PPE PLAN

PPE – Personal Protective Equipment Plan

Purpose

The purpose of the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Program is to develop and implement the procedures for the identification, use, care, and maintenance of PPE required to be used by employees for the prevention of illness and injury. ?

All employees are required to follow the minimum procedures outlined in this program. Any deviations from this program must be immediately brought to the attention of the Program Administrator.

?Scope

This policy applies to the use of PPE for Property Management and related facilities and operations. This program is integrated into our organization’s written safety and health program and is a collaborative effort that includes all employees. The Program Administrator is responsible for the program’s implementation, management, training, and recordkeeping requirements.?

Program Responsibilities

Management. The management of Property Management is committed to the safety and health of its workers. Management supports the efforts of the PPE Program Administrator by pledging financial and leadership support for the identification of hazards and implementation of appropriate PPE for those hazards. Management will regularly communicate with employees about this program. ?

Program Administrator. The Program Administrator which is in most cases the Property Manager reports directly to upper management and is responsible for the hazard assessments, implementation, training, and administration of the PPE program. The Program Administrator will monitor the results of the program to determine additional areas of focus as needed. The Program Administrator will also:

·????????Conduct workplace hazard assessments to determine the presence of hazards that require the use of PPE (PPE hazard assessment instructions are included in Appendix A)

·????????Select and purchase PPE

·????????Review, update, and conduct PPE hazard assessments whenever:

o??A job or process changes

o??New equipment is used or added

o??There has been an accident

o??A supervisor or employee requests it

·????????Maintain records on hazard assessments

·????????Maintain records on PPE assignments and training

·????????Provide training, guidance, and assistance to supervisors and employees on the proper use, care, and cleaning of approved PPE

·????????Periodically re-evaluate the suitability of previously selected PPE

·????????Review, update and evaluate the overall effectiveness of PPE use, training, policies, and program

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Property Managers have the primary responsibility for implementing and enforcing PPE use in their work area, including, but not limited to:

·????????Providing appropriate PPE and making it available to employees

·????????Ensuring that employees are trained on the proper use, care, storage, and cleaning of PPE

·????????Ensuring that PPE training certification and evaluation forms are signed and in the employee’s file

·????????Ensuring that employees properly use and maintain their PPE

·????????Notifying the Program Administrator when new hazards are introduced or when processes are added or changed

·????????Ensuring that defective or damaged PPE is immediately disposed of and replaced

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Employees. The PPE user is responsible for following the requirements of the PPE program, including, but not limited to:

·????????Properly wearing PPE as required

·????????Attending required training sessions

·????????Properly caring for, cleaning, storing, maintaining, and inspecting PPE as required

·????????Following program policies and rules

·????????Informing the supervisor of the need to repair or replace PPE

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Employees who repeatedly disregard and do not follow PPE procedures and rules will face disciplinary action up to and including termination.

General Requirements?

Appropriate PPE is always required to be worn when employees are exposed to hazards that cannot be eliminated using preferred elimination, substitution, engineering, or administrative controls.

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The workplace will be evaluated, and all uncontrolled hazards will be identified at least two times a year based on changes to the workforce and workplace operations. Assessments will include, but are not limited to, the following items:

·????????Torso and abdominal protection

·????????Eye and face protection

·????????Head protection

·????????Foot protection

·????????Leg protection

·????????Hand protection

·????????Hearing protection

·????????Respiratory protection

·????????Fall protection

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PPE appropriate for the identified hazards will be identified, purchased, and provided to all employees exposed to those hazards. All PPE will be properly fit to each employee before relying on it as a protective measure.

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Employees will be continually trained, formally and informally, on the types of PPE necessary for the workplace hazards and its limitations. Training will also include the proper way to wear, use and maintain the PPE.

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Property Managers Shall provide all appropriate PPE to site employees

·????????For management offices with an engineering staff a PPE cabinet or area shall be maintained and stocked regularly for employees.

·????????Eye wash stations shall be provided in areas where chemicals are used, or batteries are checked

·????????PPE will be stationed in High Hazard areas, so it is available for use at the point of hazard

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PPE Program Implementation

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The following implementation steps will be used for this program:

·????????Conduct and document PPE assessment for each work task, assignment, or location (see form in Appendix B)?

·????????Select appropriate PPE based on hazard assessment?

·????????Communicate PPE selection decisions to employees?

·????????Provide PPE free of charge to all affected employees (obtain, purchase, rent, etc.)?

·????????Train each affected employee?

·????????Test employee understanding*?

·????????Document training and employee testing results?

·????????Retrain as necessary?

·????????Enforce PPE requirements?

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*Essential functions for all tasks/assignments where PPE is required.

