ABC Company has adopted this Policy to ensure that all personnel required to use PPE have the necessary equipment and understand how to use, care for, inspect, and store it properly as required by the BC Workers Compensation Act (“Act”), the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (“Regulation”), the ABC Company Occupational Health and Safety Program (“OHS Program”), and other applicable requirements and standards.

2. DEFINITIONS

For purposes of this Policy:

·         “Administrative controls” means the provision, use, and scheduling of work activities and resources in the workplace, including planning, organizing, staffing, and coordinating, for the purpose of controlling risk;

·         “Engineering controls” means the physical arrangement, design, or alteration of workstations, equipment, materials, production facilities, or other aspects of the physical work environment, for the purpose of controlling risk;

·         “New worker” means any worker who is:

o   New to the workplace;

o   Returning to a workplace where the hazards in that workplace have changed during the worker’s absence;

o   Affected by a change in the hazards of a workplace; or

o   Relocated to a new workplace if the hazards in that workplace are different from the hazards in the worker’s previous workplace;

·         “PPE” means personal protective equipment;

·         “Practicable” means that which is reasonably capable of being done, a standard applied in determining what safety measures to implement to control a hazard;

·         “Qualified” means being knowledgeable of the work, the hazards involved, and the means to control them by reason of education, training, and/or experience;

·         “Young worker” means a worker under age 25.

3. POLICY STATEMENT

In all cases, ABC Company’s preferred approach to managing workplace hazards is to totally eliminate them. However, total elimination of hazards is not practicable for all situations. When total elimination is not practicable, ABC Company will take steps to minimize and control such hazards, which may include the use of engineering controls, administrative controls, safe work practices, and PPE, or combinations of the above.

In selecting controls, ABC Company will generally give preference to measures that control the hazard at the source; second choice will be accorded to measures that control the hazard along its path to the worker; PPE and other measures that control the hazard at the worker will be used as a measure of last resort and/or as a means of supplementing and backing up controls implemented at the source and along the path.

Where PPE is determined to be necessary to deal with a hazard, workers affected by the hazard requiring use of PPE must understand what the PPE does to protect them, what its limitations are, and how to properly use, inspect, and maintain it before engaging in operations requiring them to use the PPE.

4. SCOPE

4.1. Workers Covered by This Policy

The intent of this Policy is to ensure all workers engaged to perform work for ABC Company at its work sites are provided and required to properly use, inspect, and maintain the required PPE regardless of who pays or employs those workers, including:

·         Full- and part-time workers paid by ABC Company;

·         Temporary employees placed by an outside agency to work at the site;

·         Contract labourers engaged to perform work at the site;

·         Volunteers who work at the site for free; and

·         Workers employed by prime contractors, contractors, and subcontractors to perform work at the site under a contract with ABC Company.

4.2. Types of PPE Covered by this Policy

PPE covered by this Policy includes any safety equipment (including clothing) that workers may wear, affix to their body, or use to protect them against particular hazards, including but not limited to, hardhats, protective gloves, eye and face protection, hearing protection, safety footwear, and fireproof, high visibility, and other protective clothing.

This Policy does not cover:

·         Respiratory protective equipment—which is addressed separately in the ABC Company Respiratory Protection Policy;

·         Fall protection systems and equipment—which is addressed separately in the ABC Company Fall Protection Policy; or

·         Hearing protection—which is addressed separately in the ABC Company Hearing Conservation & Noise Protection Policy.

5. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

5.1. ABC Company

Owners, corporate officers and directors, upper management, and other individuals at ABC Company who may be considered an “employer” under the Act are responsible for oversight and general implementation of this Policy, including ensuring that:

·         Hazard assessments are carried out to identify hazards and determine what measures are necessary to control them, including which PPE is required for particular operations, work areas, equipment, or conditions;

·         Such PPE assessments are carried out in consultation with the:

• • Workplace Joint Safety and Health Committee or Health and Safety Representative; and
  • Workers who will use the PPE;

·         Where it is required, appropriate PPE that meets or exceeds the standards set out in the Regulation, including any CSA, ANSI, or other voluntary standards incorporated into the Regulation by reference, is provided and used;

·         Other than clothing needed to protect against the natural elements, general purpose work gloves, appropriate footwear including safety footwear, and safety headgear, which workers are responsible for providing for themselves, ABC Company provides the PPE that workers are required to use at no cost to the worker;

·         Where the PPE ABC Company provides to workers causes allergenic or other harmful health effects, ABC Company will provide alternative PPE or safety measures;

·         Safe work procedures are developed for operations in which the use of PPE is required and workers are instructed in those procedures before being required to carry them out;

·         Workers required to use PPE are adequately instructed in its correct use, limitations, and maintenance; and

·         This Policy is appropriately reviewed.

