TABLE OF CONTENTS

Personal Protective Equipment

7.

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT........................................................... 7 - 2

A.

PURPOSE .......................................................................................................... 7 - 2

B.

SCOPE .............................................................................................................. 7 - 2

C.

GENERAL .......................................................................................................... 7 - 2

D.

TRAINING .......................................................................................................... 7 - 2

E.

PERSONAL PROTECTION ..................................................................................... 7 - 3

F.

HAZARD ASSESSMENT GUIDE ............................................................................. 7 - 4

G. FORMS .............................................................................................................. 7 - 6

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7.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

A. Purpose
The purpose of PPE is to establish a minimum requirement for personal protective
equipment that will insure the safety of employees. It shall be used to ensure that
workplace hazards have been identified and proper equipment is available for each
employee. The PPE program includes written hazard assessments, equipment
requirements and employee training.
B. Scope
This program applies to both RDOS and contract personnel. Contractors requirements
may vary however the contractors program must meet the same level of protection.
C. General
All PPE utilized by RDOS employees in the course of their work must be used in
accordance with all manufacturers specifications and WCB Regulation requirements. All
PPE must be maintained in a clean and reliable condition and stored appropriately.
Hazard Assessments
A hazard assessment must be performed for each job/task to determine if hazards are
present which require the use of PPE. The hazard assessment will be certified with the
identity of the workplace evaluated, the person certifying the evaluation and the date(s) of
the evaluation.
PPE Selection
If hazards are determined to be present, PPE will be selected based on the results of the
hazard assessment and those requirements are to be entered into a PPE matrix. These
PPE requirements will be communicated to all employees.
D. Training
RDOS employees required to use PPE will be trained in the following:

what PPE is required for their job/task

when PPE is required to be used
how to properly don, doff, adjust and wear required PPE
the limitations of required PPE
the proper care, maintenance, useful life and disposal of required PPE

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Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen employees must demonstrate an

understanding of the above training.
Employee training must be certified and
documented. The PPE Training Record will be used to document and certify PPE-related
training. Certification will include the name and signature of the person certifying the
training as well as the date of certification.
E. Personal Protection
Eye and Face Protection
All RDOS employees shall use eye or face protection when exposed to eye or face
hazards from flying particles, liquid chemicals, and/or caustic liquids, chemical gases or
vapors or potentially injurious light radiation.
RDOS employees shall use eye protection that provides side protection when there is a
hazard from flying objects.
RDOS employees who must wear prescription lenses while engaged in operations that
involve eye hazards must wear prescription eye protection or eye protection over their
own prescription lenses.
When work is performed that involves potential exposure to injurious light radiation
(welding), employees must use equipment and filter lenses that have a shade number
appropriate for the work being performed.
Purchasing:

All protective eye and face devices purchased shall meet the standards described in the
WorkSafe BC Regulations.

Head Protection (Safety Headgear)

RDOS employees must wear hard hats when working in areas where there is a potential
for injury to the head from falling or flying objects.
RDOS employees must wear hard hats when working in customer sites that require the
use of a hard hat.
RDOS employees working near exposed electrical conduit, which could contact the head,
must wear hard hats designed to reduce electrical shock hazard.
Purchasing:

All protective helmets purchased shall meet the standards described in the WorkSafe BC
Regulations.

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Foot Protection
RDOS employees must wear the appropriate protective safety footwear when working in
areas where there is a danger of foot injuries including but not limited to:

falling and rolling objects

objects piercing the sole
exposure to electrical hazards
exposure to severe temperatures
chemical or biohazard concerns
any other hazards that may cause a foot injury

Purchasing:

All protective safety footwear purchased shall meet the standards described in the
WorkSafe BC Regulations.

Hand Protection
RDOS employees must use hand protection when exposed to such hazards as:

skin absorption of harmful substances

severe cuts or lacerations
severe abrasions
punctures
chemical burns
thermal burns
any other hazards that may cause a hand injury
F. Hazard Assessment Guide

Foot
Impact: Carrying or handling packages, parts, tools or other objects;
Compression: Use of manual material handling carts (hand trucks), working
around heavy pipes, tire assemblies, bulk rolls of materials, liquid storage drums,
fork trucks
Puncture: Where nails, wire, screws, broken glass, large staples, scrap metal,
walking on trash may puncture shoe, blade from mower
Electrical: Working on or near electrically energized parts, while standing on a
non-grounded surface (example: water)
Temperature Extremes: Working in cold temperatures or severe wind chill
conditions

