WAC 296-848-40040   Personal protective equipment (PPE).  

     You must:

     • Provide at no cost to employees, make sure employees use, and maintain PPE as follows:

     – Provide clean and dry protective clothing to employees who could experience eye or skin irritation from exposure to inorganic arsenic or who work in exposure control areas.

     – Provide impervious protective clothing to employees exposed to arsenic trichloride.

Note:	• Arsenic trichloride is corrosive and can be rapidly absorbed through skin.
	• Examples of protective clothing appropriate for inorganic arsenic exposures include:
	– Coveralls or similar full-body work clothing.
	– Gloves, and shoes or coverlets.
	– Face shields or vented goggles when necessary to prevent eye irritation.

     You must:

     – Make sure employees do not remove inorganic arsenic from PPE by blowing or shaking.

     – Make sure protective clothing is removed:

     ▪ In change rooms;

     AND

     ▪ At the end of the work shift.

     – Make sure contaminated protective clothing that will be cleaned, laundered, or disposed of, is placed in a closed container located in the change room.

     ▪ Make sure the container prevents the release of inorganic arsenic.

     – Launder protective clothing:

     ▪ At least weekly if employees work in areas where exposure monitoring results of inorganic arsenic are below an eight-hour time-weighted average concentration of 100 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³);

     OR

     ▪ Daily if employees work in areas where either exposure monitoring results of inorganic arsenic are above an eight-hour time-weighted average concentration of 100 µg/m³ or when more frequent washing is needed to prevent skin irritation.

     – Maintain the effectiveness of PPE by repairing or replacing it, as needed:

     ▪ Dispose of protective clothing if it will not be repaired.

     • Inform individuals who clean or launder protective clothing about the possible health effects associated with inorganic arsenic, including carcinogenic effects, by doing the following:

     – Provide the information in writing;

     AND

     – Label containers of contaminated PPE with the following warning:

CAUTION:
	Clothing contaminated with inorganic arsenic
	Do not remove dust by blowing or shaking
	Dispose of inorganic arsenic contaminated wash water as applicable local, state, or federal regulations require

Reference:

To see additional Personal protective equipment requirements go to the Safety and health core rules, chapter 296-800 WAC, and find the section titled, PPE, WAC 296-800-160.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060. 09-05-071, § 296-848-40040, filed 2/17/09, effective 4/1/09; 05-01-173, § 296-848-40040, filed 12/21/04, effective 5/1/05.]