Personal protective equipment (PPE) is used to protect workers from injury related to contact with chemical, radiological, physical, electrical, mechanical, or other workplace hazards. There is a multitude of requirements that vary from industry to industry and the type of material being handled. Plus there are different standards of care set out by OSHA, The American National Standards Institute, Inc. (ANSI), ASTM International (ASTM), among others.
Safety and legal responsibilities for identifying hazards, establishing and maintaining mitigation protocols within the scopes of work fall on both management and employees to ensure the safety of employees and the general public. These protocols are a dynamic system that is part of the daily operations of the business including feedback loops, training and constant commination between management and employees. The attitude of management should not be a “check the box" minimum legal and safety requirement satisfaction goal.