Personal Protective Equipment

Frequently Asked Questions

About the PPE discount website
Selecting the right PPE

• Hearing
• Eye protection
• Respiratory

About the PPE discount website

How does the website work?

BNL has arranged with the Olympic Glove & Safety Company to offer personal protective equipment (PPE) and other safety-related products at significant discounts. The products in the BNL catalog are items that are useful for everyday use. Some items come in children’s sizes as well as adults’.

You must log in as a BNL user in order to get the discounts. You can order from home – you don’t have to be on a BNL computer to place your order. If you have your order sent to BNL, there will be no shipping charges. If you don’t log in as BNL, you will see the commercial catalog with significantly higher prices.

The website doesn’t automatically log you out when you exit or close your browser. To log out, click the “Home” tab at the top of any page and log out from there.

The website is hosted by Olympic Glove & Safety as a service to BNL. Olympic has been in business since 1929. Their customers include the Town of Brookhaven, Consolidated Edison, Verizon, and Arnold Bakers.

Why don’t they show the sales tax?

The commercial side of the website serves customers in New York and New Jersey. The sales tax depends on where the order will be shipped and the type of product that you buy. The actual sales tax will appear on your invoice.

What are the shipping costs?

Shipping is free if you specify delivery to your BNL address. Shipping will be added if you prefer delivery to your home or another location.

Why does a shipping charge appear when I place my order?

A default shipping charge appears on the order form web page.  However, that charge will be removed if you are logged in as BNL and specify delivery to your BNL address. We expect that this confusing situation will be corrected when Olympic unveils its new website later in 2008.

Can I order an item that costs less than $10?

Because the discounts are steep, many of the available items cost less than $10. The $10 minimum helps to cover the cost of shipping (especially if you are getting free shipping). If your order is close to $10, Olympic will try to accommodate you. For very small orders, try asking a co-worker to place a joint order with you.

Can I return something that I buy?

Yes, Olympic will exchange any item that is in resalable condition (unused and with its original packaging).

How do I know what size gloves to buy?

Click on “Hand Protection” in the list of products on the left side of the page. You will see a link to a glove size chart, as well as a glossary of “glove terms.”

How do I specify the size I want?

Add the item to your shopping cart. When you are ready to check out, click on “Proceed to Checkout.” In the “Specify Instructions” box (about halfway down the page), indicate the size you want.

I just want to see a complete list of gloves; I don’t want to have to click through the manufacturers’ icons.

You can do this by entering a key word in the “Search” box on the web page. Just as with any web search, you should try not to be overly specific. For example, the key word “gloves” returns 23 items; the word “glove” returns 43. You can also by-pass the intermediate pages and get a full listing of available products in each category by typing the category name (e.g., “ergonomics” or “protective clothing”) into the box.

You can also see an indexed BNL catalog as part of the Wellbeing 24/7 website.  This catalog is searchable, but you can't order directly from it.   Make a note of the item number for each item you want to order, then just enter the item number in the “Search” box on the BNL Discount PPE website.

How do I specify my NFL team on an NFL hard hat?

Add the hat to your shopping cart. When you are ready to check out, click on “Proceed to Checkout.” In the “Specify Instructions” box (about halfway down the page), indicate the name of the team you want.

I want an item but can’t find it in the BNL catalog.

Olympic sells primarily to commercial customers. The BNL catalog is a subset of their products that have been selected by BNL safety personnel as appropriate for non-commercial use. You can place a request to have an item added to the catalog. Contact PPE@bnl.gov. Some products may appear in the commercial catalog but aren’t available in the BNL catalog for specific reasons:

• Fire extinguishers – Olympic does not sell fire extinguishers; they are too heavy for standard shipment.
• Back supports – BNL does not recommend the use of back supports. They do not provide significant protection and give the wearer a false sense of security.
• Smoke/CO detectors – Commercial-grade smoke/CO alarms are generally too expensive for residential use. You can buy very good alarms at most home-improvement and hardware stores for a fraction of the cost.

There seem to be a lot of dead-ends on the website.

We are aware of this problem and we are working to correct it. For now, the best way to find what you’re looking for is by typing in the key word in the “Search” box.

Can I see samples of items before I place an order?

