PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AND CLOTHING

1.    General Policy
2.    Eye and Face Protection
3.    Skin Protection
4.    Respirators

1.    General Policy

Most personal protective clothing and equipment is provided by the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia to employees when and where necessary.  It is the laboratory supervisors responsibility to evaluate their work areas and tasks and assess the need for specific personal protective equipment.  In addition, they shall be certain that all personal protective equipment and clothing is available, in working order, and is used.  

Also, each employee is responsible for wearing the appropriate equipment when necessary. 

The most fundamental piece of personal protective clothing is provided by each employee for his/her own use.  It is the normal clothing worn in the laboratory.   Clothing should be worn to minimize exposed skin surfaces available for direct contact through splashing.  Therefore, all employees should wear long sleeved and long legged clothing and long lab coats.  (NO nylon or synthetic fibers)  In addition, oxford style shoes or leather sneakers with rubber soles should be worn.  The type of sole is an important consideration in preventing slips, trips, and falls.  If there is a danger of foot injuries due to falling or rolling objects, steel-toed shoes would be required.  (See Protective Footwear Policy)  Do not wear short sleeve shirts, short trousers or skirts, and open-toed shoes or sandals.

Carefully inspect all protective equipment before using.  Do not use defective protective equipment.  If you have any questions regarding the selection of appropriate personal protective equipment, call the Environmental Health and Radiation Safety (EHRS) Department (X8925).

For a chemical to do harm to an individual, it must enter the body.  The routes of entry are inhalation, ingestion, skin absorption and injection.  If we properly protect ourselves, so that the chemical can not enter the body, we can eliminate the chemicals ability to cause adverse effects.

2.    Eye and Face Protection

Eye and face protection must be worn whenever its use will reduce or eliminate injury.   The need for adequate eye protection is fundamental to the use of chemicals, including housekeeping materials such as wax strippers, detergent and toilet bowl cleaners, and operations such as grinding, drilling and sawing with power tools.  Eye protection (and at times face protection) is required wherever the potential for eye injury exists.  Eye protection must be worn whenever any employee, student or visitor is engaged in, or within the area of danger created by the use of, hazardous chemicals (including gases and vapors), corrosive materials, hot liquids, solids or gases, molten metal, injurious light radiation and activities that may create flying particles or an explosion or implosion hazard.  No personnel may enter laboratories or other areas where the above situations exist, or automated processes are in operation, without eye protection.

Ordinary street prescription glasses do not provide adequate protection. (Contrary to popular opinion, these glasses can not pass the rigorous test for industrial safety glasses).  Eye protection worn must meet the requirements of the American Standard Practice for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection (ANSI Z.87.1 1989)

Safety glasses must be used whenever there is a danger of getting something in the eye.  They must be equipped with side shields.  Safety glasses with side shields do not provide adequate protection from splashes.  Therefore, when the potential for a splash hazard exists, other eye protection and/or face protection must be worn.

Splash goggles  (chemical splash goggles) with splash proof sides must be used whenever the danger of a chemical splash exists.

Goggles with faceshields must be used when more protection is needed.   Face shields provide protection to the face and neck. Example:  explosion or implosion (pressure or vacuum) hazard and when transferring cryogenic liquids. (See Eye Protection in the Safety Manual)

Special eye protection is available for protection against: lasers ultraviolet (UV) welding, and brazing, or intense light sources.

Managers and laboratory supervisors are responsible for determining the type(s) of eye and/or face protection necessary and for requiring its use.  See the attached chart for help in determining the appropriate type of protection.

Eye protection must be made available to employees, students and visitors when the potential for eye injury exists.

If you have any questions regarding the selection of appropriate face protection call the EHRS Department at X8925.

3.    Skin Protection

Laboratory coats with long sleeves offer the wearer skin protection against minor splashes, allowing the chemical or biohazardous material something to react with before the skin, and offering the victim time to remove the coat.  (Do not wear nylon or synthetic fibers)

Chemically resistant aprons offer more time to react to the splash than do laboratory coats alone.  Arm guards should be worn when using an apron.  A rubberized apron should be worn whenever large volumes of corrosive chemicals are being used.

Gloves must be worn to prevent skin contact with hazardous chemicals.   When working with corrosives, allergenic, sensitizing, toxic, radioactive and etiological agents, wear gloves made of material known to be or tested and found to be resistant to permeation by the chemical or agent.  In addition, insulated gloves should be worn when working at temperature extremes.  (hot and cold)  Gloves should be inflated by whipping it in air, to check for pin-hole leaks.  (Do not inflate by mouth).

Gloves should be carefully selected using guides from the manufacturers.   General selection guides are available; however, glove resistance to chemicals will vary with the manufacturer, model and thickness.  Therefore, review a glove-resistance chart from the manufacturer you intend to buy from before purchasing gloves.

These garments should not leave the laboratory, except for laundering or disposal.  (See Hand Protection and Protective Glove information in the Safety Manual)

4.    Respirators

Whenever exposure by inhalation is likely to exceed regulated levels and engineering and administrative controls cannot be used (i.e., hood) a proper respirator must be worn.   Respirator selection is based on the hazard and the protection factor required.   Types of respiratory protective equipment include:

Particle-removing air purifying respirators
Gas and vapor-removing air purifying respirators
Air supplied respirators

Respirators are not to be used except in conjunction with a written respiratory protection program according to OSHA regulation 29 - CFR - 1910.134.  If your work requires the use of a respirator, you must receive special training.  See Respiratory Protection in the Safety Manual.