WAC 296-824-60005   Personal protective equipment.  Use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).


Note: • Only properly trained employees should select PPE. Hazardous materials technicians and hazardous materials specialists can select PPE within the competencies specified in Table 4.
• Selection requirements in other PPE rules also apply, including:
– WAC 296-800-160, Personal protective equipment.
– Chapter 296-842 WAC, Respirators.
– WAC 296-24-58505, Fire brigades.
– Chapter 296-305 WAC, Safety standards for firefighting.

     You must:

     • Provide appropriate PPE at no cost to the employees and make sure it is used if hazards could be present.

     – Select PPE (such as respirators, gloves, protective suits and other PPE) based on:

     ♦ An evaluation of the performance characteristics (such as breakthrough time and hazardous substance-specificity of the material or item) relevant to the requirements and limitations of the site.

     ♦ Task-specific conditions and durations.

     ♦ The hazards and potential hazards of the site (see Table 9, Selecting PPE for Specific Hazards).

     – Select totally encapsulating chemical protective (TECP) suits, as specified in Table 9, that:

     ♦ Maintain positive air pressure.

     ♦ Prevent inward test gas leakage of more than 0.5 percent.


Note: Follow the manufacturer's recommended procedure for testing a TECP suit's ability to maintain positive air pressure and prevent inward gas leakage. Other established test protocols for these suits, for example NFPA 1991 and ASTM F1052-97, may also be used.


Table 9

Selecting PPE for Specific Hazards
If: Then:
• Inhalation hazards could be present. • Positive-pressure (pressure-demand) self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)

OR

• A decreased level of respiratory protection only when the incident commander determines, from air monitoring results, that employees will be adequately protected.
Chemical exposure levels will create a substantial possibility of:

     • Immediate death.

     • Immediate serious illness or injury.

     • Reduced ability to escape.		 Either positive-pressure (pressure-demand):

     • SCBA

     • Air-line respirators equipped with an escape air supply.
Skin absorption of a hazardous substance may result in a substantial possibility of:

     • Immediate death.

     • Immediate serious illness or injury.

     • Reduced ability to escape.		 Protection equivalent to Level A including a totally encapsulating chemical protective (TECP) suit.




[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060. 09-05-071, § 296-824-60005, filed 2/17/09, effective 4/1/09; 05-03-093, § 296-824-60005, filed 1/18/05, effective 3/1/05; 02-20-034, § 296-824-60005, filed 9/24/02, effective 10/1/02.]