Ch 27 Personal Protective Equipment.pdf

CHAPTER 27

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

1. CHANGES: Updated resources to the Infection Prevention & Control Handbook.

2. PURPOSE: The purpose of this chapter is to provide direction regarding selection and use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

3. POLICY: CTVHCS will provide each employee with all prescribed personal protective equipment that will protect the employee from various hazards associated with specific assigned tasks.

a. PPE: for eyes, face, head and extremities, protective clothing and respiratory devices shall be provided, used and maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition whenever necessary by hazards of process or environment, chemical hazards, radiological hazards or mechanical irritants encountered in a manner capable of causing injury or impairment of any part of the body through absorption, inhalation, or physical contact.

b. PPE: for protection from Bloodborne Pathogens is addressed in the current Infection Prevention & Control Handbook Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan and is not included in this policy.

4. PROCEDURES:

a. Each Service Chief: will ensure that a hazard assessment, personal protective equipment selection, and training are accomplished in each work area under his/her area of responsibility. See Attachment C for Personal Protective Equipment Training and Verification.

b. Process: shall be performed through a written certification that identifies: The person certifying that the assessment has been performed, the date(s) of the hazard assessment, the position of the employee(s) performing the work, the area in which the work was performed; and must identify the document as a certification of hazard assessment.

c. The hazard: assessment shall be completed on each position within a service.

d. Each supervisor: will complete an evaluation of the tasks performed using the Hazard Assessment and PPE Selection Survey form (Attachment B).

e. The Supervisor: shall incorporate the Employee Hazard Assessments into the Hazard Assessment and PPE Equipment Selection Survey for each position.

f. Guidelines: for the Hazard Assessment Survey are in Attachment B of this memorandum. These guidelines outline general compliance for identifying, organizing, and analyzing sources of hazards and selection criteria for PPE. They may not be inclusive and are not intended to diminish the responsibility of the service chief and supervisor(s) to comply with the requirements of this program.

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Chapter 27, Personal Protective Equipment August 2021

g. The procedures: set forth in the current Infection Prevention & Control

Handbook is Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan, Tuberculosis (TB) Exposure Control Plan, and Isolation Precautions, shall be followed in determining additional requirements for in-service training and PPE that may be needed under the Infection Control Program.

h. Protective equipment: that becomes broken, worn out or outdated will be replaced at the expense of the Government upon proper notification to the Supervisor by the employee. Refer to Attachment A for additional procedures on PPE.

i. Outside contractors: will be required to supply and wear necessary PPE.

Contractors will be informed of this requirement by the Service Chief administering the contract before work begins.

5. RESPONSIBILITIES:

a. The Director: is responsible for establishing an effective personal protective equipment program.

b. Service Chiefs:

(1) Will ensure that personnel in his/her area of responsibility are not exposed to potential occupational safety and health hazards, by procuring only PPE which is recommended for the intended use and meets the regulatory requirements for that protection.

(2) Shall conduct a Hazard Assessment and PPE Selection Survey (See Attachment B) for every position under his/her supervision to determine that each employee is receiving the proper PPE and in-service training in the use and care of that equipment.

All initial surveys will be reviewed and approved by a member of the Safety and Industrial Hygiene Management Section staff. Subsequent requests for new brands, models, and types of PPE will be submitted for approval by the Chief, Safety and Industrial Hygiene Management Section or designee before ordering.

(3) Shall ensure all new radiation lead/ lead equivalent PPEs acquired in their service are inspected for serviceability prior to use.

c. Supervisors:

(1) Determine the PPE needs, requirements, and training for each employee under his/her supervision and for working with the service chief and his/her employees in selecting and obtaining the proper items through the normal purchasing procedures.

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(2) Enforce all safety and health procedures and ensure that employees under his/her supervision wear all protective items that have been provided when accomplishing assigned tasks.

(3) Conduct Surveillance for the maintenance and working condition of all PPE is the responsibility of the area supervisor.

d. Employees:

(1) Complete the Employee Hazard Assessment Form (Attachment B) and returning it to his/her supervisor.

(2) Wear or use properly the PPE issued by the supervisor.

(3) Submit all personally owned PPE to the Supervisor for approval. Approval may require safety and/or Infection Prevention review to ensure compliance with federal requirements (such as VA or OSHA) or other general standards such as ANSI, AIHA, or

ASTM.

(4) Properly clean, maintain and store all PPE issued.

