OSHA - Safety Certificate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: According to OSHA 29 CFR 1910.132, what is the first step an employer must take before providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to employees?
- Purchase the least expensive PPE available.
- Require employees to purchase their own PPE.
- Perform a written certification of a workplace hazard assessment. (Correct answer)
- Train employees on how to use various types of PPE.
Correct answer: Perform a written certification of a workplace hazard assessment.
OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.132(d) requires employers to first assess the workplace to determine if hazards are present that necessitate the use of PPE. The employer must then verify that this assessment has been performed through a written certification. This assessment is fundamental to selecting the correct PPE.
Question 2: An employee works in an area with flying debris. They wear their personal prescription eyeglasses for vision correction. Under OSHA's eye protection standard (29 CFR 1910.133), what is the employer's responsibility?
- Ensure the employee's regular prescription glasses are made of shatterproof material.
- Require the employee to work without corrective lenses.
- Inform the employee that they are responsible for their own eye protection.
- Ensure the employee uses protection that incorporates the prescription or fits over the glasses. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Ensure the employee uses protection that incorporates the prescription or fits over the glasses.
OSHA's standard 29 CFR 1910.133(a)(3) states that employers must ensure employees who wear prescription lenses use eye protection that either incorporates the prescription in its design or is designed to be worn over the prescription lenses. Standard prescription eyeglasses are not considered adequate eye protection.
Question 3: An employer provides all required PPE to their employees at no cost. However, an employee loses their company-issued safety gloves. According to OSHA's rules on payment for PPE, what is the employer's obligation for replacement?
- The employer must always replace the lost PPE at no cost.
- The employer is not required to pay for replacement PPE if the employee lost it. (Correct answer)
- The employee must work without gloves until they can afford to replace them.
- The employer must provide a lower quality, less expensive replacement.
Correct answer: The employer is not required to pay for replacement PPE if the employee lost it.
OSHA's standard on payment for protective equipment [29 CFR 1910.132(h)] requires employers to pay for replacement PPE, *except* when the employee has lost or intentionally damaged the PPE.
Question 4: A landscaping company has hired several new workers who will be operating noisy equipment like lawnmowers and leaf blowers, requiring the use of hearing protection. Which of the following is NOT a required topic for the employer to cover in PPE training for these employees?
- How to properly fit and wear the earplugs/earmuffs.
- The limitations of the hearing protection.
- The specific decibel reduction rating of each brand of equipment. (Correct answer)
- The proper care, maintenance, and disposal of the hearing protection.
Correct answer: The specific decibel reduction rating of each brand of equipment.
According to OSHA 29 CFR 1910.132(f), employee training must cover when PPE is necessary, what PPE is necessary, how to properly use it, the limitations of the PPE, and its proper care and maintenance. While understanding that the PPE is adequate for the noise level is important, training on the specific decibel rating of every brand is not a mandated training element, but rather part of the employer's hazard assessment and PPE selection process.
Question 5: Under OSHA's general requirements for Personal Protective Equipment [29 CFR 1910.132(a)], PPE should be used to protect employees when:
- It is the cheapest method of hazard control.
- Engineering and administrative controls are not feasible or do not provide sufficient protection. (Correct answer)
- Employees request it, regardless of the presence of a hazard.
- It is the first line of defense against all workplace hazards.
Correct answer: Engineering and administrative controls are not feasible or do not provide sufficient protection.
OSHA's regulations and the hierarchy of controls establish that PPE is to be used after engineering and administrative controls have been considered and implemented but are not feasible or sufficient to eliminate the hazard. PPE is considered the last line of defense, not the first.
Question 6: An employer is required to provide foot protection to an employee working with heavy materials that could roll onto their feet. According to OSHA 29 CFR 1910.136, the selected protective footwear must comply with which of the following?
- A specific brand list published by OSHA.
- Any nationally recognized consensus standard, such as those from ASTM. (Correct answer)
- The employee's personal preference for comfort and style.
- The employer's own internal testing and certification.
Correct answer: Any nationally recognized consensus standard, such as those from ASTM.
OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.136 specifies that protective footwear must comply with national consensus standards, such as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) F2412 and F2413 standards. OSHA does not publish brand-specific lists or allow for internal certification in lieu of these standards.
OSHA - Safety Certificate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Questions and Answers 1
According to OSHA 29 CFR 1910.132, what is the first step an employer must take before providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to employees?