Chapter31-PersonalProtection-testOVERVIEWANDPHILOSOPHYOFPERSONALPROTECTIONRobertF.HerrickTheentiretopicofpersonalprotectionmustbeconsideredinthecontextofcontrolmethodsforpreventingoccupationalinjuriesanddiseases.Thisarticlepresentsadetailedtechnicaldiscussionofthetypesofpersonalprotectionwhichareavailable,thehazardsforwhichtheirusemaybeindicatedandthecriteriaforselectingappropriateprotectiveequipment.Wheretheyareapplicable,theapprovals,certificationsandstandardswhichexistforprotectivedevicesandequipmentaresummarized.Inusingthisinformation,itisessentialtobeconstantlymindfulthatpersonalprotectionshouldbeconsideredthemethodoflastresortinreducingtherisksfoundintheworkplace.Inthehierarchyofmethodswhichmaybeusedtocontrolworkplacehazards,personalprotectionisnotthemethodoffirstchoice.Infact,itistobeusedonlywhenthepossibleengineeringcontrolswhichreducethehazard(bymethodssuchasisolation,enclosure,ventilation,substitution,orotherprocesschanges),andadministrativecontrols(suchasreducingworktimeatriskforexposure)havebeenimplementedtotheextentfeasible.Therearecases,however,wherepersonalprotectionisnecessary,whetherasashort-termoralong-termcontrol,toreduceoccupationaldiseaseandinjuryrisks.Whensuchuseisnecessary,personalprotectiveequipmentanddevicesmustbeusedaspartofacomprehensiveprogrammewhichincludesfullevaluationofthehazards,correctselectionandfittingoftheequipment,trainingandeducationforthepeoplewhousetheequipment,maintenanceandrepairtokeeptheequipmentingoodworkingorderandoverallmanagementandworkercommitmenttothesuccessoftheprotectionprogramme.ElementsofaPersonalProtectionProgrammeTheapparentsimplicityofsomepersonalprotectiveequipmentcanresultinagrossunderestimationoftheamountofeffortandexpenserequiredtoeffectivelyusethisequipment.Whilesomedevicesarerelativelysimple,suchasglovesandprotectivefootwear,otherequipmentsuchasrespiratorscanactuallybeverycomplex.Thefactorswhichmakeeffectivepersonalprotectiondifficulttoachieveareinherentinanymethodwhichreliesuponmodificationofhumanbehaviourtoreducerisk,ratherthanonprotectionwhichisbuiltintotheprocessatthesourceofthehazard.Regardlessoftheparticulartypeofprotectiveequipmentbeingconsidered,thereisasetofelementswhichmustbeincludedinapersonalprotectionprogramme.HazardevaluationIfpersonalprotectionistobeaneffectiveanswertoaproblemofoccupationalrisk,thenatureoftheriskitselfanditsrelationshiptotheoverallworkenvironmentmustbefullyunderstood.Whilethismayseemsoobviousthatitbarelyneedstobementioned,theapparentsimplicityofmanyprotectivedevicescanpresentastrongtemptationtoshortcutthisevaluationstep.Theconsequencesofprovidingprotectivedevicesandequipmentwhicharenotsuitabletothehazardsandtheoverallworkenvironmentrangefromreluctanceorrefusaltowearinappropriateequipment,toimpairedjobperformance,toriskofworkerinjuryanddeath.Inordertoachieveapropermatchbetweentheriskandtheprotectivemeasure,itisnecessarytoknowthecompositionandmagnitude(concentration)ofthehazards(includingchemical,physicalorbiologicalagents),thelengthoftimeforwhichthedevicewillbeexpectedtoperformataknownlevelofprotection,andthenatureofthephysicalactivitywhichmaybeperformedwhiletheequipmentisinuse.Thispreliminaryevaluationofthehazardsisanessentialdiagnosticstepwhichmustbeaccomplishedbeforemovingontoselectingtheappropriateprotection.SelectionTheselectionstepisdictatedinpartbytheinformationobtainedi...
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