Personal Protective Equipment Checklist

These tailgate/toolbox talks were developed for use under California OSHA regulations. The complete set is available from the Labor Occupational Health Program at UC Berkeley. For ordering information, visit the website (www.lohp.org) The American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) has adapted these talks to apply to federal OSHA regulations. To contact ACGIH, visit its web site (www.acgih.org).

Date Prepared:_________________________	By:_______________________
Project Name/No.______________________	Location:__________________

• Check the box if the statement is true.
• Fill in the blanks where the appears.
• Respirators and hearing protection are covered in separate Checklists.

GENERAL

• Personal protective equipment (PPE) is used only to supplement other safety measures when these measures are insufficient or during the time while these measures are being put in place. [1528, 5141(a), and 5155(e)(2)]
  
• If it is necessary, personal protective equipment (PPE) is provided by the company and worn by workers. The types used are appropriate for the work and give adequate protection. [1514]
  
• Workers use only approved PPE in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. [1514(b) and (c)]
  
• Any employee-owned PPE complies with the same requirements as company-owned PPE. [1514(d)]
  
• PPE is maintained in safe and sanitary condition. [1514]
  
• PPE is reasonably comfortable and isn’t unnecessarily awkward. [1514(e)]

HAZARD IDENTIFICATION

• The company has a written Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) that meets all Cal/OSHA requirements. It includes identification of hazards on the site requiring the use of personal protective equipment, as well as regular inspections, accident investigation, and correction of hazardous conditions. [1509]
  
• All hazards requiring personal protective equipment have been identified.

For each type of hazard present on the site, check the box if the required personal protective equipment is provided and used.

Check Here	Hazard	Personal Protective Equipment
	flying or falling objects	head [1515], foot[1517]
	electrical shock and electrical burns	head [1515], foot[1517]
	other burns, cuts, radioactive materials	hand [1520]
	flying particles (e.g. grinding, sawing, drilling)	eye and face [1516] hand [1520]
	hazardous or injurious substances*(Also see Checklists for specific substances)	eye and face [1516], foot [1517], hand[1520], body [1522]
	projections	eye and face [1516]
	injurious light rays (e.g. welding lasers)	eye [1516]
	hot surfaces, crushing or penetrating actions, wet locations	foot [1516]
	work over water	life preservers (personal flotation devices) [1602]

* See specific standards for regulated carcinogens, which include: methylenedianiline (MDA) [5200], cadmium [5207], asbestos [5208], 2-acetylaminofluorene [5209],4-aminodiphenyl [5209], benzidine [5209], 3,3’-dichlorobenzidine [5209],4-dimethylaminoazobenzene
[5209], alpha-naphthylamine [5209], beta-naphthylamine [5209], 4-nitrobiphenyl [5209], N-nitrosodimethylamine [5209], beta-propiolactone [5209], bis-chloromethyl ether [5209], methyl chloromethyl ether [5209], ethyleneimine [5209], vinyl chloride [5210], coke oven emissions [5211], 1,2 dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) [5212], acrylonitrile [5213], inorganic arsenic [5214], 4,4’-methylenebis (2-chloroaniline) [5215], lead [5216], formaldehyde [5217], benzene [5218], ethylene dibromide (EDB) [5219], and ethylene oxide [5220]. See also hazardous waste regulations [5192].

HEAD PROTECTION

• Hardhat areas are posted, and employees are required to wear protective headwear in those areas.
  
• Head protection complies with American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard Z 89.1 1981, Requirements for Protective Headwear for Industrial Workers. (Helmets purchased prior to 1985 must comply with earlier versions of this ANSI standard. However, helmets this old generally should be replaced.) [1515(a)(4)]
  
• Employees exposed to low voltage electrical shock and burns (600 volts or less) use head protection meeting the requirements for Class A or D in the applicable ANSI protective headwear standard. [1515(a)(2)]
  
• Employees exposed to high voltage shock and burns (above 600 volts) use head protection meeting the requirements for Class B in the applicable ANSI protective headwear standard. [1515(a)(3)]
  
• Helmet suspensions and liners are in good condition. [1514]
  
• Employees confine their hair where there’s a risk of injury from entanglement in moving parts, or a risk of contamination by combustible or toxic substances. [1515(b)]
  
• Employees are protected from falling objects by guardrails, toeboards, and other safety equipment and practices. (See separate Checklists on Guardrails and Scaffolds.) [1621(a) and (b), 1626, and 1632]

EYE AND FACE PROTECTION

• Workers who are at risk of eye injury due to flying particles, hazardous substances, projections, or injurious light rays are provided and use suitable eye and/or face protection. [1516(a)]
  
• Eye and face protection used on the site meets the requirements of American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z 87.1 1979, American National Standard Practice for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection. [1516]
  
• Impact resistant safety glasses with side shields, or impact resistant goggles, are used for chipping, grinding, sawing, drilling, and other operations where there is a danger of flying fragments, chips, or other particles. [ANSI]
  
• Only splash resistant goggles are used when working with acids and other hazardous liquid chemicals. (Splash resistant goggles are either unventilated, or have indirect ventilation.)
  
