The work glove world according to OSHA

Back in the day, a “glove was a glove was a glove.” You didn't have a lot of choice. You either wore what was available or you went without. Today, with greater emphasis on safety, gloves come to work in a dazzling array of styles and materials: Leather, Latex, Nitrile, Kevlar, Spectra, Cotton, String Knit, Canvas, Jersey, Plastic Dot, Hot Mill, High Heat, Zetex, Welding, Winter, Cotts, Chemical, Stainless Steel, PVC, Rubber, Butyl, Viton, neoprene and more. The type of work glove you choose will depend on what kind of trouble your hands could get into on the job. Before you start a job, check out an industrial outfitter like Mechanix on the net to determine which gloves will work best for you.

On the job from sea to shining sea.

You may find this hard to be believe, but OSHA wants your company to be in compliance. The agency has a lot of resources designed to help your company maintain a safe, OSHA compliant workplace. For example, OSHA compliance has a safety training kit in both English and Spanish that they call a one-stop resource for all your training needs. Each kit contains a video program in VHS video or DVD, five posters, and thirty brochures to hand out to your employees. What's more, some kits contain compliance manuals to help you develop written safety policies for your company.

Safeguarding workplace safety

Deciphering OSHA regulations can be a daunting task, especially for smaller businesses that don't have the human resources to dedicate to compliance questions. Fortunately, OSHA has a number of programs in place designed to provide assistance with a broad range of compliance issues. If you are in doubt about OSHA compliance, or need help with a specific issue, go to the OSHA website at www.osha.gov. From this site you can access resources to help you prevent occupational injuries and illnesses, comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and learn about OSHA's cooperative programs.

Working hand in glove with OSHA

According to OSHA, you are required to select and require employees to use appropriate hand protection when employee's hands are exposed to hazards such as those from skin absorption of harmful substances; severe cuts or lacerations; severe abrasions; punctures; chemical burns; thermal burns; and harmful temperature extremes. While there are no ANSI standards for hand protection, the gloves you supply must be based on the performance characteristics of the glove in relation to the tasks to be performed.

This OSHA kit is a big hit

According to the OSHA website, their training kits can help you meet all of your training needs. These kits are especially useful for companies without full time safety professionals on staff. You'll save time and money researching OSHA regulations and developing comprehensive compliance programs.

2. Ensure consistency in training through the use of video or DVD programs and easy to read booklets.

3. Develop effective new employee orientation programs utilizing professionally developed training materials.

4. Reduce overall training costs by utilizing reusable training materials.

5. Bundle training kits together to implement a comprehensive safety training program.

6. Train both your English and Spanish speaking employees with the same level of quality.

OSHA’s Position on Personal Protective Equipment

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) says that employers are required to determine if personal protective equipment (PPE) should be used to protect their employees. If a company decides their workers need PPE, a PPE “program” should be installed. According to OSHA, this program should cover the following issues:

• The hazards present;
• The selection, maintenance, and use of PPE;
• The training of employees; and
• Monitoring of the program to ensure its ongoing effectiveness.

Section 5 (a) (1) of the OSHA Act covers the general requirements of the determination and implementation of a PPE program. Section 5 (a) (2) then requires employers to “comply” with the standards that are outlined in the Act. They have published standards for eye, ear, head, foot, hand, and all forms of protective equipment guidelines. PPE standards vary based on the potential threats you might face at your workplace. Are you facing falling or moving objects? Chemical threats? Burn dangers? OSHA standards are based on safety requirements that relate to the potential dangers you might face in your particular work environment. Visit the OSHA website to learn about their recommendations for your particular job duties and responsibilities.

How OSHA Can Improve Workplace Safety

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) sets standards for the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), protective apparel, and industrial accident prevention techniques to protect employees and, indirectly, employers from worker injury while on the job. They analyze huge volumes of data regarding both industrial accidents and types of PPE to protect against workplace hazards and avoiding accidents. While the construction industry remains a primary focus, many other industries are also covered under the OSHA Act.

PPE standards are addressed in different sections based on the type of protection and the specific areas of their use. There are chapters on general requirements, eye and face protection, respiratory, head, foot, and hand protection. A separate set of standards applies to protection against electrical hazards faced on the job, whether or not you are a professional electrician. Another area covers toxic and hazardous substances encountered in different types of workplaces.

These standards are more than mere recommendations. OSHA has a staff of inspectors who make random, unannounced visits to job sites and companies around the U.S. to ensure industrial safety standards are being followed. If violations are uncovered, OSHA has the ability to levy fines on the employers who are found guilty of disregarding one or more safety standards. Therefore, OSHA both defines and publishes the standards for industrial safety and the type of PPE recommended to avoid workplace accidents. To ensure compliance with these published standards, OSHA inspectors make on site visits to witness the job safety measures being employed by employers.