(5) Inspect all lead/ lead equivalent PPE prior to use (Attachment D)

(6) Report all problems with wearing PPE assigned to them to their Supervisor or to the Employee Health Physician, as appropriate.

(7) Attend all required formal and in-service training classes and medical examinations for which they are scheduled.

e. Chief, Safety and Industrial Hygiene Management Section:

(1) Designates a member of the Safety and/or Industrial Hygiene Management staff to review and approve/disapprove each Hazard Assessment and PPE Equipment Selection Survey form submitted by individual services.

(2) Conducts training in this policy and in PPE selection and use for service chiefs and supervisors.

(3) Reviews all requests for PPE submitted to ensure that first, the hazards of concern cannot be eliminated; and second, that such equipment meets the regulatory requirements for the exposure and for the equipment requested.

(4) Upon request, provides consultation services on eliminating hazard exposures, on PPE needs and on regulatory requirements for the supervisor. He/She will also provide review services on request for concurrence of need before the service selects PPE to be purchased.

(5) At the written request of the service chief involved, the Chief, Safety and

Industrial Hygiene Management will supply the needed expertise in specific areas to enable Supervisors to set up an effective presentation for in-service training on PPE.

(6) Consults with the Radiation Safety Officer when hazard assessments identify risk of ionizing radiation exposure.

F. Radiation Safety Officer and Radiation Protection Office:

1. Provides consultation to services on the appropriate use of leaded apron PPE and assists with the review of each Hazard Assessment and PPE Equipment Selection Survey form that identifies exposure to ionizing radiation.

6. REFERENCES: Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 29 CFR 1910.132, "General Requirements"; Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 29 CFR 1910.133, "Eye and Face Protection"; Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 29 CFR 1910.135, "Head Protection"; Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 29 CFR 1910.136, "Foot Protection"; Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 29 CFR 1910.137, "Electrical Protective Equipment"; and Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 29 CFR 1910.138, "Hand Protection".

ATTACHMENTS

Attachment A: PPE Guidelines Attachment B: Hazard Assessments and PPE Selection Survey Attachment C: PPE Training and Verification Attachment D: Lead/ Lead Equivalent PPE Apparel

ATTACHMENT A

PPE GUIDELINES

1. Articles such as hard hats, goggles, muff type hearing protectors, respirators, etc., will remain the property of the Government.

2. Personal items such as safety shoes, prescription glasses, and items that are not easily interchangeable will become the property of the individual.

3. Supervisors of employees utilizing PPE shall collect PPE upon employee's transfer or termination and shall maintain control records of all PPE.

4. Eye and Face Protection:

a. Appropriate eye wear or face shields are required when an employee is exposed to eye or face hazards from flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors, and potentially injurious radiation.

b. Side shields are required, but detachable side shields are permitted. Those wearing prescription glasses must be provided either eye protection worn over the prescription lenses without disturbing their positioning, or they must wear prescription safety glasses with side shields.

c. The filter lens shade must be specified when selecting eye protection for welding, cutting or brazing.

d. The appropriate lens must be specified when selecting eye protection for working with lasers.

e. Equipment purchased after September 9, 2008, must comply with

ANSI Z87.1-1989.

5. Head Protection:

a. Head protection is required in areas where there is a potential for injury from falling objects and near overhead obstructions or exposed electrical conductors which could contact the head.

b. A Class A hard hat may be selected when there may be contact with conductors up to 2,200 volts. Class B hard hats must be selected when there may be contact with high voltage conductors (up to 20,000 volts). Class C hard hate provide impact and penetration resistance, but they are often made of aluminum and are prohibited where there may be electrical hazards.

c. Equipment purchased after September 9, 2008, must comply with

ANSI Z89.1-1986.

6. Foot Protection:

a. Safety shoes or boots are required for employees working where there is a danger of foot injuries due to falling and rolling objects or objects piercing the sole and where the feet are exposed to electrical hazards. Some situations may require metatarsal protection (stiff shields for the top of the foot).

b. Safety shoes or boots with impact protection should be required when employees carry or handle materials such as packages, objects, parts or heavy tools that could be dropped; and for other activities where objects may fall onto the feet. Safety shoes or boots with compression protection would be required for work activities involving wheeled carts that carry heavy materials or when handling bulk rolls (paper, fabric, carpet, etc.), and around heavy pipes, or similar situations where a heavy object may roll over a person's foot.

c. Safety shoes or boots with puncture protection would be required where an employee could step on sharp objects such as nails, wire, tacks, screws, large staples, or scrap metal.

d. Special insulating or conductive shoes may be necessary for certain types of electrical work.

e. Appropriate waterproof footwear shall be provided to employees who work in wet processes.

f. Footwear purchased after September 9, 2008 for compression, puncture, or electrical hazards must comply with ANSI Z41-1991.

