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ARS Home Northeast Area Docs Safety, Health and Environmental Training







Personal Protective Equipmentheadline bar 1 - Personal Protective Equipment
               2 - Page 2  HOME   Laboratory CartoonOSHA's new final standard on personal protective equipment, 29CFR 1910 132, Subpart imposes several new and important requirements relating to basic safety and health programs. The standard adds new general requirements for the  selection and use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Included in these requirements are the following:Employers must conduct a hazard assessment to determine if hazards present necessitate the use of PPE.Employers must certify in writing that the hazard assessment was conducted.PPE selection must be made on the basis of hazard assessment and affected workers properly trained.Defective or damaged PPE must not be used.Established training requirements for employees using PPE must be established. This should include requirements for employees to demonstrate an understanding of the training.Employer must certify in writing that training programs were provided and understood.A variety of laboratory personal protective equipment is commercially available and commonly used in laboratories. However, for the equipment to perform the desired function, it must be used and managed properly. Laboratory supervisors and/or departmental chemical hygiene officers shall determine a need for such equipment, monitor its effectiveness, train the employees, and monitor and enforce the proper use of such equipment.    Eye Protection Eye protection is mandatory in all areas where there is potential for injury. This applies to both permanent and temporary employees.  SafetyGooglesFace Shield For most situations, safety glasses with side shields are adequate. Please note that the wearing of safety glasses does not excuse the employee from the requirement of wearing safety goggles.Where there is a danger of splashing chemicals, flying particles, goggles are required. Examples are: washing glassware in chromic acid solution, grinding materials, or laboratory operations using glassware where there is significant hazard of explosion or breakage (i.e., in reduced or excess pressure or temperature).More hazardous operations include conducting reactions which have potential for explosion and using or mixing strong caustics or acids. In these situations, a face shield or a combination of face shield and safety goggles or glasses should be used.It is recommended that contact lenses not be permitted in the laboratory. The reasons for this prohibition are: If a corrosive liquid should splash in the eye, the natural reflex to clamp the eyelids shut makes it very difficult, if not impossible, to remove the contact lens before damage is done.The plastic used in contact lenses is permeable to some of the vapors found in the laboratory. These vapors can be trapped behind the lenses and can cause extensive irritation.The lenses can prevent tears from removing the irritant. If the employee choose to wear contact lenses then they shall wear the protective goggles which fits loosely around the eyes and have no vents for access by vapors. If chemical vapors contact the eyes while wearing contact lenses, these steps should be followed:Immediately remove the lenses.Continuously flush the eyes, for at least 15 to 30 minutes.Seek medical attention.Eye WashIf, despite all precautions, an employee should experience a splash of corrosive liquid in the eye, the employee is to proceed (with the assistance of a co-worker, if possible) to the nearest eyewash fountain and flush the eyes with water for at least 15 to 30 minutes. Flush from the eye outward. During this time, a co-worker should notify the proper authorities.Visitors shall follow the same eye protection policy as employees. If they do not provide their own eye protection, it is the laboratory's responsibility to provide adequate protection. It should be the responsibility of the employee conducting the tour to enforce this policy. After use safety glasses/goggles used by visitors should be cleaned prior to reuse.  