuse can be deadly.

PPE Maintenance

 Always inspect the PPE you are about to use – it won’t do you much good if it’s damaged or worn out. Repair or throw out damaged or broken PPE.
 While working with PPE, take care of it and clean it after you are done. Always store PPE in a safe place where it will not get damaged – away from sunlight or contaminants.
 Know how to fit, wear, and maintain your PPE, if you don’t you are rendering it useless. In-correct use of PPE can lead to incidents by actually impairing your performance. Make sure your PPE fits you and fits the specific job. Remember to re-evaluate your use of PPE on a regular basis. As working requirements change, so do requirements for Personal Protective Equipment.

People who are extremely careful at work sometimes forget to act the same way at home. Homes can be just as hazardous as workplaces. Before you do a job at home, evaluate the risk, it might be less costly (in terms of money and potential injury) to hire a professional to do the job.If you decide to do the job at home, assess your need for PPE.

Many types of PPE are used for protection against unexpected incidents; but unexpected doesn’t mean impossible, and each industry has different hazards – so protect yourself. Even as the last line of defense, PPE may be the one that counts, so use it correctly.

The most important message when it comes to PPE is match your PPE to the specific job you’re doing – at work or at home. That means to wear the right protection – eye, head, hearing, foot, respiratory, and specialized.

Safety should never be compromised to meet a production schedule. One should never take risks or cut corners when it comes to safety.

Your safety and that of your co-workers is like a chain. The chain is only as strong as its weakest link, don’t be that weak link!!