OAR 437-002-0134: Personal Protective Equipment

Application. This rule applies to personal protective equipment and other protective equipment for the eyes, face, head, extremities and torso to include protective clothing, respiratory devices, and protective shields and barriers, wherever employees encounter hazardous processes or environments, chemical hazards, radiological hazards, or mechanical irritants that are capable of causing injury or impairment in the function of any part of the body through absorption, inhalation or physical contact. Note: The assessment for eyes, face, head, hands, and feet are currently in effect. The torso and extremities (e.g. arms and legs) element of the body assessment will not be enforced until July 1, 2012. (1) Hazard assessment and equipment selection. (a) The employer must assess the workplace to determine if hazards are present, or are likely to be present, which necessitate the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) or other protective equipment. If such hazards are present, or likely to be present, the employer must: (A) Select, and have each affected employee use, the types of PPE that will protect the affected employee from the hazards identified in the hazard assessment; (i) All protective equipment must be of safe design and construction for the work to be performed. (ii) Protective equipment must be worn and used in a manner which will make full use of its protective properties. (B) Communicate selection decisions to each affected employee; and, (C) Select PPE that properly fits each affected employee. Note: Non-mandatory Appendix B contains an example of procedures that would comply with the requirement for a hazard assessment. (b) The employer must verify that the required workplace hazard assessment has been performed through a written certification that identifies the workplace evaluated; the person certifying that the evaluation has been performed; the date(s) of the hazard assessment; and, which identifies the document as a certification of hazard assessment. (2) Equipment. (a) Where employees provide their own protective equipment, the employer is responsible to assure its adequacy, including proper maintenance, and sanitation of such equipment. (b) All personal protective equipment must be provided, used, and maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition. (c) Defective or damaged personal protective equipment must not be used. (d) Each employer must maintain a regular system of inspection and maintenance of personal protective equipment furnished to workers. (3) Training. (a) The employer must provide training to each employee who is required by this section to use PPE and each employee that is provided training must know at least the following: (A) When PPE is necessary; (B) What PPE is necessary; (C) How to properly don, doff, adjust, and wear PPE; (D) The limitations of the PPE; and, (E) The proper care, maintenance, useful life and disposal of the PPE. (b) Each affected employee must demonstrate an understanding of the training specified in paragraph (3)(a) of this section, and the ability to use PPE properly, before being allowed to perform work requiring the use of PPE. (c) When the employer has reason to believe that any affected employee who has already been trained does not have the understanding and skill required by paragraph (3)(b) of this section, the employer must retrain each such employee. Circumstances where retraining is required include, but are not limited to situations where: (A) Changes in the workplace render previous training obsolete; or (B) Changes in the types of PPE to be used render previous training obsolete; or (C) Inadequacies in an affected employee’s knowledge or use of assigned PPE indicate that the employee has not retained the requisite understanding or skill. (4) Payment for protective equipment. (a) Except as provided by paragraphs (4)(b) through (4)(f) of this section, the protective equipment, including personal protective equipment (PPE), used to comply with this part, must be provided by the employer at no cost to employees. (b) The employer is not required to pay for non-specialty safety-toe protective footwear (including steel-toe shoes or steel-toe boots) and non-specialty prescription safety eyewear, provided that the employer permits such items to be worn off the job-site. (c) When the employer provides metatarsal guards and allows the employee, at his or her request, to use shoes or boots with built-in metatarsal protection, the employer is not required to reimburse the employee for the shoes or boots. (d) The employer is not required to pay for: (A) The logging boots required by OAR 437-007-0330 in Division 7. (B) Everyday clothing, such as long-sleeve shirts, long pants, street shoes, and normal work boots; or (C) Ordinary clothing, skin creams, or other items, used solely for protection from weather, such as winter coats, jackets, gloves, parkas, rubber boots, hats, raincoats, ordinary sunglasses, and sunscreen. (e) The employer must pay for replacement PPE, except when the employee has lost or intentionally damaged the PPE. (f) Where an employee provides adequate protective equipment he or she owns