Personal
Protective Equipment & the Workplace
Ideally, employers
should provide employees with workplaces free of safety and health
hazards. However, due to the nature of a given work operation, employees
may be exposed to potentially hazardous chemical and physical agents.
It is not uncommon for CWA members to be exposed to such work conditions.
This is particularly true for members employed in the high hazard
bargaining units and occupations that the Union represents (e.g.,
manufacturing, telecommunications service and installation, printing,
and health care jobs).
As stated in
the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers must provide
workplace controls to protect employees from exposures to hazardous
substances. The type(s) of control measures that may be implemented
will depend on the nature of exposure, the substance, and its route
of entry into the body: inhalation (breathing), absorption (skin),
and ingestion (swallowing).
Before making
a decision on what type of control measure(s) to implement, the
circumstances surrounding the problem(s) should be thoroughly examined.
For example, in the case of an air contaminant, an exposure problem
may be minimized/eliminated by reducing the amount of the contaminant
in the breathing zone. An analysis of the source of the toxic, the
path by which the contaminant travels to the worker, and the employee's
work pattern should provide the worker with information enabling
her/him to select or be provided with the most protective control
measure.
Control
Measures -The best method of controlling potential occupational
safety and health hazards is through the implementation of engineering
controls. Engineering controls are design methods that prevent harmful
worker exposure. Ideally, the proper time to establish engineering
controls is when the workplace is being designed. However, quite
often this is either not done or not possible. In these circumstances,
the following control measures should be considered.
Closed
Systems - Where possible, work operations that involve
potentially hazardous exposures should be conducted in closed systems.
Closed systems allow for materials to be brought into the workplace
in sealed containers and emptied into storage tanks, thus preventing
employee contact or exposure to the substance. Unfortunately, not
all operations lend themselves to such an approach.
Substitution
- Quite often, a less hazardous substance or process than that currently
being used may be available. Where a problem exists, CWA members
should advise the employer of this consideration. Useful examples
of less hazardous substitutes would include mineral spirits for
trichloroethylene and trichloroethane, as well as non-asbestos products
to replace asbestos materials. Changing A Process- Another control
method would be altering or changing a work operation to minimize
worker exposure. For example, vapor degreasing could be accomplished
with the use of dip tanks with adequate ventilation controls rather
than having the worker hand wash parts in open containers.
Isolation
- Where possible, potentially hazardous work operations might be
isolated or enclosed to reduce employee exposures. An example of
this process would be utilizing acoustic panels to reduce noise.
Isolation equipment may be operated by remote control from some
protected location. The degree of isolation should be determined
by the toxicity of the substance, the amount and duration of the
contaminant exposure, and the involved work patterns.
Wet
Methods - Wetting a particular substance will reduce the
generation of dust. This control method is widely utilized because
it is a simple, effective, and an inexpensive way to minimize potential
health hazards. In order that this control method works most effectively,
use of a wetting agent may be required and proper disposal procedures
should be used.
Local
Exhaust Ventilation - Local exhaust ventilation is a system
located at the source of contaminant generation that captures the
hazardous substance(s) before it/they escape into the workplace
environment. Local exhaust ventilation systems are a preferred control
method because they remove air contaminants rather than just dilute
them. Local exhaust systems should be used when substitution, changing
the process, or enclosure are not compatible with the work operation.
General
Ventilation - General or dilution ventilation systems add
or remove air from the workplace to keep the concentration of air
contaminants below hazardous levels. General ventilation consists
of the airflow through open windows or doors, fans, and roof ventilators.
It should be remembered that general ventilation control only dilutes
air contaminants unlike local exhaust ventilation that removes air
contaminants. Therefore, general ventilation should not be used
to remove great amounts of air contaminants from the workplace environment
or to control major localized sources of air contamination. When
using general ventilation systems, care should be taken not to re-circulate
the toxic substances throughout the workplace.
Personal
Protective Equipment - When it is not possible or feasible
to eliminate hazardous levels of air contaminants from the workplace,
it may become necessary for the employer to provide personal protective
equipment so that toxic exposures may be minimized. However, personal
protective equipment should only be used when it is not possible
to isolate a work process, provide ventilation, or use another more
protective control method. Personal protective equipment does nothing
to minimize or eliminate the source of the problem, i.e., the hazard.
Thus, if the personal protective equipment fails to work properly,
the worker suffers immediate exposure to the toxic substance.
