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Description
What’s in the PPE Course?
This training course is OSHA-aligned and covers OSHA’s classroom training requirements. Each class contains sections on equipment and anatomy, maintenance and inspections, safe operations and stability, common hazards, and more. This presentation includes intermittent practice quiz questions to prepare for the final written exam included with the course. Upon successful completion of the course and exam, you will have immediate online access to your certificate of completion. You have the option to download the practical evaluations for the specific course. Although the practical evaluation is not a required part of the online course, we strongly recommend completing it under the supervision of your employer to ensure your mastery of the safety training topics. For more information on PPE check out PPE Equipment: The Ultimate Guide at the bottom of this page.
Estimated Training Length: Because everyone learns and progresses at different speeds, the amount of time you spend taking this training will vary. However, the estimated time for this training is 90 – 120 min.
Intended Audience:
- Employees
- Supervisors
This course covers the following OSHA standards:
- 29 CFR 1910 – General Industry, Subpart I, Personal Protective Equipment
- 29 CFR 1926 Subpart C – General Safety and Health Provisions
- 29 CFR 1926 Subpart E – Personal Protective and Life Saving Equipment
- 29 CFR 1926 Subpart M – Fall Protection
- 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P – Excavations
- 29 CFR 1915 – Maritime Industry, Subpart I, Personal Protective Equipment
- OSHA Act of 1970, 5(a)(1)
- ANSI Z87.1-1989 – Eye and face Protection
- ANSI Z89.1-1986 – Head Protection
- ANSI Z41.1-1991 – Foot Protection
Why Take Our Online P.P.E. Training?
Our online training course provides a substantial, thorough, and effective way to learn how to work safely. We’ve been providing industry-specific safety training solutions for individuals, safety managers, and business owners for over 15 years.
The online course meets the classroom requirement for occupational safety training. It also includes a proficiency checklist that employers can use to perform a practical evaluation, in accordance with standards and regulations.
We have fine-tuned this training to provide you with the best experience possible. Our robust training approach gives an interactive experience that helps learners retain information and apply it on the job site, preventing costly accidents and fines. Safety training is an investment. That is why hundreds of companies and individuals all over the world trust the Hard Hat Training Series for their online training needs.
Why Buy Our Online Personal Protective Equipment Training?
- Complete Training: First and foremost our goal is to keep you safe and save you money. Don't risk getting expensive OSHA fines because you settled for a sub-par training program that didn't cover safety topics in depth. Train using a program that helps you retain what is learned so that it is put into practice on job sites.
- Cost-Effective: Hiring a trainer to come on-site can be expensive. In contrast, our online curriculum lowers costs while still providing a professional training experience.
- Records Tracking System: We offer an easy-to-use management system so that if you have multiple students who are receiving the training you can have access to all records, all-terrain certificates, observation guides and more! (contact us if you would like us to quickly create a company account for you)
- Train Your Way: You can use this online training program for new hire training, refresher training or train remotely. Access it from anywhere and work on your schedule.
- Interactive Learning: Special reminders and quiz questions throughout the course prep students for the final exam so that it is passed the first time.
- Corporate License: Do you want to host this course on your own server? Contact us about obtaining broadcasting rights for this and any of our other online courses.
Learn who’s responsibility it is to provide and pay for personal protective equipment in this article and how often PPE should be replaced in this one.
PPE Equipment: The Ultimate Guide
What is PPE?
The term PPE is an acronym that stands for personal protective equipment. Personal protective equipment is defined as “any equipment that is worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause serious workplace injuries and illnesses” (OSHA).
How PPE Impacts Safety
PPE protects the user against any physical harm or hazards that the workplace environment may present. It is important because it exists as a preventative measure against injury and illness in the workplace. When employees neglect to wear or are not provided with PPE, serious consequences are sure to follow. Take this case study as an example:
Fred was a part of a construction crew that was working on some new commercial buildings for the city. The crew had fallen behind schedule due to some heavy rain storms that had happened the previous week. They were all rushing to finish before the week ended. Fred was tasked with adding wiring to the lower floors of the building while the roof was being insulated. It was a very hot day and Fred could not keep the sweat out of his eyes. He finally got annoyed enough to take his hard hat off for a bit to cool down while he was working. Unfortunately, about 10 minutes later, one of his coworkers working above Fred dropped an unsecured wrench from his work post. The wrench fell 25 feet before hitting Fred in his head, knocking him unconscious. He was rushed to the hospital and died later from a traumatic brain injury.
In this example, wearing the proper PPE on the job site could have saved Fred’s life. At a minimum, he would have gotten a concussion, but he still would have had his life. Unfortunately, accidents like this happen every day within every work industry. What’s even worse is that most, if not all, of accidents like Fred’s could have been prevented.
What OSHA Has to Say About It
According to OSHA, employers are required to provide PPE to their employees and ensure it is used properly. Employers are also required to train their employees on:
- When PPE is necessary
- What kind they should use
- How to properly put it on, adjust, wear, and take it off
- Limitations of their equipment
- Proper care, maintenance, and disposal
The implementation of a PPE program is also required if personal protective equipment must be used on a jobsite. This program should address:
- Hazards present in the workplace
- Selection, maintenance, and use of PPE
- Employee training
- Assessment of the program to ensure its effectiveness
OSHA requires many different standards and requirements when it comes to PPE. OSHA addressed PPE specifically in their standards for general industry, maritime, and construction. In each standard it states that many of the different categories of PPE should be equivalent to the standards that were developed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
Different Types of Personal Protective Equipment
There are many different types of PPE. Most of the types can be broken down and categorized into seven different groups. These seven categories of PPE are:
- Eye protection
- Head protection
- Foot and leg protection
- Hand and arm protection
- Body protection
- Hearing protection
- Respiratory protection
Throughout the next couple of sections, we will go into detail about each group of PPE. We will discuss different types within that category, how to use that type, and how to take care of your PPE.
