Personal Protective Equipment
The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) by healthcare workers helps to reduce exposure to potential hazards in the workplace.
Employer Responsibilities
Your employer is required to perform an assessment to look for potential hazards in the workplace and act to reduce or eliminate them. One of the ways employers can do this is through the Job Hazard Analysis and the safety inspection. When engineering, work practice, and administrative controls are not feasible or do not provide sufficient protection, employers must provide PPE to their workers and ensure its proper use.
PPE Program
If PPE is to be used, a PPE program should be implemented. This program should address the following:
- hazards present
- the selection, maintenance, and the use of PPE
- training of employees
- monitoring of the program to ensure its ongoing effectiveness
There are many ways healthcare workers can effectively use PPE to protect themselves from hazards. The employer must provide all required PPE to employees including:
- protection for the eyes, face, head, and extremities
- protective clothing
- respiratory devices
- protective shields and barriers
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
1-1. Who is responsible to conduct a workplace assessment for potential hazards that may require PPE?
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