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Hand/Arm
Cuts: Handling broken glass, sheet metal, medical waste sharps
Abrasions: Handling wood pallets, construction/demolition debris, corrugated
materials, trash
Puncture: Potential contact with nails, large staples, medical waste sharps
Chemicals: Fuels, oils, greases, acids, solvents, battery filling, parts cleaner
Thermal Burns: Handling hot objects, welding, contact with liquid natural gas
Temperature Extremes: Working in severe cold or hot temperatures

Head
Impact/Penetration (falling objects):
Working below others who are using tools or handling materials that could fall
Working around or under conveyor belts or work processes
Working below machinery or equipment
Electrical Shock: Working on or around energized conductors
Temperature Extremes: Working in severe cold or hot temperatures

Face
Impact: Chips, particles, fragments from chipping, grinding, woodworking,
sawing, drilling, chiseling, sanding, & handling certain materials
Heat: Hot sparks or molten metal splashes from welding
Chemicals: Splashes or mists from batter acid, fuels & solvents, biohazards
Dust: Airborne dust from material handling, emptying dust loads
Temperature Extremes: Working in severe cold or hot temperatures

Eye
Impact: Chips, particles, fragments from chipping, grinding, woodworking,
sawing, drilling, chiseling, sanding, and handling certain materials
Heat: Hot sparks or molten metal splashes from welding
Chemicals: Splashes or mists from battery acid, fuels, and solvents, biohazards
Dust: Airborne dust from material handling, emptying dust loads
Light/Radiation: Hazard radiation or glare caused by electric or gas welding,
lasers, extreme sunlight

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Whole Body
Chemical: Large chemical splash to the torso and legs from chemical spills
Visibility: Workers must wear hi-visibility apparel that meets or exceeds WCB
Regulation requirements when working on or near a roadway, construction site or
near mobile equipment
Heat: Fire suppression beyond incipient stage
Flame: Fire suppression beyond incipient stage; dispensing large volumes of
flammable fuels
Dust/fibers: Asbestos disposal, ABS pipe cutting
Temperature Extremes: Working in cold temperatures or severe wind chill
conditions or extreme heat
Breathing Hazards
G. Forms
Hazard Assessment (Form SHM 7.1, Pages 1, 2 & 3)
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Matrix (Form SHM 7.2)

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HAZARD ASSESSMENT
HAND/ARM

FOOT
Job

Legend:

Impact

Compression

Punctures

Electrical

Temperature
Extremes

Cuts

Abrasions

Punctures

Chemicals

Thermal
Burns

Temperature
Extremes

x - Yes
- No

Department:

______________________

Assessment by: ______________________

(Signature)

Reviewed by: ____________________

(Signature)

Date:

____________________
(Signature)

(Form SHM 7.1, Page 1)

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HAZARD ASSESSMENT
HEAD
Impact/
Penetration
(fallen
objects)

Job

Legend:

Impact/
Penetration
(stationary
objects)

FACE

Electric
shock

Temperature
Extremes

Impact

Heat

Chemicals

Dust

Temperature
Extremes

x - Yes
- No

Department:

______________________ Assessment by:___________________________

Reviewed by:

______________________

Date:

______________________

(Signature)
(Signature)
(Signature)

(Form SHM 7.1, Page 2)

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HAZARD ASSESSMENT
EYE
Impact

Job

Legend:

Heat

Chemicals

WHOLE BODY
Dust

Light/Radiation

Chemicals

Visibility

Heat

Flame

Dust/Fibers

Temperature
Extremes

x - Yes
- No

Department:

______________________ Assessment by: __________________________

Reviewed by:

____________________

Date:

____________________

(Signature)
(Signature)
(Signature)

(Form SHM 7.1, Page 3)

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PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) MATRIX

Department: ______________________ Division: _______________________ Supervisor: ___________________
JOB/TASK

1 =
2 =
3 =
4 =
5 =
6 =
7 =
8 =
9 =
10 =

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Safety
Shoe

Face
Shield

Safety
Glasses

Hearing
Protection

Hard
Hat

Respirator

Traffic
Vest

Gloves

Arm
Protection

Coveralls

Name: ____________________
(signature)

Name: ____________________
(signature)

(Form SHM 7.2)

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