OSHA’s Standards for Eye Protection

Whether you are cutting pressure-treated lumber to build a deck in your back yard or performing complicated welding assignments during construction of a new space shuttle, proper eye protection is absolutely critical. Your eyes are more vulnerable to accident and injury than any other part of your body. Just one small, even microscopic foreign particle can do serious or permanent damage to your eyes. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), after analyzing volumes of data, has designed and published detailed standards on the use of appropriate protection for your eyes.

OSHA has developed these guidelines in conjunction with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to specify minimum recommended requirements for personal protective equipment (PPE) providing eye protection. Employers must provide eye PPE that protects employees from all manner of flying objects, large and small. For workers involved in welding or other torch related duties, a detailed grid prescribes the darkening shade responsibilities of the eyewear to further protect you from the additional hazards of light radiation being generated. OSHA regulation 1910.133 explains the eye protection standards for general industry, including welding-related activities.

Construction industry eye protection is addressed in a separate section (1926.102) which outlines the standards for PPE at jobsites. In addition to flying objects and light radiation, these standards also address potentially dangerous chemical threats to your eyes. Most eye protection takes the form of a variety of styles of goggles or a solid face shield attached to protective headwear. Read these sections and learn the recommended protective quality of the PPE you should use for your specific industry.

OSHA’s Recommendations for Protective Clothing

OSHA publishes both a general standard for protective clothing and detailed recommendations for specific personal protective equipment (PPE) designed to protect your eyes, head, face, hands, feet, and other parts of your body.

Regardless of the design, material, convenience, and/or comfort of protective clothing, OSHA mandates that PPE provide protection against specific hazards present in a variety of industrial environments. While most employers closely follow the standards set by OSHA and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), don’t take their compliance for granted.

Become familiar with the protective clothing standards set by OSHA because avoidable injury protection is paramount where your body is concerned. Visit the OSHA website, identify your industry, and read the industrial safety standards for PPE that have been published. Remember, there are often different requirements depending on the nature of the potential threats you might face. For instance, standards for protective clothing if you face potential falling objects can be quite different from those stated if you face primarily chemical hazards instead. General OSHA requirements for protective clothing can be found in section 1910.132 of the Act. You can then move on to standards set for specific PPE items.

OSHA Develops and Enforces Industrial Safety Standards

OSHA has a rather “checkered” history since its inception as a result of passage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. In its earlier years, OSHA was often criticized for their standards, which could be confusing, burdensome, and very expensive to implement. Much of the unhappiness also related to the inexact and often arbitrary enforcement practices of the agency. Many of these both perceived and real problems have been eliminated in the past fifteen years to the point that many regulations were simplified and made more reasonable to implement.

Changes to the method of computing and codifying OSHA’s standards and increasing emphasis on chemical hazards and blood borne pathogens occurred during both the Clinton and Bush administrations. It’s important to remember that OSHA doesn’t act alone and is not always the “final word” in industrial safety. They work closely with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to develop their standards for industrial safety and personal protective equipment (PPE). In addition, many states in the U.S. have adopted their own safety code which is integrated with OSHA standards to define the employer requirements to maintain a safe workplace.

Finally, when you read many provisions of the act, you will notice that the word “voluntary” appears often. This does not mean compliance is voluntary as OSHA has a staff of inspectors to ensure compliance and has the power to impose fines and even criminal penalties on companies who are not following proper procedures. Most of the voluntary issues revolve around the manner in which the safety guidelines are implemented, how employee safety training is conducted, and the type and style of PPE provided to employees.

OSHA now tries to give employers as many effective choices as possible to comply with safety requirements to increase compliance and help reduce costs to the companies involved while keeping a high level of safety.

Looking out for you at work

No, NIOSH is not an Old Testament prophet, though their mission is to look out for the health and safety of America's working people. The National Institute for Occupational Safety (NIOSH) was formed in 1971 to conduct research, develop educational and training resources, and develop criteria for recommended standards in the area of occupational safety and health. NIOSH is part of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the Public Health Service under the Department of Health and Human Services in the executive branch of the U.S. Federal Government. To learn more visit their site: www.cdc.gov/niosh

Keep ‘em posted

No, OSHA isn't the name of a Sumo wrestler or a heavy metal band. The letters O.S.H.A. stand for Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Congress created OSHA under the Occupational Safety and Health Act on December 29, 1970. According to its official website, OSHA's mission is to prevent work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths. By all accounts, it has done a pretty creditable job. Since 1971, occupational deaths have been cut by 62% and injuries have declined by 42%.

You can do it. OSHA can help.

OSHA assigns top priority to reports of imminent dangers-accidents about to happen; second are fatalities or accidents serious enough to send three or more workers to the hospital. Third are employee complaints. Referrals from other government agencies are fourth. Fifth are targeted inspections-such as the Site Specific Targeting Program, which focuses on employers that report high injury and illness rates, and special emphasis programs that zero in on hazardous work such as trenching or equipment such as mechanical power presses. Follow-up inspections are the final priority. Leather gloves come in several grades or qualities of the split hide with higher prices indicating the better grades, although this may not produce better use.