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12.01.17 - Personal Protection Equip CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY MANUAL CHAPTER: 12 Risk Management Policy No. 12.01.17 SECTION: 01 Risk Management Policies Page: 1 of 7 SUBJECT: 17 Personal Protection Equipment REVISED: 11/19/01 (PPE) PURPOSE: In order to provide the safest workplace possible, engineering controls shall be the primary methods used to eliminate or minimize hazard exposure in the workplace. Engineering controls are those systems which are designed and installed to specifically eliminate or reduce possible exposures. Examples of such controls would be exhaust time hoods, machine guards, sound proofing in high noise areas, insulation on electrical equipment, etc. When such controls are not practical, personal protective equipment (PPE) shall be employed to reduce or eliminate personal exposure to hazards. However, PPE is not a desirable substitution for administrative or engineering controls because these devices or procedures do nothing to reduce or eliminate the hazard itself. This equipment establishes establishes a last line of defense and any equipment breakdown, failure, or misuse immediately exposes the worker to the hazard. For this reason, the proper equipment selection, maintenance, employee training, and mandatory enforcement of equipment are key elements of an effective PPE program. POLICY: EQUIPMENT SPECIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS Pursuant to OSHA 29 CFR 1910, Subpart I requires employers to review assigned jobs and determine types of PPE required to safely perform assigned functions. This survey has been performed and a PPE Equipment Guideline has been developed which is included in Appendix A (see attached). All personal protective equipment and clothing shall be of a safe design and constructed for the work to be performed. In order to ensure that the use of safety equipment will afford the best protection possible, employees will use only safety equipment which has been authorized by the Safety Committee. (This does not include specialized safety equipment normally utilized by the Police or Fire Departments.) All safety equipment is the property of the City of Boynton Beach and is certified according to standards. Altering the equipment reduces its effectiveness and may negate the manufacturer's warranty. Therefore, altering of PPE (i.e., removing side shields from prescription safety glasses, cutting holes in hard hats, etc.) is prohibited. Personnel who alter PPE will be subject to disciplinary actions. Policy No. 12.01.17 Page: 2 Construction of PPE will meet the requirements of the following standard/specifications: a. American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Specifications; b. National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) c. Standards adopted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA); d. Other recognized approval authorities, i.e., Underwriters Laboratories (UL), Factory Mutual (FM), or American Society of Testing & Materials (ASTM). CITY FURNISHED EQUIPMENT: 1. Protective equipment not normally owned by employees is furnished without cost of employees. All equipment remains the property of the City. If it is determined the PPE has been willfully damaged, altered, or lost through negligence, the employee shall be subject to disciplinary action as determined by their Department Head. 2. The following items are provided by the City and are issued to employees by their supervisors: a. Eye protection equipment – goggles, face shields, visitor specs; b. Respirators; c. Helmets, hard hats; d. Steel-toed safety shoes, non-conductive safety shoes, sewer boots; e. Rubber, vinyl aprons; f. Work gloves, chemical gloves; g. Reflective safety vest; h. Safety sign, labels, and decals; i. Hearing protection devices--plugs, muffs; and, j. Other PPE as deemed necessary to safely perform the required task. Policy No. 12.01.17 Page: 3 3. If the employee is unable to wear PPE due to physical limitations, identified and documented by a qualified physician, the City will attempt to make reasonable accommodations to the employee, while maintaining a safe work environment. FOOT PROTECTION: 1. It is the City's policy to provide proper foot protection to those occupations that are exposed to foot hazardous operations. Foot hazardous operations are those which have a high risk for foot or toe injuries, e.g., Utilities, Public Works, Warehouse, Fleet Maintenance, Sanitation, etc. Office personnel are specifically not authorized safety shoes with the following exceptions: shop foreman or supervisors in the industrial areas and safety personnel. All safety shoes must meet the ANSI Standard Z41.1 (tested to 75 pounds) and be labeled accordingly. 2. Supervisors shall insure their employees receive the proper safety shoes for the hazards involved. For example, employees working at construction sites shall have safety shoes that provide puncture resistance, good ankle support, and steel toes. (Tennis shoe type safety footwear only provides limited protection and are not durable. This type of safety shoe is not recommended.) Employees working with or around electrically energized equipment shall be issued nonconductive safety shoes. 3. There may be times when employees could experience trouble wearing safety footwear due to a special medical condition. For those cases, it is the employee's responsibility to obtain a written statement, from a qualified physician (at the employee's expense) who specializes in foot disorders, verifying the condition and limitations involved. This must be renewed quarterly. If the physician prescribes orthotic insert devices, it will be the employee's responsibility to purchase and use them as prescribed. Employees working in a job that requires safety footwear must wear them as a condition of employment. Replacement of lost or stolen safety shoes shall be the responsibility of the employee. a. Safety Shoe Procurement Program (1) Department Heads are responsible for managing the Safety Shoe Program within their department. Department Heads must ensure those employees requiring foot protection actually wear them prior to, and during the work that is considered a foot hazard. Employees requiring replacement safety shoes must turn in their old pair to the Department Head or designee prior to obtaining a replacement pair. Department Heads or designee will determine if replacement shoes are necessary due to normal wear and tear. Replacement shoes due to misuse or abuse by employees will not be approved. Department Heads will determine, on a case-by-case basis, if the Department will Policy No. 12.01.17 Page: 4 or will not purchase replacements. Individual Departments will incur the