Eye Protection
Eye protection is specifically designed to reduce the risk of hazard exposure to the eyes. There are four primary groups of eye protection:
- General safety glasses
- Laser safety glasses
- Chemical splash goggles
- Impact goggles
When it comes to deciding what type of eye protection employees need to wear there are some factors to be considered. Some of these factors include eye protection that is:
- Able to protect you against your specific workplace hazards
- Reasonably comfortable to wear and fits properly
- Durable and easy to clean
- Allows unrestricted functioning of any other PPE you are wearing
Head Protection
Protecting employees from potential head injuries is a key element in any safety program. A head injury has the potential to impair an employee for life and even kill them. The most common types of head protection are safety helmets or hard hats. In general, protective helmets or hard hats should:
- Resist penetration from objects
- Absorb the shock of an impact
- Be water-resistant and slow burning
- Fit snugly or accommodate proper adjustment
Foot and Leg Protection
Employees who are at risk of sustaining any possible foot or leg injuries should always be wearing foot or leg protection. This would include protection from hazards such as exposure to dangerous substances, electrical hazards, or the possibility of being crushed or caught in -between items. Some examples of the available foot and leg PPE choices could include:
- Leggings
- Metatarsal guards
- Toe guards
- Combination foot and shin guards
- Safety shoes
Hand and Arm Protection
If a workplace assessment reveals that the employees could encounter a hazard that would cause hand or arm injuries, employers are responsible for ensuring that the employees wear proper protective equipment. Protective gloves are among the most common types of hand and arm protection. There are a variety of protective gloves to choose from, each with their own unique features.
- Light latex, vinyl, and nitrile gloves: These gloves are the best choice for employees who work around or near biological hazards, such as human blood or bodily fluids.
- Light chemical resistant gloves: As the name suggests, this type of hand protection is a good choice for employees who work with small amounts of corrosive liquids or flammable compounds.
- Heavy chemical resistant gloves: These types of gloves are optimal for employees who work with large amounts of dangerous or toxic solvents.
- Insulated gloves: Gloves that are insulated are generally used when working around hot liquids, open flames, cryogenic liquids, or electrical hazards.
- Wire Mesh Gloves: These gloves are commonly worn by employees who work with live animals.
- Fabric gloves: This type of PPE protects against dirt, slivers, chafing, and abrasions.
- Coated fabric gloves: By adding the coating, these fabric gloves become slip-resistant.
- Leather gloves: These gloves are the best for employees who perform any kind of hot work.
Body Protection
There are many types of workplace hazards that could cause bodily injuries. Some examples of those hazards could include:
- Extreme temperatures
- Hot liquid splashes
- Potential bodily impacts
- Hazardous chemicals
Employers are required to ensure that their employees wear PPE only for the parts of the body that are exposed to possible injury. Some general examples of body protection are listed below.
- Laboratory coats
- Coveralls
- Vests
- Jackets
- Aprons
- Surgical gowns
- Full body suits
Hearing Protection
Determining whether employees need to use hearing protection can be difficult. Employee exposure to excessive noise depends on many varying factors. However, the general rule of thumb is the louder the noise, the shorter the exposure time before hearing protection is required. There aren’t many options when it comes to hearing conservation.
- Single-use ear plugs: These are made of waxed cotton, foam, silicone, rubber, or fiberglass wool. They are self-forming and sometimes work as well as molded ear plugs.
- Pre-formed or molded ear plugs: These must be individually fitted by a professional and can be disposable or reusable. If they are being reused, they should be cleaned after each use.
- Earmuffs: These entail a perfect seal around the ear. Glasses, facial hair, long hair, or facial movements may reduce the protective value of earmuffs (OSHA).
Respiratory PPE: Protecting Your Health
There are many different types of respirators that all work differently when it comes to respiratory protection. For example, a filtering facepiece respirator is disposable and filters out particles such as dust or mist but does not provide protection against gasses and vapors.
On the other hand, a supplied-air respirator is connected to a separate source that supplies clean compressed air through a hose. While a supplied air-respirator does allow employees to work around certain gasses and vapors, they do not provide protection in an environment that is immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH). Some other examples of different respirators would include:
- Elastomeric half facepiece
- Elastomeric full facepiece
- Powered Air-Purifying Respirators (PAPRs)
- Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBAs)
- Combination respirators
COVID-19 PPE for Infection Control: FDA
PPE is commonly used in health care settings such as hospitals, doctors offices, and clinical labs. When used properly, PPE acts as a barrier between infectious materials and your skin, mouth, nose, or eyes. This barrier has the potential to block transmission of contaminants. When used correctly and with other infection control practices such as hand washing and covering coughs and sneezes, PPE minimizes the spread of infection from one person to another.
*Disclaimer: While there are many workplaces and positions where COVID regulations are still in place and required, this is not true for every work environment. It is important for your safety, as well as others, to follow all of your workplace’s policies and procedures.
PPE Working Safety Requirements
There are a few things that employers and employees should do on a regular basis when it comes to promoting safety and proper PPE in the workplace:
- Check worksites regularly for the need of PPE
- Maintain PPE in sanitary and ready-to-use conditions
- Inspect protective helmets periodically for damage to the shell and suspension system
- Establish safe work procedures for disposing of or decontaminating PPE
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