WineSHIP - Sample PPE Policies

The following sample policies are OPTIONAL. They are not required by WISHA safety and health rules, but they may be useful in helping you develop, establish, and implement your company’s PPE requirements and rules. We encourage employers to copy, expand, and modify the sample as necessary to accomplish this.

In addition, the Consultation Section of the Department of Labor and Industries may be called on for assistance at any time. A list of regional service location branches are listed in the resource pages at the end of the guide; contact your local branch for further information or help.

You can also call the toll-free number: 1-800-423-7233.

The (Name of your business) Personal Protective Equipment Policies includes:

• Responsibilities of supervisors and employees

• Hazard assessment and PPE selection

• Employee training

• Cleaning and Maintenance of PPE

(Safety Person or designated person) is responsible for the development, implementation, and administration of (Name of your business)’s PPE policies. This involves

• Conducting workplace hazard assessments to determine the presence of hazards which necessitate the use of PPE

• Selecting and purchasing PPE.

• Reviewing, updating, and conducting PPE hazard assessments whenever

• a job changes

• new equipment is used

• there has been an accident

• a supervisor or employee requests it

• or at least every year

• Maintaining records on hazard assessments.

• Maintaining records on PPE assignments and training.

• Providing training, guidance, and assistance to supervisors and employees on the proper use, care, and cleaning of approved PPE.

• Periodically re-evaluating the suitability of previously selected PPE.

• Reviewing, updating, and evaluating the overall effectiveness of PPE use, training, and policies.

Supervisors (leads, etc., and/or designated persons) = Supervisors (leads, etc., and/or designated persons) have the primary responsibility for implementing and enforcing PPE use and policies in their work area. This involves

• Providing appropriate PPE and making it available to employees.

• Ensuring that employees are trained on the proper use, care, and cleaning of PPE.

• Ensuring that PPE training certification and evaluation forms are signed and given to (Safety Person or designated person responsible for your work place safety and health program).

• Ensuring that employees properly use and maintain their PPE, and follow (Name of your business) PPE policies and rules.

• Notifying (Name of your business) management and the Safety Person when new hazards are introduced or when processes are added or changed.

• Ensuring that defective or damaged PPE is immediately disposed of and replaced.

Employees - The PPE user is responsible for following the requirements of the PPE policies. This involves

• Properly wearing PPE as required.

• Attending required training sessions.

• Properly caring for, cleaning, maintaining, and inspecting PPE as required.

• Following (Name of your business) PPE policies and rules.

• Informing the supervisor of the need to repair or replace PPE.

Employees who repeatedly disregard and do not follow PPE policies and rules will be (Write in the actions management will take concerning this matter.)

(Safety Person or designated person) will conduct, review, and update the hazard assessment for PPE whenever

• a job changes

• new equipment or process is installed

• there has been an accident

• whenever a supervisor or employee requests it

• or at least every year

Any new PPE requirements that are developed will be added into (Name of your business)’s written accident prevention program.

Once the hazards of a workplace have been identified, (Safety Person or designated person) will determine if the hazards can first be eliminated or reduced by methods other than PPE, i.e., methods that do not rely on employee behavior, such as engineering controls (refer to Appendix B – Controlling Hazards).

If such methods are not adequate or feasible, then (Safety Person or designated person) will determine the suitability of the PPE presently available; and as necessary, will select new or additional equipment which ensures a level of protection greater than the minimum required to protect our employees from the hazards (refer to Appendix C – Selection of PPE). Care will be taken to recognize the possibility of multiple and simultaneous exposure to a variety of hazards.

Adequate protection against the highest level of each of the hazards will be recommended for purchase.

All personal protective clothing and equipment will be of safe design and construction for the work to be performed and will be maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition. Only those items of protective clothing and equipment that meet NIOSH or ANSI (American National Standards Institute) standards will be procured or accepted for use. Newly purchased PPE must conform to the updated ANSI standards which have been incorporated into the PPE regulations, as follows:

• Eye and Face Protection ANSI Z87.1-1989

• Head Protection ANSI Z89.1-1986

• Foot Protection ANSI Z41.1-1991

• Hand Protection (There are no ANSI standards for gloves, however, selection must be based on the performance characteristics of the glove in relation to the tasks to be performed.)

Affected employees whose jobs require the use of PPE will be informed of the PPE selection and will be provided PPE by (Name of your business) at no charge. Careful consideration will be given to the comfort and proper fit of PPE in order to ensure that the right size is selected and that it will be used.

Any worker required to wear PPE will receive training in the proper use and care of PPE before being allowed to perform work requiring the use of PPE. Periodic retraining will be offered to PPE users as needed. The training will include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following subjects:

• When PPE is necessary to be worn

• What PPE is necessary

• How to properly don, doff, adjust, and wear PPE

• The limitations of the PPE

• The proper care, maintenance, useful life, and disposal of the PPE

Retraining - The need for retraining will be indicated when

• an employee’s work habits or knowledge indicates a lack of the necessary understanding, motivation, and skills required to use the PPE (i.e., uses PPE improperly)

• new equipment is installed

• changes in the work place make previous training out-of-date

• changes in the types of PPE to be used make previous training out-of-date

Personal protective equipment must not be shared between employees until it has been properly cleaned and sanitized. PPE will be distributed for individual use whenever possible.

If employees provide their own PPE, make sure that it is adequate for the work place hazards, and that it is maintained in a clean and reliable condition.

Defective or damaged PPE will not be used and will be immediately discarded and replaced.

NOTE: Defective equipment can be worse than no PPE at all. Employees would avoid a hazardous situation if they knew they were not protected; but they would get closer to the hazard if they erroneously believed they were protected, and therefore would be at greater risk.

It is also important to ensure that contaminated PPE which cannot be decontaminated is disposed of in a manner that protects employees from exposure to hazards.

The following steps will be followed unless the seriousness of the violation would dictate going directly to Step 2 or Step 3.

• A first time violation will be discussed orally between company supervision and the employee. This will be done as soon as possible

• A second time offense will be followed up in written form and a copy of this written documentation will be entered into the employee’s personnel folder.

• A third time violation will result in time off or possible termination, depending on the seriousness of the violation.