pursuant to paragraph (2)(a) of this section, the employer may allow the employee to use it and is not required to reimburse the employee for that equipment. The employer must not require an employee to provide or pay for his or her own PPE, unless the PPE is excepted by paragraphs (4)(b) through (4)(e) of this section. (5) Fall Protection. (a) Motor and Rolling Stock Vehicles. (A) All employees must be protected from fall hazards when working on motor and rolling stock vehicle surfaces more than 10 feet above a lower level or at any height above dangerous equipment. (B) The employer must ensure that fall protection systems are provided, installed, and used according to the criteria in 1910.140 in this Subdivision. Note to 437-002-0134(5)(a): The duty to provide fall protection for employees on walking-working surfaces other than motor and rolling stock vehicles is covered by 1910.28 (Duty to have fall protection and falling object protection) within 2/D. The criteria and practices for fall protection systems for walking-working surfaces other than motor and rolling stock vehicles is covered by 1910.29 within 2/D. (b) Travel Restraint Systems. The employer must ensure each employee using a travel restraint system (personal fall restraint) is prevented from going over the edge by providing, installing and ensuring its use according to the criteria in 1910.140 in this Subdivision with the following exceptions to 1910.140: (A) 1910.140(c)(13) does not apply when anchorages used solely for travel restraint are: (i) Capable of supporting 3000 pounds (13.34 kN) per employee attached; or (ii) Are designed, installed and used under the supervision of a qualified person, as part of a complete personal fall protection system that maintains a safety factor of at least two. (B) 1910.140(c)(22) does not apply. The attachment point to the body belt or full body harness may be at the back, front or side D-ring. (6) Work Clothing. (a) Clothing must be worn which is appropriate to the work performed and conditions encountered. (b) Appropriate high temperature protective clothing must be worn by workers who are exposed to possible contact with molten metals or other substances that can cause burns. (c) Loose sleeves, ties, lapels, cuffs, or other loose clothing must not be worn near moving machinery. (d) Clothing saturated or impregnated with flammable liquids, corrosive or toxic substances, irritants, or oxidizing agents must be removed immediately and not worn again until properly cleaned. (e) Rings, wristwatches, earrings, bracelets, and other jewelry which might contact power driven machinery or electric circuitry, must not be worn. (f) Allow employees to wear a face covering if they so choose, unless doing so creates or otherwise exposes the employee to a hazard. Employers must supply these items at no cost to employees when the employer requires their use. Note: For purposes of this rule, employers are not required to allow voluntary use of respirators if an employee requests to use one in lieu of a face covering. (7) High Visibility Garments. Employees exposed to hazards caused by on highway type moving vehicles in construction zones and street/highway traffic must wear highly visible upper body garments. The colors must contrast with other colors in the area sufficiently to make the worker stand out. Colors equivalent to strong red, strong orange, strong yellow, strong yellow-green or fluorescent versions of these colors are acceptable. During hours of darkness, the garments must also have reflective material visible from all sides for 1000 feet. (8) Eye And Face Protection. (a) The employer must ensure that each affected employee uses appropriate eye or face protection when exposed to eye or face hazards from flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors, or potentially injurious light radiation. (b) The employer must ensure that each affected employee uses eye protection that provides side protection when there is a hazard from flying objects. Detachable side protectors (e.g., clip-on or slide-on side shields) meeting the pertinent requirements of this section are acceptable. (c) The employer must ensure that each affected employee who wears prescription lenses while engaged in operations that involve eye hazards wears eye protection that incorporates the prescription in its design, or shall wear eye protection that can be worn over the prescription lenses without disturbing the proper position of the prescription lenses or the protective lenses. (d) Eye and face PPE must be distinctly marked to facilitate identification of the manufacturer. (e) The employer must ensure that each affected employee uses equipment with filter lenses that have a shade number appropriate for the work being performed for protection from injurious light radiation. The following is a listing of appropriate shade numbers for various operations. [Insert Table 2-I 1 and Table 2-I 2] (f) Protective eye and face protection devices must comply with any of the following consensus standards (A) ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2010, Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices, incorporated by reference in 1910.6; (B)ANSI