Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

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Purpose

This section is intended to provide an overview of safe practices and District safety expectations surrounding the use of Personal Protective Equipment, including controlling, and eliminating workplace hazards.

Applicability

All District employees whose job duties include potential for physical contact, absorption, or inhalation of a hazard that could cause injury or impairment.

Note: PPE is available to all employees at no cost and can be obtained from District Warehouse(s).

Responsibilities

Manager Responsibilities

• Complete Job Hazard Analysis for position(s) (see Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) section of this manual).
  • Mitigate &/or eliminate any identified hazards.
  • If hazards cannot be mitigated or eliminated, identify proper PPE.
    • Proper PPE can be defined as:
      • Goggles, shields, and or barriers (eyes/faces)
      • Hardhats, helmets (head)
      • Earplugs, muffs (see Hearing Protection Program)*
      • Clothing, gloves, chaps, and footwear are suitable for job duties.
      • Respiratory protection (see Respiratory Protection Program)
• Ensure employees are trained and understand how to use proper PPE.
• Ensure employees are utilizing proper PPE.
• Assigning all applicable PPE trainings through Learning Central.

*Headphones, earbuds (Airpods), or other Bluetooth/wireless devices are not considered hearing protection.

Employee Responsibilities

• Using proper PPE as required for job duties.
  • PPE should never be modified.
• Regularly inspect PPE.
  • Seek replacement PPE should damage or defects be detected.
• Ensure PPE fits properly.
• Stay current on PPE trainings and the associated hazards the PPE is designed to protect you from.
• Appropriate footwear is expected on all job sites and locations. Tennis shoes, shoes with canvas tops, or thin or soft soled athletic shoes, open toed sandals, slippers, dress shoes, or other similar type shoe should be avoided at all constructions sites.

The Safety team is available to assist with Job Hazard Analysis and the selection and fitting of PPE.

Specific PPE Requirements

Several sections of the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) have been linked below for quick reference, but in no way limit or exclude expectations of compliance with any other WACs.

• WAC 296-45-25505 Personal protective equipment
• WAC 296-45-255 Protective equipment applicable to use of rubber protective equipment, including rubber gloves for performing electrical work.
• WAC 296-155 Safety Standards for Construction Work
• WAC 296-155-211 Leg Protection is applicable to employees whose duties require operation of a power chain saw.
• WAC 296-155-212 Foot Protection is applicable to all employees in which there is danger of injury to the feet through their assigned job duties.
• WAC 296-155-215 Eye and Face Protection applicable to all employees whose job duties expose them to equipment, machines or operations that present potential for eye or face injury from physical, chemical, or radiation agents.
• WAC 296-155-205 Head Protection applicable to any employee whose job duties include visits and/or work on construction sites. Caps and/or visors with metal buttons or metal visors must not be worn around electrical hazards.
• WAC 296-817 Hearing Loss Prevention applicable to employees subject to noise exposure and compliance with the District’s Hearing Conservation Program.
• WAC 296-800 Safety and Health Core Rules
• WAC 296-155-235 Working over or adjacent to water applicable when employees are exposed to a risk of drowning. (see also WAC 296-45-52525 Protection against drowning and WAC 296-800-16070 Make sure your employees are protected from drowning.
• WAC 296-24-980 Safeguards for personnel protection applicable to employees working in areas where there is potential for electrical hazards and use for Fire Retardant (FR) clothing. (see District Arc Flash Program).
• WAC 296-800-16065 Make sure employees use appropriate hand protection applicable to all employees exposed to hazards, including stripping/cutting wire, that could injure their hands.
• WAC 296-842 Respirators also see the District’s Respiratory Protection Plan.

Training & Resources

Training and Resources are not confined to this section and can be found throughout this manual and Learning Central.