Environmental Health & Safety
Personal Protective Equipment Program
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- PURPOSE
- chemical exposures
- biological exposures
- radiological exposures
- sharp objects which may cut or puncture the skin
- excessive noise
- heavy objects which may fall onto the feet or head
- flying debris which may strike the eyes
- laser energy or other non-ionizing radiation
- airborne substances that may be inhaled
- any other hazard which may cause injury, illness, or impairment by inhalation, absorption, ingestion, injection, or mechanical action.
- DEFINITIONS
This policy applies to University employee who, in the course of their duties, work in or enter areas with recognized or reasonably foreseeable hazards. Examples of recognized hazards include, but are not limited to:
Personal protective equipment (PPE) shall not be used in lieu of engineering and/or administrative controls where such controls are feasible and can provide protection equal to or greater than that offered by personal protective equipment.
Biological Hazards are those hazards created by infectious disease organisms. Examples of biological hazards are Tuberculosis, HIV, Hepatitis B, or any other diseases that passes from person to person or animbal to person through direct or indirect contact, or through laboratory proecedures.
Certification of Hazard Assessment (CHA) is a written document confirming that jobs/tasks presenting hazards have been assessed and required PPE has been specified. The supervisor is responsible to ensure that PPE hazard assessments are performed and the certification(s) is written, signed, dated, and readily available in each location.
Chemical Hazards are those hazards that cause injury or illness through chemical actions or through the properties of the chemical. Chemical hazards can have physical effects, such as being burned by a fire caused by a flammable chemical, or they can have health effects such as causing chemical burns, or illnesses due to overexposure. Safety Data Sheets provide information on the hazards of the chemicals that are in your workplace.
Hazard Assessment is a process of identifying the hazards associated with a defined task and prescribing personal protective equipment along with other relevant protection measures which must be employed to reduce the risk from the hazards.
Physical Hazards are hazards that cause injury through some mechanical action. Some examples of this could be heat burns, tripping, cutting or puncturing the skin, or being struck by a moving object.
Radiological Hazard is the uncontrolled release of radiation or radioactive material (UV, IR, MW, Non-ionizing or Ionizing) that can harm people or damage the environment.
- Continue to the next section - Responsibilities
QUESTIONS or COMMENTS?
Contact EH&S at (585) 275-3241 or e-mail EH&S Questions.
This page last updated 10/16/2023. Disclaimer.