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Employee Training

General Training

Before any employee can perform work in areas requiring PPE, they must first receive training in the proper use and care of the PPE they will be using. Periodic retraining will be offered to PPE users as identified by the lack of knowledge or the improper use of PPE, after changes in work tasks or at the supervisor’s request. The training will include, at a minimum, the following subjects:

·????????Property Management requirement that PPE be worn always during identified tasks or in areas requiring PPE

·????????When it is necessary to wear PPE

·????????What PPE is necessary

·????????How to properly put on, take off, adjust, and wear PPE

·????????The limitations of the PPE

·????????The proper care, maintenance, useful life, and disposal of the PPE

PROPERTY MANAGERS. Training can be completed in many ways, but a combination of several different types of media (such as PowerPoint, videos, pamphlets, and lecture) is usually the most effective approach. Whichever approach is taken, it is important that the material is understandable to the audience. Training materials should consider the participants’ educational levels, reading abilities and language skills. This may mean providing materials and instruction in languages other than English.

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Training attendees should be reminded that the purpose is to provide them with the information necessary to properly wear and maintain their assigned PPE and follow safe work practices, thus reducing the chance of an injury or illness. Training sessions should be designed for interaction between trainers and trainees.

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Eye and Face Protection

Each affected employee will:

·????????Use appropriate eye and face protection equipment when exposed to hazards from flying objects or particles, molten metal, fumes, chemical liquids, gases, vapors, dusts, acids, caustics, and other potentially injurious chemical or physical hazards.

·????????Use appropriate eye protection equipment with filter lenses that have a shade number appropriate for the work being performed when exposed to an eye hazard from potentially injurious light radiation.

·????????When wearing prescription lenses while engaged in operations that involve eye hazards, wear eye protection that incorporates the prescription in its design, or wear eye protection that can be worn over the prescription lenses without disturbing the prescription lenses or the protective lenses.

Foot Protection

Each affected employee will wear protective footwear when working in areas where there is danger of objects falling on or rolling across the foot, piercing the sole, and where the feet are exposed to electrical or chemical hazards. Foot protection will comply with appropriate ANSI standards.

Hand and Body Protection

The Program Administrator will select and require employees to use appropriate hand protection when employees’ hands are exposed to hazards from cuts, abrasions, punctures, chemical or thermal burns, harmful temperature extremes, vibration, and skin absorption of harmful substances.

Head Protection

Each affected employee will wear appropriate protective head gear (hard hats, bump caps, etc.) when working in areas where there is a potential for injury to the head from falling objects, impact hazards, extreme temperatures, or high UV levels.

Hearing Protection

The Program Administrator will select and require employees to wear appropriate hearing protection in environments where noise levels equal or exceed the OSHA Occupational Noise Exposure Standard (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.95) 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) of 85 dBA. See Hearing Protection Program for details.

Respiratory Protection

Each affected employee will wear respiratory protective equipment (respirators) when working in areas where respiratory hazards exist. All respirators will follow the OSHA 29 CFR 1910.134. See Respiratory Protection Program for details.

After training, employees will demonstrate that they understand how to use PPE properly. If they cannot demonstrate a sufficient understanding, they will be retrained.

Training of each employee will be documented using the Employee Training Record (Appendix D) and kept on file. The PPE Training Quiz (Appendix E) will be used to evaluate employees’ understanding and will be kept in the employee training records. The Record documents that the employee has received and understands the required training on the specific PPE he/she will be using.

Retraining

The need for retraining will be indicated when:

·????????An employee’s work habits, or knowledge indicate a lack of necessary understanding, motivation or skills required to properly use the PPE

·????????New equipment is installed that requires new or different PPE

·????????Changes in the workplace make previous training obsolete

·????????Changes in the types of PPE to be used make previous training obsolete

·????????Upon supervisor requests

Periodic Program Review

At least annually, the Program Administrator will conduct a program review to assess the progress and success of the program. The review will consider the following:

·????????Evaluation of all training programs and records

·????????The need for retraining of managers, supervisors, and employees

·????????The jobs, processes or areas that have produced a high incidence rate of injuries or illnesses

·????????The Program’s success will be determined and reported to senior management based upon comparison to previous years, using the following criteria:

o??Cost and frequency of workers’ compensation cases

o??Employee and supervisor feedback through direct interviews and questionnaires

Annual reviews will be documented with the form shown in Appendix C.

Outside Contractors

Whenever outside personnel are contracted to work on-site, the Program Administrator or location management will communicate all necessary PPE safety requirements to the contractor before any work commences.

Record Retention

Written records will be kept which include trainee names, the type of training provided and the dates when training occurred. The Program Administrator will maintain these training records for 3 years.

The Program Administrator will maintain the Hazard Assessment Form for each work site evaluated for 5 years.