7. Hand Protection:

a. Appropriate gloves must be selected when employees are exposed to skin absorption of harmful substances, chemical burns, thermal burns, harmful temperature extremes, cuts or lacerations, abrasions and punctures.

b. No gloves provide protection against all potential hand hazards, and commonly available glove materials provide only limited protection against many chemicals.

Therefore, it is important to select the most appropriate glove for a particular application and to determine how long it can be worn and whether it can be reused. The work activities of the employee should be studied to determine the degree of dexterity required, the duration, frequency, and degree of exposure of the hazard, and the physical stresses that will be applied.

c. Review of the Safety Data Sheet or glove permeation rate data to specify the type of protective glove for chemical exposure. Technical assistance in glove selection will be provided by the Deputy Chief, Safety and Industrial Hygiene Management Section upon request.

8. Electrical Protective Equipment:

a. Selection of electrical protective equipment requires the technical expertise of a person qualified to work with electrical systems.

b. All electrical protective equipment will be approved by the Deputy Chief, Safety and Industrial Hygiene Management or his/her designee.

9. Hearing Protection: Please see current Center Memorandum 011OHS-004, Occupational Health Services, Attachment A 3. Occupational Noise Exposure- 29 CFR 1910.95, for requirements.

10. Respiratory Protection: Please see EOC and Safety Manual Chapter 29.

Respiratory Protection Program, for requirements.

11. Protective Clothing: Protective clothing intended for the protection of employees from inclement weather or working in areas such as walk-in refrigerators, shall meet the requirements essential for the protection of the employee engaged in the assigned task.

12. Chemical Protective Clothing (CPC): Chemical protective clothing must be selected in accordance with NIOSH guidelines. The need, use, and type of CPC will be evaluated by the Industrial Hygienist before purchasing.

13. Cleaning and Maintenance: All PPE must be inspected, cleaned, and maintained at regular intervals and as needed to ensure the PPE provides the requisite protection.

PPE which cannot be cleaned and decontaminated must be disposed of in a manner that protects employees from exposure to hazards. All damaged PPE must be repaired or replaced. All PPE repairs must be made in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations.

14. Lead/ lead equivalent PPE apparel: shall be utilized when in an area where an x-ray system is being operated and the staff can not stand 6 feet or more from the tube of the x-ray system or in areas were the staff would exceed 2 mr/ hr.

ATTACHMENT B

HAZARD ASSESSMENTS AND PPE SELECTION SURVEY

1. The object of the certified Employee Hazard Assessment is to specify the personal protective equipment needs of each employee and to ensure that Service Chiefs and Supervisors make themselves aware of both present and likely hazards in their areas of responsibility. After analyzing these hazards and determining that guards, engineering controls and management practices are not feasible to protect employees, the Supervisors must select and require that each affected employee the types of PPE appropriate for the identified workplace exposure.

2. The Employee Hazard Assessment Forms will be reviewed by the Supervisor and the results incorporated into the Hazard Assessment and PPE Selection survey.

3. A walk-through survey by the Supervisor should include observations on the likelihood of injury or illness which may occur from the following:

a. Sources of motion such as machinery or processes where injury could result from movement of tools, machine elements or particles, or movement of personnel that could result in collisions, blows, or tripping around stationary objects.

b. Sources of high temperatures that could result in burns, eye injury, or ignition of protective equipment.

c. Types of chemical exposures such as splash, vapor, spray, or immersion that could cause chronic illness or physical injury.

d. Sources of harmful dust that can accumulate or become airborne and cause a physical hazard to the eyes. If a Safety Data Sheet indicates that accumulated or airborne dusts from a material used in the area can be a pulmonary hazard, the Supervisor is obligated to confirm the hazard by contacting the Assistant Chief, Safety and Industrial Hygiene Service.

e. Sources of light radiation, such as welding, brazing, cutting, furnaces, heat treating, or high intensity or ultraviolet lights.

f. Sources of falling objects or potential for dropping objects that could pose a compression or projectile hazard to head, face, hands or feet.

g. Sources of sharp objects which might pierce the feet or cut the hands.

h. Sources of rolling or pinching objects which could crush the feet or hands.

i. Layouts of workplace and location of co-workers.

j. Any electrical hazards.

k. Sources of radiation exposure that may be encountered in Imaging Service or from portable sources.

l. Sources of exposure from chemotherapy drugs or other therapeutic chemicals that may expose employees to harmful exposure.

m. Sources of exposure from hazardous waste.

n. Sources of inclement weather, or areas such as walk-in refrigerators.

o. Sources of exposure from noise.