Personal protective
devices include eye and face protection such as safety glasses,
goggles, and face shields; hearing protection like ear muffs and
ear plugs; protective clothing such as gloves, gauntlets, coveralls,
aprons, and boots; protective creams and lotions; and respirators.
Importance must be placed upon the employer furnishing the proper
type of personal protective equipment for specific work operations
and exposures. For example, when an employee is working with a particular
solvent, she/he should be provided the proper gloves to prevent
the substance from seeping through the glove and causing harmful
skin contact.
More and more,
employers have begun emphasizing the use of respirators rather than
implementing adequate engineering controls. Respirators should not
be viewed as a substitute for engineering controls. Rather, when
used, they should be seen as offering only short-term or emergency
protection. An approved respirator should be appropriate for the
particular hazard or work environment in which the respirator is
to be utilized (e.g., dust masks should not be used to protect against
chemical exposures). In addition, the type of air contaminant, it's
expected maximum concentration, the possibility of oxygen deficiency,
the life of the respirator, and available escape routes should be
determined before the work is initiated. Before supplying employees
with respirators, employers should give them complete physical examinations
to determine workers' adaptability to respirators and provide them
thorough respirator protection training programs.
Personal
Hygiene - Employers should make hand-washing facilities
readily available to employees working with or near toxic substances.
It is important that workers be able to wash promptly in case of
accidental splashes of toxic substances. Also, where called for,
convenient access to emergency showers should be provided. Eating
and storage or drinking of foods and liquids should be forbidden
where toxic substances are used.
Regulated areas,
where biological hazards or proven or suspected cancer-causing agents
are used or handled, should be properly marked to inform workers
of the potential hazards and the regular and emergency procedures
required. Employers should also provide workers who enter such areas
with a place to change protective clothing and equipment.
Medical
Controls - Medical controls should be an extremely important
part of an employer's safety and health or medical program. Such
controls would include a physical examination for all workers, consisting
of a thorough medical and work history including exposures to toxic
and hazardous substances. Audiometric tests should be a part of
the physical examination. Results from these exams provide baseline
data that, with the results of periodic exams, allow for the detection
of the harmful effects of particular work operations and the evaluation
of their severity. Medical records must be maintained by the employer
and made available to requesting employees.
In addition to periodic medical examinations, workplace exposure
monitoring tests should be conducted on a periodic, regular basis.
Instrumentation that continuously monitors the work environment
for airborne contaminants and triggers an alarm when concentrations
exceed safe levels should be obtained and used. Use of information
from both physical examinations and workplace exposure monitoring
can be an effective method of discovering potential occupational
safety and health hazards.
Administrative
Controls - An employer might decide to use administrative
controls to minimize occupational exposure to toxic substances.
One type of administrative control would be a reduction of work
periods for jobs that involve exposure to toxics. For example, by
transferring an employee who has worked four hours at an operation
involving exposure to hazardous substances/agents to work at a less
hazardous task for four hours, the worker's toxic exposure is minimized.
Administrative controls should not be viewed as long-term substitutes
for engineering controls, and other more effective methods of minimizing
exposures to hazardous substances.
Maintenance- All employers should make sure that adequate maintenance
schedules are established and adhered to. Poor maintenance of workplace
equipment usually causes poor operation of machinery and, in turn,
increased workplace accidents and illnesses. A regular maintenance
schedule should include periodic shutdowns of all equipment. In
addition, employees performing maintenance should be provided with
the necessary personal protective equipment.
Good
Housekeeping - It makes sense for companies to establish
and maintain good housekeeping practices. Proper good housekeeping
procedures include a thorough cleaning of the workplace, as well
as adequate washing, toilet, eating, and waste disposal facilities.
Employers should ensure that toxic substance spills are cleaned
immediately. Work practices should also be in effect for the safe
disposal of toxic chemicals and other hazardous substances.
Training
- All employers representing CWA members should have effective training
programs that deal with employees' working conditions. Part of this
training should include information on the types of occupational
hazards, adequate coverage of personal protective equipment, a medical
surveillance program, and emergency situations. Where companies
have not formulated such a training program, CWA-represented workers
should encourage them to do so.
What
Can You Do?
All CWA members should make sure that their employer is maintaining
a safe and healthful workplace. The key to making the workplace
safe for all CWA members is strong, active local safety and health
committees. The committee can identify dangerous conditions at the
workplace and discuss them with management. If the employer refuses
to cooperate, the committee can request an OSHA inspection. The
committee should always coordinate its activities through the local
officers, the CWA Representatives, and negotiated safety and health
committees. |
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