Before 2019, the acronym PPE was not widely known or commonly understood outside of safety related professions. However, the world changed after 2022. What caused this major shift in awareness, and how did so many people come to adopt the same understanding of PPE? You likely guessed that PPE refers to personal protective equipment. Although the term first gained traction in the mid to late twentieth century, it wasn't until 2019 when the world faced the COVID-19 pandemic that global attention sharply focused on PPE. During this period, people everywhere became familiar with items such as masks, gloves, and face shields, fundamentally reshaping how the public understood and valued personal protective equipment.
For safety professionals, PPE represents the last line of defence within the hierarchy of controls used to protect employees from workplace hazards. The hierarchy of controls includes elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and finally personal protective equipment (PPE). These measures are often applied together to ensure the highest level of protection. For example, an employer may implement engineering controls and establish detailed work procedures while also requiring workers to use appropriate PPE. This layered approach strengthens overall protection and reduces the likelihood of harm to the worker.
Hierarchy of Controls in Practice
Let's further examine the hierarchy of controls with a practical example. Company X operates a sterile manufacturing facility and, as part of its standard cleaning procedures, employees are required to use a highly concentrated bleach solution during changeover. Because this solution can cause serious harm if it comes into contact with the eyes or skin, applying the hierarchy of controls is essential in managing this chemical hazard. Let's look below to put the hierarchy of controls into practice.
- Elimination/Substitution: Replace the bleach with a less hazardous cleaning chemical.
- Engineering Controls: Use robotic systems to clean the room, eliminating the need for human involvement.
- Administrative Controls: Develop and implement clear procedures for safe bleach handling and cleaning practices.
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Ensure workers wear appropriate PPE such as safety glasses, goggles, face shields, chemical-resistant gloves, and respirators.
These controls can be applied together to create a layered approach that provides stronger protection for workers. As this example demonstrates, PPE always serves as the final line of defence in safeguarding individuals from harm. Elimination should always be considered as an option, and once the higher protective measures are employed or ruled out PPE should be carefully selected.
WHMIS and the Safety Data Sheet
Moreover, PPE requirements are better understood when considered within the framework of WHMIS. WHMIS provides detailed and standardized information related to chemical safety, giving end users the knowledge they need to protect themselves when working with hazardous substances. In addition, WHMIS outlines the required components of a Safety Data Sheet (SDS). An SDS typically contains 16 standardized sections on hazardous chemicals, which are as follows:
- Section 1: Identification
- Section 2: Hazard Identification
- Section 3: Composition/Information on Ingredients
- Section 4: First Aid Measures
- Section 5: Fire-Fighting Measures
- Section 6: Accidental Release Measures
- Section 7: Handling and Storage
- Section 8: Exposure Controls/Personal Protection
- Section 9: Physical and Chemical Properties
- Section 10: Stability and Reactivity
- Section 11: Toxicological Information
- Section 12: Ecological Information
- Section 13: Disposal Considerations
- Section 14: Transport Information
- Section 15: Regulatory Information
- Section 16: Other Information
The Trouble with Section 8
Section 8 of the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) is particularly important because it provides guidance on the personal protective equipment (PPE) that should be used. However, many SDSs present this information in very general or vague terms. For example, you may encounter statements such as:
- "Use appropriate gloves."
- "Use appropriate respirators," or "Respiratory protection must be provided in accordance with current local regulations."
- "Skin contact should be prevented through the use of suitable protective clothing, gloves, and footwear."
These nonspecific statements are common in Section 8 and leave significant room for interpretation and potential error for the end user. With so many types of gloves (nitrile, latex, chemical resistant, heat resistant, cut resistant, etc.) and a wide range of respiratory protection options (surgical masks, N95 respirators, full face respirators, self contained breathing apparatus, and more), a generic recommendation can lead employers to select the wrong PPE. This confusion became especially evident during the pandemic, when misinformation led some to believe that basic surgical masks provided the same protection as N95 respirators.
Questions to Guide PPE Selection
Here are some important questions to consider when determining how to protect yourself or your employees from harmful hazards:
- What am I trying to protect against?
- Which parts of the body could the hazardous chemical enter?
- What types of PPE should be considered according to the SDS?
- Does the PPE require fit testing?
- How can I socialize or introduce the PPE to ensure employees will consistently wear it?
- What tasks are the employees performing?
- How can I verify that employees are sufficiently protected?
Once you can answer these questions effectively, you are ready to begin your journey in protecting workers through the appropriate use of PPE. If this feels like an onerous task, it may be beneficial to seek support from PPE suppliers or health and safety consultants. Always remember that PPE is the last line of defence, and whenever possible, eliminating the hazard is the most reliable way to protect the worker.