HAZARD ASSESSMENT AND PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT SELECTION

POSITION TITLE:

SERVICE:

SUPERVISOR: (NAME/TITLE)

ANALYSIS CONDUCTED BY: (NAME/TITLE)

DATE:

REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY: (NAME/TITLE)

DATE:

EVALUATE EACH TASK PERFORMED FOR THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS AND PPE NEEDS:

TYPE OF PROTECTION REQUIRED

ID

LETTER

TYPE OF HAZARD EYE/FACE HAND HEAD FOOT RESPIRATORY** ELECTRICAL

HAZARDS**

Lead/ Lead Equivalent

A Flying Particles

B Molten Metal

C Liquid Chemicals*

D Acids or Caustics*

E Chemical Gases or Vapors*

F Light (Optical Radiation)

G Falling Objects

H Rolling Objects

I Contact with Electrical Conductors**

J Punctures/Penetrations

K Extreme Temperatures

L Thermal Burns

M Occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens/infectious diseases

O Occupational Radiation Exposure****

(CONTINUED NEXT PAGE)

*Refer to applicable Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) **Refer to the Respiratory Protection Program ***Refer to Electrical Safe Work Practice Program

****Refer to Radiation Safety Program

POSITION TITLE: ______________________________ SERVICE: ___________________________________

LIST OF TASKS PERFORMED POTENTIAL HAZARDS (IDENTIFY BY

LETTER)

TYPE OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE

EQUIPMENT TO BE WORN

ATTACHMENT C

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT TRAINING AND VERIFICATION

I have read, understand, and agree with the tasks listed above, and I am aware of the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) that must be used when performing these tasks. I have been trained in the following elements:

• When PPE is necessary.

• What PPE must be worn.

• How to properly don, doff, adjust, and wear PPE.

• The limitations of the PPE.

• The proper care, maintenance, useful life, and disposal of the PPE.

I have no further questions at this time but understand that I may contact my supervisor or the Safety Officer with additional questions or concerns.

NAME OF PERSON TRAINED SIGNATURE DATE

ATTACHMENT D

Lead/ Lead Equivalent PPE Apparel

1. Responsibilities:

a. Upon receipt of new lead/ lead equivalent PPE apparel, the supervisor shall ensure the apparel is serviceable and properly stored.

b. Prior to use, the employee shall inspect the lead/ lead equivalent PPE apparel for serviceability and properly stored.

c. After use, the employee shall re-inspect the lead/ lead equivalent PPE apparel for serviceability and properly store the PPE.

d. Non-serviceable PPE shall be turned into the GEMS Manager for disposal by the Service.

e. Consult the Radiation Safety Officer for new lead/ lead equivalent PPE apparel prior to purchase to ensure the PPE meet regulatory requirements.

f. Ionizing Radiation Protection: Leaded aprons, thyroid shields, leaded glasses, and leaded gloves will be selected and supplied in accordance with NCRP Reports No. 105, 107, 133, 145, VHA Directive 1129, and VHA Handbook 1105.04.

2. lead/ lead equivalent PPE apparel inspection Checklist:

a. Visually inspect the PPE for any damage greater than 1 cm in diameter. If any one area is greater than 1 cm in diameter or a total of all damage greater than 3 cm in diameter, do not utilized the PPE. The PPE shall be turned into your supervisor.

b. Physically inspect the PPE for any damage greater than 1 cm in diameter. If any one area is greater than 1 cm in diameter or a total of all damage greater than 3 cm in diameter, do not utilized the PPE. The PPE shall be turned into your supervisor. This should be accomplished by moving your hand over the PPE on both sides.

c. General Serviceability inspect the PPE’s

i. Hook and loop fasteners

ii. Cleanliness of the PPE i.e. smells, sweat stains, blood . . .

iii. Scratches on PPE eye protection