Hand and Body Protection Brownfields Safety Talk

Hand Protection

What are some of the hand injuries you need to guard against? Burns Bruises Abrasions Cuts Punctures Fractures Amputations Chemical Exposures

Types of Gloves Norfoil laminate resists permeation and breakthrough by an array of toxic/hazardous chemicals. Butyl provides the highest permeation resistance to gas or water vapors; frequently used for ketones (M.E.K., Acetone) and esters (Amyl Acetate, Ethyl Acetate). The nature of the hazard(s) and the operation to be performed will determine your selection of gloves. The variety of potential hand injuries may make selecting the appropriate pair of gloves more difficult than choosing other protective equipment. Take care to choose gloves designed for the particular circumstances of your workplace. Glove manufacturers can provide valuable assistance.

Types of Gloves (cont’d) Viton is highly resistant to permeation by chlorinated and aromatic solvents. Nitrile provides protection against a wide variety of solvents, harsh chemicals, fats and petroleum products and also provides excellent resistance to cuts, snags, punctures and abrasions.

Types of Gloves (cont’d) Kevlar protects against cuts, slashes, and abrasion. Stainless steel mesh protects against cuts and lacerations.

Body Protection

What are some of the causes of body injuries? Intense heat Splashes of hot metals and other hot liquids Impacts from tools, machinery, and materials Cuts Hazardous chemicals Contact with potentially infectious materials, like blood Radiation

Body Protection Cooling Vest Sleeves and Apron Protective clothing comes in a variety of materials, each suited to particular hazards. Conduct your hazard assessment. Identify the sources of any possible bodily injury. Install any feasible engineering controls, and institute work practice controls to eliminate the hazards. If the possibility of bodily injury still exists, provide protective clothing constructed of material that will protect against the specific hazards in your workplace. Be aware that different materials will protect against different chemical and physical hazards. When chemical or physical hazards are present, check with the clothing manufacturer to make sure that the material selected will provide protection from the specific chemical or physical hazards in your workplace.

Body Protection Full Body Suit Coveralls

Summary Follow your PPE program: Assess the workplace for hazards Use engineering controls and follow safe work practices to eliminate or reduce hazards before using PPE Use the appropriate PPE to protect you from hazards that cannot be eliminated Know why the PPE is necessary and when it must be worn Know how to inspect, use and care for your PPE and how to recognize deterioration and failure Use PPE as required when performing your job tasks