Employee / Occupational Safety
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Downloads and information to guide you in the proper selection, and documentation of assigned PPE in the workplace, are available below.
- Hazard Assessment Survey (UVa) (word | PDF) - The Hazard Assessment Survey includes areas to document the PPE that has been assigned by the department and helpful appendices including:
- Eye Protection Guidelines Z87.1-2003 Standards
- Filter Lenses for Protection Against Radiant Energy
- A partial listing of Occupations for which PPE should be routinely considered - OSHA 1910.132-138
- Hazard Assessment Form (UVa)* (word | PDF) - The Hazard Assessment Form (Reference - 29 CFR 1910.132) includes a check box format for assessing the work activity, work related exposure and PPE.
- Selecting PPE for the Workplace (U.S. Dept. of Labor)
Complementary Training Module: Personal Protective Equipment - How the Process Impacts You
Available online. Click here to start.
This training is beneficial for general audiences and complementary to the University's Personal Protective Equipment Policy. Guidelines are provided on how to perform a hazard assessment of the work environment and process to determine if hazards to the body can be eliminated and if not, how to choose appropriate personal safety equipment to prevent injury to affected parts of the body. A review of general personal protective equipment includes: eye safety, hand, head and foot safety. General guidelines to prevent accidental electrical contact injury are included.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
- Did you know that 60% of workers who suffered eye injuries were not wearing eye protection?
- Who is responsible to identify workplace hazards and provide appropriate PPE to employees?
- If I find hazards that cannot be controlled or eliminated and I must provide PPE to my employees, what are my responsibilities?
1. Did you know that 60% of workers who suffered eye injuries were not wearing eye protection?
Answer -- Yes, 60% of workers who suffered eye injuries were not wearing any eye protection and only 1% of 770 workers suffering face injuries were wearing face protection. Hard hats were worn by only 16% of those workers sustaining head injuries. Statistics provided by Prevent Blindness America; Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Complementary Training Module: Eye Safety - Guidelines for Eye Protection
Available online. Click here to start.
This training is beneficial for general audiences and complementary to the University's Personal Protective Equipment Policy. It covers when you should use eye protection, the most suitable type to use and how to care for your equipment.
2. Who is responsible to identify workplace hazards and provide appropriate PPE to employees?
Answer -- The employer, UVa Managers and Supervisors.
Federal Law (OSHA) makes UVa Managers and Supervisors responsible to identify potential workplace hazards. Ideally we want to eliminate hazards or reduce the risk of injury by providing appropriate PPE to protect employees. Workplace hazard evaluations must be documented and dated by the person(s) performing the evaluation.
Identifying potential workplace hazards can be done with the assistance of EHS and using one of the following two choices for Hazard Assessment below.
- Hazard Assessment Survey (UVa) (word | PDF) - The Hazard Assessment Survey includes areas to document the PPE that has been assigned by the department and helpful appendices including:
- Eye Protection Guidelines Z87.1-2003 Standards
- Filter Lenses for Protection Against Radiant Energy
- A partial listing of Occupations for which PPE should be routinely considered - OSHA 1910.132-138
- Hazard Assessment Form (UVa)* (word | PDF) - The Hazard Assessment Form (Reference - 29 CFR 1910.132) includes a check box format for assessing the work activity, work related exposure and PPE.
3. If I find hazards that cannot be controlled or eliminated and I must provide PPE to my employees, what are my responsibilities?
Answer -- Follow the steps outlined below.
- Employers (supervisors, lab managers, PIs) must determine the need and appropriate selection of PPE. This is required when hazards cannot be sufficiently controlled or eliminated altogether.
- Perform a worksite Hazard Assessment by completing either the UVa Hazard Assessment Survey (word | PDF) or UVa Hazard Assessment Form (word | PDF), contact EHS if you require assistance.
- Provide PPE that is ANSI (American National Standards Institute) certified and that will prevent or significantly reduce injuries. PPE must be correctly fitted to ensure protection.
- Employees must be trained to understand hazards that may require PPE including: how to wear, inspect, care for and store their assigned PPE.
* UVa would like to thank the Virginia Department of Corrections for the orignal templates for these forms.