Quiz for Eye Protection  Clothing The following guidelines for laboratory clothing are offered strictly from a safety standpoint. Due to the potential for ignition, absorption, and entanglement in machinery, loose or torn clothing should be avoided unless wearing a lab coat.Dangling jewelry and excessively long hair pose the same type of safety hazard.Finger rings or other tight jewelry which is not easily removed should be avoided because of the danger of corrosive or irritating liquids getting underneath the piece and producing irritation.Lab coats should be provided for protection and convenience. They should be worn at all times in the lab areas. Due to the possible absorption and accumulation of chemicals in the material, lab coats should not be worn in the lunchroom or elsewhere outside the laboratory.Where infectious materials are present, closed (snapped) lab coats and gloves are essential.Shoes shall be worn at all times in the laboratories. Sandals, open-toed shoes, and shoes with woven uppers, shall not be worn because of the danger of spillage of corrosive or irritating chemicals.Care should be exercised in protective clothing selection; some protective clothing has very limited resistance to selected chemicals or fire.Consult the MSDS for a chemical to find out the recommended clothing or PPE for a particular chemical. (Examples are latex, nitrile, or PVC gloves, or aprons.)Quiz for Clothing Protection Glove Selection GuideA Table of Suggested Glove Selection for Incidental and Extended Chemical ContactsChemicalIncidental ContactExtended ContactAcetic Acidnitrileneoprene, butyl rubberAcetic Anhydridenitrile (8 mil), double gloveneoprene, butyl rubberAcetonenatural rubber (latex)(8 mil)butyl rubberAcrylamidenitrilebutyl rubber, polyvinyl acetate (PVA)bis-AcrylamideNitrileAlkali MetalsnitrileAmmonium HydroxideNitrileneoprene, buty rubberArsenic SaltsnitrileBenzotriazola, 1,2,3-nitrileButanolnitrileneoprene, buty rubberButyric Acidnitrileneoprene, buty rubberCadmium SaltsnitrileCarbon Disulfidenitrile (8 mil), double glove, or 15 mil or heavierviton, polyvinyl acetateCarbon Tetrachloridenitrile (8 mil), double glove, or 15 mil or heaviervitonCatecholnitrile (8 mil), double glove, or 15 mil or heavierChloroformnitrile (8 mil), double glove, or 15 mil or heavierviton, polyvinyl acetate (PVA)ChlorosulfuronnitrileChromium SaltsnitrileCobalt ChloridenitrilenitrileCobalt SaltnitrileCopper (Cupric) SulfatenitrileCyrogenic Liquidscyro-gloves3,3'-Diaminobenzidine (DAB)nitrilenitrile, double gloveDiazomethane in Ethernitrile (8 mil), double glove, or 15 mil or heaviernorfoilDichloromethanenitrile (8 mil), double gloveviton, polyvinyl acetate (PVA)2,4-Dichlorophenoxy acetic acidnitrile2,4-Dichlorophenoxy acetic acidnitrileDiethyl Pyrocarbonatenitrilenitrile, double gloveDimethyle Sulfoxidenatural rubber (15-18 mil)butyl rubber1,4-Dioxanenitrile (8 mil), double glove, or 15 mil or heavierbutyl rubberDithiothreitolnitrileEthanolnitrileEthidium Bromide (EtBr)nitrilenitrile, double gloveEthyl Acetatenitrile (8 mil), double glovebutyl rubber, PVAEthyl Ethernitrile (8 mil), double glove, or 15 mil or heavierpolyvinyl acetate PVAFormaldehydenitrileFormaidenitrilebutyl rubberFormic Acidnitrile (8 mil), double glovebutyl rubber, neoprene (.28-.33mm)Gallic AcidnitrileGeneticinnitrileGlutaraldehydenitrileHeavy Metal Saltsnitrilenitrile, double gloveHeptanenitrile (8 mil), double glove, or 15 mil or heaviernitrile, (335 mils or thicker, viton, PVAHexamethylenediamine (1,6-Diaminohexane)nitrile (8 mil)neopreneHexanenitrile (8 mil), double glove, 15 mil or heaviernitrile (35 mils or thicker), viton, PVA)Hydrochloric Acidnitrile (8 mil)neoprene, butyl rubberHydrofluoric Acid (HF)nitrile (8 mil)double glovenitrile or rubber sleevesHypophosphorous Acidnitrile (4mil) , double glove or 8 mil or heavierIsoamyl alcoholnitrileIsoctanenitrileheavier weight nitrileIsopropanolnitrileKananmycinnitrileLactic Acidnitrilenitrile (double glove), or neoprene or butyl rubberLead Acetatenitrilenitrile (double glove)Lead SaltsnitrileMercuric Chloridenitrilenitrile (double glove)MercurynitrileMercury SaltsnitrileMethanol (Methyl alcohol)nitrileMethanol Chloridenitrile(8 mil), double gloveMethylenenitrile(8 mil), double glovepolyvinyl acetate, vitonMethylphosphonic Acidnitrile (4 mil), double glove8 mil or heavier nitrileMethyl Sulfonic Acid, Ethyl Ester (EMS) (Ethyl Methanesulfonate)nitrile(8 mil)nitrile, double gloveMonoethanolaminenitrileNickel Chloridenitrilenitrile, double gloveNickel Saltsnitrilenitrile, double gloveNitric Acidnitrile (8 mil), double gloveheavier weight (.28-.33mm) butyl rubber or neopreneN-Methylethanolaminenitrile (8 mil), double gloveviton, neoprene, butyl rubberQuiz for the Personal Protective Equipment[1]
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