Z87.1-2003, American National Standard Practice for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection, which is incorporated by reference in 1910.6; or (C) ANSI Z87.1-1989 (R-1998), American National Standard Practice for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection, which is incorporated by reference in 1910.6. (g) Protective eye and face protection devices that the employer demonstrates are at least as effective as protective eye and face protection devices that are constructed in accordance with one of the above consensus standards will be deemed to be in compliance with the requirements of this section. (h) Employees whose occupation or assignment requires exposure to laser beams shall be furnished laser safety goggles as required by Occupational Health Regulations which will protect for the specific wavelength of the laser and be of optical density adequate for the energy involved. (9) Head Protection. (a) The employer must ensure that each affected employee wears a protective helmet when working in areas where there is a potential for injury to the head from falling or flying objects. (b) The employer must ensure that a protective helmet designed to reduce electrical shock hazard is worn by each such affected employee when near exposed electrical conductors which could contact the head. (c) Head protection must comply with any of the following consensus standards: (A) ANSI Z89.1-2009, American National Standard for Industrial Head Protection, which is incorporated by reference in §1910.6; (B) ANSI Z89.1-2003, American National Standard for Industrial Head Protection, which is incorporated by reference in 1910.6; or (C) ANSI Z89.1-1997, American National Standard for Industrial Head Protection, which is incorporated by reference in 1910.6. (d) Head protection devices that the employer demonstrates are at least as effective as head protection devices that are constructed in accordance with one of the above consensus standards will be deemed to be in compliance with the requirements of this section. (e) Employees who are exposed to power-driven machinery or to sources of ignition shall wear caps or other head covering which completely covers the hair. (10) Foot Protection. (a) The employer must ensure that each affected employee use protective footwear when working in areas where there is a danger of foot injuries due to falling or rolling objects, or objects piercing the sole, and where such employee’s feet are exposed to electrical hazards, such as static-discharge or electric-shock hazard, that remains after the employer takes other necessary protective measures. (b) Protective footwear must comply with any of the following consensus standards: (A) ASTM F-2412-2005, Standard Test Methods for Foot Protection, and ASTM F-2413-2005, Standard Specification for Performance Requirements for Protective Footwear, which are incorporated by reference in 1910.6; (B) ANSI Z41-1999, American National Standard for Personal Protection –Protective Footwear, which is incorporated by reference in 1910.6; or (C) ANSI Z41-1991, American National Standard for Personal Protection – Protective Footwear, which is incorporated by reference in §1910.6. (c) Protective footwear that the employer demonstrates is at least as effective as protective footwear that is constructed in accordance with one of the above consensus standards will be deemed to be in compliance with the requirements of this section. (d) Special types or designs of shoes or foot guards are required where conditions exist that make their use necessary for the safety of workers. (11) Leg protection (a) Leggings or high boots of leather, rubber, or other suitable material must be worn by persons exposed to hot substances or dangerous chemical spills. (b) Employees using chain saws must wear chaps or leg protectors that cover the leg from the upper thigh to mid-calf. The protector must be material designed to resist cuts from the chain saw. Employers must provide this protection at no cost to the employee. Note to 437-002-0134(11)(b): Employees working in the tree and shrub services industry must follow rules on this subject in Subdivision 2/R instead of the above. (12) Hand Protection. (a) Employers must select and require employees to use appropriate hand protection when employees’ hands are exposed to hazards such as those from skin absorption of harmful substances; severe cuts or lacerations; severe abrasions; punctures; chemical burns; thermal burns; and harmful temperature extremes. (b) Employers must base the selection of the appropriate hand protection on an evaluation of the performance characteristics of the hand protection relative to the task(s) to be performed, conditions present, duration of use, and the hazards and potential hazards identified. (c) Gloves must not be worn by persons whose hands are exposed to moving parts in which they could be caught. (13) Skin protection. Where the need for their use is necessary, protective covering, ointments, gloves, or other effective protection must be provided for and used by persons exposed to materials which are hazardous to the skin. [ED. NOTE: To view attachments referenced in rule text, click here to view rule.]