5.2. Safety Coordinator

The ABC Company safety coordinator, facility manager, or other individual in charge of safety at the workplace is responsible for ensuring the measures required by this Policy are effectively carried out, including:

·         Hazard assessments to identify hazards and determine necessary measures are to control them, including which PPE is required for particular operations, work areas, equipment, or conditions;

·         Hazard assessment consultations with the:

• • Workplace Joint Safety and Health Committee or Health and Safety Representative; and
  • Workers who will use the PPE;

·         Selection of appropriate PPE that meets or exceeds the standards set out in the Regulation, including any CSA, ANSI, or other voluntary standards incorporated into the Regulation by reference;

·         Provision of all workers with the PPE they are required to use—whether such PPE is provided by ABC Company or workers themselves;

·         Inspection of PPE and removal of defective PPE from service, e.g., hardhats with a cracked outer shell;

·         Development of safe work procedures are developed for operations in which the use of PPE is required and instruction of workers in such procedures before workers are required to carry them out;

·         Instruction of workers required to use PPE in the PPE’s correct use, limitations, and maintenance;

·         Ensuring workers wear clothing and personal accessories that meet the requirements of Section 9 of this Policy below;

·         Application of this Policy to prime contractors, contractors, subcontractors, and visitors; and

·         Review of this Policy.

5.3. Supervisors

Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that appropriate PPE is:

·         Available to workers;

·         Properly worn when required; and

·         Properly cleaned, inspected, maintained, and stored;

Supervisors must also be prepared to carry out or oversee the safety measures required by this PPE Policy, including:

·         PPE-related hazard assessment;

·         Selection of appropriate PPE to control identified hazards;

·         Development of safe work procedures for job tasks and operations that require use of PPE;

·         Training and instructing workers in the above safe work procedures before workers are required to implement them;

·         Instructing workers in the proper use, limitations, care, maintenance, and storage of the PPE workers are required to use and ensuring workers actually follow those instructions;

·         Showing workers how to ensure different items of PPE fit properly;

·         Enforcing this Policy and applicable safe work procedures including, where necessary, via discipline;

·         Ensuring that prime contractors, contractors, subcontractors, and visitors are notified of and required to comply with this Policy (and any applicable safe work procedures); and

·         Reviewing this Policy.

5.4. Workers

Workers are responsible for knowing and carrying out their obligations under this Policy, including:

·         Providing their own:

o   Clothing to protect them from natural elements;

o   General purpose work gloves;

o   Footwear, including safety footwear; and

o   Safety headgear.

·         Ensuring that the personal clothing they wear meets the requirements of Section 9 of this Policy below;

Workers required to use PPE are also responsible for:

·         Using the PPE in accordance with their training and instruction;

·         Inspecting the PPE before each use;

·         Refraining from wearing PPE outside of the work area (to the extent wearing it would create a hazard);

·         Report any PPE malfunction to their supervisor or manager.

Workers assigned responsibility for cleaning, maintaining, or storing PPE must do so in accordance the training and instruction provided.

5.5. Safety Committee/ Safety Representative

The Joint Safety and Committee or Health and Safety Representative for the workplace, if any, is responsible for participating and consulting in, including but not limited to by issuing recommendations, the safety measures required by this Policy, including:

·         PPE-related hazard assessment;

·         Development and review of PPE-related safe work procedures;

·         Selection of appropriate PPE;

·         Inspection of PPE including ensuring that the required monthly workplace inspection addresses whether the required PPE is being provided and properly used in accordance with this Policy and applicable safe work procedures;

·         Instruction and training of workers in the proper use, limitations, care, and maintenance of PPE.

5.6. Visitors

Visitors to ABC Company workplaces are responsible for wearing whatever PPE is required in the particular work area or facility they visit, and complying with the ABC Company workplace safety for visitors’ policy.

6. PROCEDURE

6.1. PPE Hazard Assessment

A qualified person(s) will conduct hazard assessments to identify hazards that may require PPE to control, in consultation with:

·         The Safety Committee or Safety Representative for the workplace, if any; and

·         The workers required (or who may be required, pending the results of the assessment) to use the PPE.

