Personal Protective Equipment is vital for keeping front maintenance and engineering technicians secure on the job in institutional and industrial facilities. But these products including goggles, gloves, face shields, and boots may just deliver the desired protection if supervisors specify them correctly and make sure technicians utilize them appropriately. To make sure technicians are as safe as possible, supervisors need to address a series of significant problems. These include: executing a workplace evaluation to recognize and control bodily and health hazards, identifying and supplying appropriate PPE for workers, training workers in the usage and care of the PPE, keeping PPE, including replacing damaged or worn products, and occasionally reviewing, updating and assessing the effectiveness of the PPE program.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires a manager to provide a place of employment that is free of recognized risks that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious bodily harm to his workers. Consequently, managers need to recognize and deal with workplace hazards, and PPE is 1 component in reducing technicians’ vulnerability to these dangers. But OSHA regulations including Conventional 1910.132 regulating the usage of PPE define that using PPE has to be the last alternative for controlling workplace risks. Managers should usage engineering and administrative controls to reduce or eliminate risks before relying upon using PPE.

When supervisors determine these controllers aren’t feasible or effective in reducing hazardous exposures to acceptable levels, then they have to determine if PPE would protect their employees. Managers can identify workplace hazards by executing a job hazard analysis. The analysis must consider the basic hazard classes impact, penetration, compression or rollover, chemical, heat, harmful dust, light, and radiation. PPE to defend employees includes head, eye, and face protection, respirators, hand and foot protection, protective clothing, and protection from electrical risks. OSHA requires PPE for workers exposed to risks created from processes or risks in the work environment.