CHAPTER 15HOW TO SELECT AND USE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
RICHARD J. NILL
Genetics Institute, 1 Burtt Rd., Andover, MA, 01810
15.1 INTRODUCTION
A school crossing guard’s reflective vest. An ironworker’s fall arrest system. A floor installer’s kneepads. A police officer’s bulletproof vest. An astronaut’s spacesuit. A bridge worker’s life jacket. A firefighter’s breathing apparatus. A machinist’s safety glasses. An NFL quarterback’s helmet. A nail‐machine operator’s earplugs. A fish processor’s cut‐resistant gloves. A chemical worker’s butyl rubber boots. A lead battery worker’s dust respirator. A traveling salesman’s seat belt. A chemist’s face shield. A construction worker’s hard hat. A hazmat responder’s encapsulating suit…
Worn daily by millions of workers for protection against both the expected and the unexpected hazard, personal protective equipment (PPE) ranges from the simple article to the complex system. It may protect the entire body or just one part. It may be durable or disposable, low cost or expensive, fully portable or motion restricting, comfortable or annoying, or fashionable or dull. Widely varied in both form and function, all PPE has one important thing in common: it is worn by individual workers to reduce the personal risk of occupational injury and illness.
This chapter will cover many of the types of PPE in common use in general industry. It will introduce the reader to the different types available, selection and use considerations, factors affecting ...