cost of replacement safety shoes. Department Heads or designees shall always explore the option of repair versus replacement as a less costly alternative. (2) Safety shoes will be procured from the City selected safety shoe vendor. To minimize cost, the City has pre-selected safety shoes which provides protection and durability. Only these selected shoes will be provided to employees. (3) Shoes selected by employee, not authorized on the purchase voucher, or by a non-approved vendor, must meet City approved standards for type and quality, and then must be paid for by employee. Request for reimbursement should then be submitted to Department, not to exceed the amount identified in the current collective bargaining agreement. Department Heads shall insure these shoes/boots meet the proper protection requirements. (4) It is the employees responsibility to get properly fitted. Shoes purchased and later determined not to fit the employee, will not. be justification for the City to purchase another pair. (5) The City shall establish a system and forms to be utilized for purchasing shoes through vendors. EYE AND FACE PROTECTION: 1. Approved eye and face protection shall be provided by the City and worn when there is a probability that an injury can be prevented by wearing such equipment. Such areas would include, but are not limited to the following: a. Grinding, chipping, and sanding operations; b. Pressure washing, pesticide applications, chemical handling and mixing; c. Fire fighting and EMS operations; Policy No. 12.10.17 Page: 5 d. Overhead work including vehicle maintenance, communication. installation, building maintenance; ceiling tile installation and removal; lawn maintenance operations, etc. 2. Face shields shall be worn along with eye protection during operations that require face protection. Face shields shall not be worn without eye protection. Eye protection is required in all designated eye hazard areas. HEAD PROTECTION: Helmets and hard hats are required for protection of employees from the impact of falling and flying objects. Hard hats shall be worn during all construction projects, road work, heavy lift operations, and over-head work. Employees working on energized electrical transmission lines shall wear hard hats at all times. Hard hats shall meet the requirement of ANSI Z89. 1. Operations requiring hard hats shall be so posted. HEARING PROTECTION: Guidance on hearing protection shall be outlined by individual departments. For guidance on hearing devices, please refer to Appendix A (see attached). RESPIRATORY PROTECTION: Guidance on respiratory protection shall be outlined by individual departments. For guidance on respiratory devices, please refer to Appendix A (see attached). SAFETY VESTS 1. All employees who are working within 15 feet of the roadway or within the roadway itself, or in construction/maintenance operations where employees are exposed to roadway traffic, are required to wear a high visibility reflective safety vest, except when operating chain saws, tree trimming, and feeding the chipper. Employees who are wearing the FDOT-type orange and yellow raincoats do not have to wear a safety vest except during nighttime operations. 2. Requiring employees to wear safety vests for other work activities will be at the discretion of the employees’ immediate supervisor. RESPONSIBILITIES: 1. All levels of supervision and management shall become involved in the use of PPE by setting a personal example. In cases of noncompliance, management shall take disciplinary action as a corrective measure against the offender and supervisor as appropriate. Policy No. 12.01.17 Page: 6 2. Employees injured due to not wearing PPE specified for the job, may result in a reduction of Workers' Compensation wage replacement payments in addition to disciplinary action. a. Department Heads shall: (1) Ensure the provisions of this policy, including enforcement for willful alteration or destruction of PPE, are carried out. (2) Ensure all avenues of employee protection from hazards are identified and the risk is eliminated to the extent possible through the use of engineering controls, facility design, or PPE. PPE is to be implemented by the Department Head based upon the PPE Equipment Guideline (see Appendix A) and further recommendations by the supervisor and the Risk Management Department to the Safety Committee for approval. (3) Ensure all work areas have been evaluated and the required PPE has been identified. These requirements shall be posted and employees trained on the proper use of PPE. b. Supervisors shall: (1) Identify operations and processes for hazards which require the use of PPE. (2) Ensure personnel requiring PPE are identified, and trained in the proper use and care of such equipment. (3) Post the required caution or danger signs. (4) Provide the proper storage of PPE to protect against environmental conditions which might degrade the effectiveness of the equipment or result in contamination. (5) Take disciplinary action as a corrective measure in cases of noncompliance. (6) Report any new processes or changes in work area usage to the Department Head. (7) Ensure employees receive appropriate medical evaluations when there is reasonable expectation that the use of protective equipment may result in abnormal stress (usually limited to respiratory protection equipment). Policy No. 12.01.17 Page: 7 (8) Personnel are trained in the selection, use, inspection, and care of PPE. (9) Frequently used safety signs are available. c. Employees shall: (1) Wear the prescribed PPE. (2) Ensure the equipment fits properly. (3) Perform periodic inspection, cleaning, dis-infection and reporting to the appropriate supervisor any damaged equipment. (4) Ensure the equipment is not altered or parts removed, which would lessen its effectiveness. (5) Appropriately store PPE so that it is protected against conditions which could damage the effectiveness of the equipment. Risk Management Department shall ensure: 1. All work and operations are evaluated to determine appropriate PPE is being employed and utilized. 2. Equipment conforms to applicable standards. Contractors or vendors: All contractors or vendors performing services under contract for the City of Boynton Beach are required to comply with the provisions of applicable OSHA standards. Departments responsible for utilizing contractors or vendors must ensure they comply with all Safety and Health regulations. These regulations will be enforced by the City Department responsible for the contract, while the vendors are performing services on the City's behalf. DEVELOPED BY: Risk Management Department EFFECTIVE DATE: April 1, 1997 REVISION DATE: June 2, 1997 REVISION DATE: November 19, 2001 Kurt Bressner Kurt Bressner City Manager