When it comes to decisions relating to PPE, there are three distinct but interrelated issues:
Creating a workplace that is free of illness and injury begins with one crucial decision: making safety a core value. Better yet, it should be an organization’s chief value.
One tool many companies count on to manage safety at a macro level is an EHS (Environment, Health & Safety) management system. Such a system outlines an organization’s safety policies, including how safety is structured and areas of responsibility.
Before making any decisions regarding the selection or use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the workplace, safety professionals should conduct an analysis of the hazards in the work environment, coupled with an assessment of the realistic level of risk each hazard poses.
In fact, OSHA requires that employers conduct a hazard assessment of the workplace as a first step in selecting - and then providing - PPE for their employees. OSHA also mandates that employers provide written certification that the hazard assessment has taken place.
For example, a hazards analysis may identify the chemical acetone. But there is a great deal of difference in the PPE required for a worker exposed to a quart of acetone in a well-ventilated room compared with one who is exposed to a large vat of acetone in an enclosed space.
It’s important for the hazard analysis and risk assessment procedure to be adjusted to the practical demands of the work task. If not, one runs the risk of either over-protection or under-protection - both of which have serious consequences.
Over-protection may lead to immediate problems. For example, heat stress is a common problem in many industrial settings. The result may be users who do not properly comply with wearing protocols by modifying or incorrectly using the garment to avoid overheating. Under-protection may lead to chronic health problems down the road - after years of low-level exposure to certain hazardous substances.
The hazard analysis and risk assessment processes will yield information that can be used as key data points when matching PPE to the specific needs of each work environment.