Yes. Samples of the Product of the Month are located in Berkner and Building 400. Olympic can also provide samples of specific items on request. Contact PPE@bnl.gov.

Can there be any problems if I get a security check when I leave site with my PPE?

No.  According to Safeguards and Security, their vehicle searches are generally not focused on small items and they would not normally be concerned with these types of items.  The Police Group leaders are aware that employees will be bringing home personal PPE.

Selecting the right PPE

All BNL employees are expected to follow the SBMS Personal Protective Equipment Subject Area to determine the need for and correct use of PPE in the workplace.  The information below is intended as guidance in selecting and using PPE for home use, where hazardous conditions may not be precisely determined.  Additional information is available at websites such as the National Safety Council and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

When do I need hearing protection?

Hearing protection when the noise level in the work environment in decibels exceeds 85 dB for an extended period of time. Some common noise levels are:

What type of hearing protection should I use?

Earplugs and ear muffs carry a Noise Reduction Rating (NRR), which is listed in the description of each product. The NRR is the measure, in decibels, of how well a hearing protector reduces noise, as specified by the Environmental Protection Agency. The higher the number, the greater the noise reduction. In general, properly worn ear plugs are better than ear muffs.  However, the effectiveness of hearing protection is reduced greatly if the hearing protectors do not fit properly or if they are worn only part time during periods of noise exposure.

When do I need eye protection?

Regular (non-safety) glasses can be a hazard when hit by flying debris.  They can shatter, and the shards can cause serious injury.  Eye protection intended for safety purposes is recommended when an activity has the potential to present one or more of the following hazards:
 

How do I select the right eye protection?

Safety glasses. Safety glasses with side protection provide minimum protection and are for general working conditions where there may be minor dust, chips or flying particles. Side protection includes side shields and wraparound-style safety glasses. Safety glasses should have an anti-fog treatment. Polycarbonate lenses are lightweight and provide the best impact protection, but generally are not as scratch-resistant as glass unless treated with a hard coating.

Goggles. Goggles provide higher impact, dust and chemical splash protection than safety glasses. Many goggles have a tendency to fog up after being worn for a short time.  If this occurs, goggles could actual be less effective than safety glasses because the user would be tempted to take them off.

Face shields. When protecting the eyes, don't forget to guard against injuries to the face. For highest impact protection, face shields protect the full face from spraying, chipping, grinding and critical chemicals.  Wearing safety glasses or goggles under a face shield offers maximum protection

When do I need respiratory protection?

We wear a respirator for two main reasons:
1.  To protect against dust particles
2. To protect against harmful gases and fumes

All of the respiratory protectors in the BNL Discount PPE catalog are disposable dust (particulate) masks.  All are N95 rated.  They will protect against inhalation of dust from sanding particle board, drywall, or non-lead based paints and fiberglass insulation dust.  They do not protect against gases and fumes, and they should not be used when protection from lead or asbestos particles is required.  Always check the label on any pesticide before selecting a respiratory protector.

Common activities outside of the workplace where respiratory protection should be used include lawn and garden work (mowing, leaf-blowing, application of pesticides) and woodworking (sanding, sawing, spray painting).  The respiratory protectors offered on the PPE discount website do not offer protection from airborne droplets associated with pesticides or spray painting.

How do I select the respiratory protection?

The right respiratory PPE is designed to protect against specific contaminants, must fit well, and should be replaced (or cleaned, if not disposable) on a regular basis.  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) rates respirators on their filtering ability and therefore the degree of protection they offer.  The respirators in the PPE discount catalog are rated as N95.  A mask with a NIOSH rating of N95 will filter at least 95% of airborne particles.  N95 masks are not effective against oily mist.

For more information on selecting and using personal protective equipment, see the BNL Handbook on PPE Selection and Use.

Last Modified: February 5, 2008
Please forward all questions about this site to: Mary Daum

One of ten national laboratories overseen and primarily funded by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Brookhaven National Laboratory conducts research in the physical, biomedical, and environmental sciences, as well as in energy technologies and national security. Brookhaven Lab also builds and operates major scientific facilities available to university, industry and government researchers. Brookhaven is operated and managed for DOE’s Office of Science by Brookhaven Science Associates, a limited-liability company founded by Stony Brook University, the largest academic user of Laboratory facilities, and Battelle, a nonprofit, applied science and technology organization.

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