• Employees doing welding use welding goggles with filter lenses or plates to screen out harmful light and ultraviolet rays. Goggles used are appropriate for the specific type of welding. [1516(b) and Table EP-1]
  
• Employees who are exposed to laser beams use laser safety goggles which protect against the specific wavelength and power of the laser. [1516(e) and Table EP-2]
  
• Employees who use vision correcting glasses and need job site eye protection are provided with either: (a) safety glasses with suitable corrective lenses; (b) goggles with suitable corrective lenses; or (c) goggles to fit over the employee’s own glasses. [1516(c)]
  
• Contact lenses are not used on the site unless medically approved precautionary measures are taken. [1516(c)]

HAND PROTECTION

• When work involves potential risk of cuts, burns, harmful physical or chemical agents, or radioactive material, workers are provided and use appropriate hand protection. (Exception: Not required if gloves might become caught in moving parts or machinery). [1520]
  
• Employees wear impermeable gloves of the correct type to prevent skin contact with hazardous substances, and replace used gloves as required. [1520] (To determine the appropriate glove for the substance, consult the MSDS for the product, or contact the glove
  supplier or manufacturer.)
  
• Gloves used with vibrating power tools (jackhammers, chain saws, etc.) have vibration-damping material in palms and fingers. They fit properly and don’t increase the grip force required to control the tool.
  
• Welders use non-flammable gloves with gauntlets. [1520(a)]
  
• Employees use insulated rubber gloves for live high voltage electrical work. Rubber gloves are protected by outer canvas or leather gloves. Gloves are not used to replace other required safety measures. [2940.6]

FOOT PROTECTION

• Workers exposed to potential foot injuries from crushing or penetrating actions, hot surfaces, falling objects, or hazardous substances, or who are required to work in abnormally wet locations, are provided and use appropriate foot protection such as steel-toed safety shoes and/or boots. [1517]
  
• Protective footwear used on the site complies with the requirements of American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard Z 41.1 1967, Safety-Toe Footwear. [1517(c)]
  
• Workers using jackhammers wear a steel covering over the whole foot, not just the toes.
  
• Rubber boots are worn when working with concrete or in water. [1517(a)]

BODY PROTECTION

• When necessary, employees are provided and use appropriate body protection. (Depending on the hazard, this may include an apron, coveralls, or a full body suit which can protect against toxic substances, steam, oil, water, and extreme heat or cold.) [1522(a)]
  
• Employees wear clothing appropriate for the work being done. For example, loose clothing isn’t worn around machinery in which it might become entangled. [1522(b)]
  
• Employees working with asbestos, lead, and other regulated carcinogens wear protective clothing as required by the specific applicable Cal/OSHA standards. [See list of standards for specific regulated carcinogens on page 2 of this Checklist.]
  
• Welders wear leather aprons, and shirts with long sleeves and collars, as well as required head, face, eye, hand, foot, and respiratory protection. [1522(a)]
  
• Workers wear bright orange warning garments (shirts, vests, jackets) when they work on foot near vehicular traffic hazards. In rainy weather, they wear orange or yellow rain gear During hours of darkness, they wear reflectorized clothing. [1598(c) and (d)]

LIFE PRESERVERS

• Employees working over or near water who are not continuously protected by railings, nets, or safety belts are provided and use U.S. Coast Guard approved personal flotation devices. US Coast Guard approved ring buoys, lifesaving boats, and other safety devices are provided for emergency rescues. [1602]

CLEANUP

• Employees are instructed to wash promptly and thoroughly after exposure to injurious substances, regardless of the type of protective clothing or equipment which has been used. [1522(a)]
  
• Clothing which becomes saturated or impregnated with flammable liquids, corrosive substances, irritants, oxidizing agents, or other hazardous chemicals is promptly removed and not worn until cleaned. [1522(c)]
  

GENERAL INSPECTION
Other Hazards Noted	Action
Near Miss Reports:
Other: