Chapter Five - General Safety

Protective Clothing and Personal Protective Equipment

Engineering controls, which eliminate the hazard at the source and do not rely on the worker's behavior for their effectiveness, offer the best and most reliable means of safeguarding. Therefore, engineering controls must be the employer's first choice for eliminating machinery hazards. But whenever an extra measure of protection is necessary, operators must wear protective clothing or personal protective equipment.

If it is to provide adequate protection, the protective clothing and equipment selected must always be:

1. appropriate for the particular hazards;

2. maintained in good condition;

3. properly stored when not in use, to prevent damage or loss; and

4. kept clean and sanitary.

Protective clothing is, of course, available for different parts of the body.  Hard hats can protect the head from the impact of bumps and falling objects when the worker is handling stock; caps and hair nets can help keep the worker's hair from being caught in machinery.  If machine coolants could splash or particles could fly into the operator's eyes or face, then face shields, safety goggles, glasses, or similar kinds of protection might be necessary.  Hearing protection may be needed when workers operate noisy machinery.  To guard the trunk of the body form cuts or impacts from heavy or rough-edged stock, there are certain protective coveralls, jackets, vests, aprons, and full-body suits.  Workers can protect their hands and arms from the same kinds of injury with special sleeves and gloves.  Safety shoes and boots, or other acceptable foot guards, can shield the feet against injury in case the worker needs to handle heavy stock which might drop.

It is important to note that protective clothing and equipment themselves can create hazards.  A protective glove which can become caught between rotating parts, or a respirator face piece which hinders the wearer's vision, for example, require alertness and careful supervision whenever they are used.

Other aspects of the worker's dress may present additional safety hazards.  Loose-fitting clothing might possibly become entangled in rotating spindles or other kinds of moving machinery.  Jewelry, such as bracelets and rings, can catch on machine parts or stock and lead to serious injury by pulling a hand into the danger area.

Last Update: 2006-09-21