Identified hazards will be assessed to determine their severity. Measures will then be selected to eliminate or control hazards.

6.2. Selection of PPE

Where use of PPE is determined necessary to control a hazard, appropriate PPE  will be selected in accordance with the following requirements:

·         Each item of PPE must meet the standards set out in the Regulation, including any CSA, ANSI, and other voluntary standards incorporated into the Regulation, for that particular kind of PPE;

·         PPE must not in itself create a hazard to the person wearing it;

·         PPE must be compatible with PPE currently being used so that one item of PPE does not render another item ineffective;

·         If use of PPE creates hazards equal to or greater than those its use is intended to protect against, alternative PPE must be used or other appropriate measures taken;

·         Where practicable, PPE selection will be made with input from affected workers, either directly or via the workplace Safety Committee or Safety Representative, including with respect to PPE comfort, fit, cost, usabillity, acceptability, etc.

6.3. Who Furnishes PPE

Workers are responsible for providing their own:

·         Clothing to protect them from natural elements;

·         General purpose work gloves;

·         Footwear, including safety footwear; and

·         Safety headgear.

ABC Company is responsible for providing any of the other items of PPE that workers are required to use at no cost to the worker. Where the PPE ABC Company provides to workers causes allergenic or other harmful health effects, ABC Company will provide alternative PPE or implement alternative safety measures.

6.4. Use & Maintenance of PPE

All required PPE must be used safely in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions. Safe work procedures will be developed and implemented for operations requiring the use of PPE. PPE must be kept clean and in good working order.

6.5. Inspection of PPE

Workers must inspect their PPE before each use. Use, care and maintenance of PPE will also be addressed during routine monthly workplace inspections and in special, unscheduled inspections initiated in response to  malfunctions of or accidents involving PPE. Any PPE found to be defective must be immediately removed from service and not used again until it is adequately repaired.

7. INSTRUCTION & TRAINING

Workers required to use PPE will receive adequate training and instruction from a qualified supervisor or other trainer in:

·         The correct use, limitations, and maintenance of the PPE; and

·         The safe work procedures that apply to operations or work requiring use of PPE.

PPE training will also be provided to new and young workers as part of safety orientation training, when workers’ job duties change in a way that requires workers to use the PPE for the first time, and at least once a year.  No worker will be required or allowed to carry out work tasks requiring the use of PPE unless and until they adequately complete their PPE training.

7. MONITORING

Steps will be taken to monitor, review, and enforce this Policy and safe work procedures and proper use of PPE including via:

·         Addressing PPE condition as part of monthly workplace inspections;

·         Observations of PPE use by workers;

·         Providing extra PPE training, instruction, and support for workers who need or ask for it;

·         Where necessary, disciplining workers for PPE violations.

8. PPE REQUIREMENTS

Steps will be taken to ensure compliance with the specific requirements in the Regulation pertaining  to particular types of PPE, as summarized in the chart below.

9. PERSONAL CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES

The personal clothing workers wear must be safe—both in terms of clothing type and condition—so as not to expose the worker to unnecessary or avoidable hazards.  Where workers are exposed to the danger of contact with moving parts of machinery or electrically energized equipment:

·         The worker’s clothing must fit closely about the body;

·         The worker may not wear dangling neckwear, bracelets, wristwatches, rings, or similar articles: Exception: Workers may wear medical alert bracelets with transparent bands that hold the bracelet snugly to the skin;

·         Workers must confine cranial and facial hair, or wear it short so it won’t get snagged or caught in the work process.

10. PRIME CONTRACTORS, CONTRACTORS & SUBCONTRACTORS

All prime contractors, contractors, and subcontractor hired to perform work at an ABC Company workplace requiring the use of PPE will be notified of and required to comply with the terms of this Policy and applicable safe work procedures.

Prime contractors may follow the terms of either this PPE Policy and the applicable safe work procedures developed by ABC Company or alternative PPE policies and procedures that meet the requirements of the Regulation, are coordinated with, and provide at least equivalent protection as ABC Company’s Policy and safe work procedures to workers performing the work the prime contractor controls.

Legislation/Regulations/Standards

Workers Compensation Act, RSBC 1996, c 492

Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, BC Reg 296/97

CSA PPE Standards incorporated into the Regulation

ANSI PPE Standards incorporated into the Regulation