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108 Personal Protective Equipment: Basic
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Introduction

When elimination, substitution, engineering, and administrative controls are not feasible or do not provide sufficient protection, employers must provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to their employees and ensure that it is used properly. Personal protective equipment, commonly referred to as "PPE", is equipment worn to minimize exposure to hazards. Examples of PPE include items such as gloves, foot and eye protection, protective hearing devices (earplugs, muffs), hard hats, respirators, and full body suits. Remember, PPE should be the last resort in hazard control, not the first choice. Some employers may mistakenly believe PPE is the ultimate solution and might do too much, not too little.

This course provides general information and does not cover all hazards or personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements in the workplace. The content, including methods and procedures, is based on the OSHA requirements for PPE as set forth in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) for general industry in the following OSHA 29 CFR 1910, Subpart I, Personal Protective Equipment.

Course Objectives

At the end of this course, you should be able to:
ID Objective
TO 1.0 Achieve a minimum score of 70% on the final course assessment.
LO 1.1.1 Describe the general employer and employee responsibilities related to the use of PPE.
LO 1.1.2 Discuss employer responsibilities for selecting an providing proper PPE.
LO 1.1.3 Describe the purpose for and process of conducting a hazard assessment.
LO 1.1.4 Discuss the requirements for effective PPE training.
LO 1.1.5 Describe the various types of eye and face protection.
LO 1.1.6 Describe general requirements for the use of respiratory protection.
LO 1.1.7 Describe the difference between air-purifying and atmosphere-supplying respirators.
LO 1.2.1 Summarize the types of head protection and the purpose of each type.
LO 1.2.2 Discuss the types of hand protection and give examples of how each type is used.
LO 1.2.3 Discuss the types of foot protection and give examples of how each type is used.
LO 1.2.4 Give examples of electrical protective equipment and inspection requirements.
LO 1.2.5 Describe and contrast the characteristics of sound and noise.
LO 1.2.6 Describe the requirements of a hearing conservation program.
LO 1.2.7 Describe the four general types of hearing protectors and how they are used.

Key: Terminal Objective (TO), Learning Objective (LO)