Use of Personal Protective Equipment
[1]
What is Personal Protective Equipment?
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is designed to protect individuals from serious workplace injuries or illnesses resulting from contact with physical [2], chemical [3]
or biological [4] hazards. PPE is considered the last defense against work place hazards. PPE supplements engineering controls, administrative controls and safe work practices.
Why should you use it?
PPE should be used to provide additional protection against work place hazards after deploying appropriate engineering controls, administrative controls and instituting safe work practices. Selection of appropriate PPE is based on assessment of work place hazards. [5] Supervisors have the primary responsibility in implementing a PPE program in their area. Individuals must be trained on why, where, when, how and what kind of PPE to use. It is critical that PPE is maintained and used properly. It is important to understand that there are limitations to the effectiveness of PPE. The PPE user is responsible for adhering to the requirements of the PPE program.
When should you use it?
When in an animal facility or laboratory use PPE for handling animals, during surgery or necropsy and when performing specific procedures e.g. animal husbandry, cage wash, sanitization, aerosolization; working with infectious agents, chemicals, or ionizing radiation, etc. When used properly the PPE may protect against or reduce the impact of bites, scratches, cuts, burns, exposure to allergens, infectious agents, harmful chemicals, ionizing radiation and hearing damage (noise). Always use the right PPE for the appropriate situation.
Types of Personal Protective Equipment [6]
Examples of commonly used PPE in laboratory animal facilities include but are not limited to: gloves, gauntlets, coveralls, tyvek suits, gowns, laboratory coats, scrubs, safety shoes, face masks, face shields, goggles, respirators, hats, caps, lead aprons/shields, ear plugs, etc.
Eye protection
Eye injuries are primarily arise from impact, heat, chemicals, dust or radiation.
Make sure that you use the appropriate eye protection for the kind of hazard in
your work area. Safety glasses protect you from impacts. Goggles protect against
impact, dust, and splashes. Laser safety goggles are used to prevent laser induced
injury to the eyes. Face shields are usually worn over safety glasses or goggles
to protect the face from dusts, sprays or splashes. Welding shields protect the
face from burns, sparks, radiation, and debris. Only equipment certified by the
American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z87) qualify as protective eyewear.
Respiratory protection
A hazardous may be either contaminated or oxygen deficient. Dust, allergens, fumes,
noxious gases, air borne infections agents can contaminate and be breather in by
an individuals. Confined spaces such as silos, grain bins, tanks may have a very
little supply of air and can easily become oxygen deficient. Both situations can
present serious and possibly life-threatening hazards. Respirators may be used to
supplement engineering controls, when such controls are not completely effective.
Respirators either remove the hazardous materials (air purifying) in presence of
sufficient oxygen, or supply oxygen (atmosphere supplying) when there is insufficient
oxygen, or to purify air and supply oxygen. In either case it is important to understand
the limitations of the method chosen, be fit-tested and follow the Colorado State
University’s respiratory protection program. Individuals may also have to undergo
a medical evaluation to assess their fitness to use the respirator. All individuals
must be trained to use and maintain the equipment correctly.
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[1] http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/personalprotectiveequipment/index.html
[2] Physical hazards include: electric shock,
cuts, abrasions, burns, wet surfaces, bites, scratches, kicks, crushing, noise etc
[3] Chemical hazards include: acids, bases,
corrosive materials, flammable chemicals, anesthetic gases etc
[4] Biological hazards include: bacteria,
viruses, fungi, helminthes, prions, protozoa, allergens etc
[5] CDC Personal Protective Equipment FAQs
http://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/infectioncontrol/faq/protective_equipment.htm
[6] http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/personalprotectiveequipment/recognition.html
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Last Updated September 28th, 2009