1926 Subpart E
Overview
OCCUPATIONAL
SAFETY AND HEALTH 1926
Subpart E
Overview for Subpart E
Personal Protective Equipment
E-1. What are the most frequently cited serious Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE) violations?
- Failure to provide and use proper head protective equipment (1926.100(a)).
- Lack of proper eye or face protection (1926.102(a)).
- The lack of safety nets for fall hazards of more than 25 feet (1926.105(a)).
- Workers not using serviceable PPE when exposed to hazards that could
cause serious injuries (1926.95(a)); not using personal floatation equipment
when working over or near deep water (1926.106(a)); and not using properly
approved respiratory protective equipment (1926.103(a)(1) and (2)).
E-2. What are some effective control measures that can be used for these
serious hazards discussed in E-1?
- Personal protective equipment (PPE) is one of the more common controls
used, and the equipment must be maintained in serviceable condition
and replaced when no longer useable.
- Employers must establish a policy of what PPE is to be used by their
employees for various jobs and to instruct their workers on the proper
care and use of PPE. Each worker needs to wear their hard hat when potentially
exposed to falling objects and eye protection needs to be worn as shown
in Table E-1 in section 1926.102.
- As part of the employer's safety and health program, a hazard survey
of the work needs to be done to determine what control measures to use
where hazards can not be eliminated. This survey can serve as a resource
as to which type of PPE needs to be used by workers so as to minimize
injury or illness exposure.
- The PPE used needs to be the proper type that provides the necessary
protection for the worker from the hazards found in the survey. Only
NIOSH approved respirator protective devices are acceptable to OSHA
for respiratory hazards. All personal floatation devices must be approved
by the U.S. Coast Guard to be acceptable to OSHA for those workers doing
jobs over deep water or next to deep water hazards.
- Where personal fall arrest equipment is not practical for all workers
who are exposed to fall hazards over 25 feet, safety nets become the
backup protection to protect all who work above the net. This is typically
done in bridge construction work and high rise buildings.
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