environmental safety equipment

Personal Protective Equipment

Eyewear
Gloves
Respiratory Protection

A critical aspect of working safely with hazardous materials is the proper selection and use of personal
protective equipment (PPE). All PPE should be carefully selected to ensure that it is appropriate for the
hazards present and that the users will be able to perform their work in reasonable comfort wearing
the protective equipment. Please contact Environmental Health & Safety at 8-8182 in the event of ANY
questions regarding the proper selection of PPE for a given task.

Eyewear

Protective eyewear is required to be worn in any situation where there is a potential for damage to
the eye. These situations include protection from flying debris, protection from chemical splashes, and
protection from hazardous radiation such as lasers or ultraviolet light such as that often produced in
welding operations. It is critical that the proper protective eyewear be selected for use.
Protective eyewear must offer appropriate protection from the hazards presented. For example,
safety glasses do not offer sufficient protection from chemical splashes. Goggles or safety shields
are indicated for that use. When dealing with chemical splashes, be sure the eyewear offers NO
opportunity for chemical entry, such as often occurs with poorly placed ventilation holes.
In the case of protection from radiation, including and especially lasers, the eyewear must not only
address the specific wavelength of the radiation but also offer sufficient protection from the power or
intensity of the radiation.
Contact Environmental Health & Safety at 8-8182 for further assistance in selecting protective
eyewear.
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Gloves

Protective gloves should be worn whenever there is the potential for skin damage or absorption
through the skin when using a hazardous chemical. The gloves should be of a material appropriate
for the chemical in question. Information as to appropriate materials is available in safety equipment
catalogues from which gloves may be purchased. Care should be taken to ensure that the gloves fit
properly ("one-size-fits-all" seldom does!) Also, an individual's susceptibility to latex allergies should
be considered when selecting gloves.
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Respiratory Protection

Respirator use is strictly limited at Carnegie Mellon, permitted only for those approved for use by
Environmental Health & Safety. We strive to correct all potential exposure problems to hazardous
materials by other means, without having to use respirators. Refer to Respiratory Protection Plan for
further information.

PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

OHSU requires the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to reduce employee exposure to hazards when
eliminating or controlling the hazards are not feasible or effective. Departments are required to determine all
exposure to hazards in the workplace and determine if PPE should be used to protect their workers.

Environmental Health & Radiation Safety can provide technical guidance in assessing hazards and recommending
PPE.

Contact Central Campus at 503-494-7795; for West Campus, call 503-690-5390.

PROTECT YOURSELF!

Eyes: many different sizes and styles of eye protection are available.
Face: use solid and screened face shields.
Hands: glove selection charts can ensure proper fit and protection.
Head: use where overhead hazards exist.
Hearing: provides protection from workplace noise.
Respiratory System: includes loose- and tight-fitting respirators and dust masks.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory requires that appropriate equipment be used to protect
employees from hazards in the workplace. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) may be issued
upon completion of a hazard assessment of activities or operations. However, PPE is not a
substitute for appropriate engineering controls. The Environment, Health and Safety (EH&S)
Division advises on the protective equipment required for a task, but it is the supervisor's
responsibility to obtain this equipment and ensure that it is used correctly.

Selection of PPE is based on the need to protect employees from specifically identified hazards. PPE
may be categorized by the type of protection provided, including eye and face, respiratory, head,
foot, and hand protection. PPE can include protective clothing, for example orange high-visibility
safety vests, kneepads, waterproof aprons, disposable suits or aprons, and chemical-resistant
clothing. Typical PPE might include safety shoes with protective toes, leather gloves, hardhats,
safety glasses, and earplugs. PPE is addressed inChapter 19 of Pub 3000, Berkeley Lab's Health and
Safety Manual.

Information on how to acquire, select, and properly use Respiratory Protection and Hearing
Protection Devices can be found in the Respiratory Protection and Hearing Conservation webpages.
Information on eye protection, including safety glasses, UV protection, and laser safety glasses,
is provided in the Eye Protectionsection of Chapter 19 of Pub 3000. The selection, care, and use
of PPE may also be covered within other IH Programs, such as the Chemical Hygiene and Safety
Program (CHSP). The CHSP addresses requirements forPPE in LBNL laboratory areas, including
training, use and disposal of PPE. For hazards that are typical for groups of employees, there may