PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT PROGRAM INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PAGE: 1 DEPARTMENT: ALL OF: 5

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1 INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PAGE: OBJECTIVE The Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements for personal protective equipment (PPE) are presented in 29 CFR General Requirements; 29 CFR Eye and Face Protection; 29 CFR Hearing Protection; 29 CFR Head Protection; 29 CFR Foot Protection and 29 CFR Hand Protection The purpose of this procedure is to protect employees and visitor at CARY INSTITUTE OF ECOSYSTEM STUDIES from hazards associated in their work environment by the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Engineering controls that eliminate the hazards at the source and do not rely on employee s behavior for effectiveness should be implemented. They will offer the best and most reliable means of protection. Whenever engineering controls are not feasible or are not fully capable of providing protection, employees must wear personal protective equipment. 2.0 SCOPE The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires PPE to be provided, used and maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition whenever hazards of process or environment, chemical hazards, radiological hazards, or mechanical hazards are encountered in a manner capable of causing injury or illness through absorption, inhalation or physical contact. COMPLIANCE It is the responsibility of CARY INSTITUTE OF ECOSYSTEM STUDIES Management and Supervision to ensure all employees comply with the requirements set forth in this procedure. Failure to comply with the contents of this procedure may result in disciplinary action. 3.0 HAZARD ASSESSMENT AND EQUIPMENT SELECTION (Appendix A) The Safety Officer will assess the workplace environment to identify hazards that require the use of PPE. PPE should be selected to provide protection against the hazards identified during the assessment. The hazard assessment must be certified in writing and approved by the Safety Officer (Appendix A Hazard Assessment Spreadsheet).

2 INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PAGE: DEFINITIONS Head Protection - A protective helmet (hard hat) will be worn when working in areas where there is the potential for injury from falling objects, contact with a fixed object, or exposed energized electrical conductors that could contact the head. Eye and Face Protection - Appropriate eye and face protection, such as safety glasses, goggles, and face shields, will be used to protect against the hazards associated with flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, biohazards, acids and caustic liquids, chemical gases and vapors, or light radiation. Hand Protection - Hand protection will be worn to protect against the hazards of skin absorption of harmful substances, severe cuts or lacerations, severe abrasions, punctures, chemical burns, biohazards, or hot and cold temperature extremes. Foot Protection - Protective footwear must be worn where there is the potential for foot injuries from falling or rolling objects, from objects piercing the sole, or from exposed energized electrical conductors that could contact the feet. Also, wearing shoes that completely cover the foot is required when working in CARY INSTITUTE OF ECOSYSTEM STUDIES laboratories. Hearing Conservation - Continued exposure to noise of sufficient intensity can result in permanent hearing impairment. If an individual must shout to communicate with another close by because of noise, it is likely that the level of this noise is of sufficient amplitude to cause a temporary or permanent hearing loss (threshold shift). For exposures of 85 (decibels) dba or greater, controls must be instituted to lower the noise levels to below 85 dba TWA (time weighted average) for an eight-hour day. If controls cannot be instituted to accomplish this reduction, hearing protection must be worn which will reduce the exposures to an acceptable level until the noise can be reduced. If an employee feels that an area/task is loud, they will contact their Supervisor. The Supervisor will make the initial determination by observation. The Safety Officer will be contacted and a noise level meter will be used to determine the noise level of the particular tasks. Respiratory Protection - Respiratory Protection may be used to protect against inhalation hazards when engineering and administrative controls are not feasible or adequate. (Refer to the Respiratory Protection Program for further information). Body Protection (extremities)- There may be occasions when full body coverage is required. Disposable coveralls and booties (shoe covers) along with respirators and gloves may be required to prevent exposure to other parts of the body (e.g., legs, arms, back, chest) from heat, splashes from hot metals and liquids, impacts, cuts, chemicals and radiation.

3 INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PAGE: ROLES AND RESPONSIBLITIES Supervisors Select PPE appropriate to the hazards identified during the assessment. Monitor PPE use by departmental personnel and counsel employees who are not in compliance Establish department procedure for non-compliance of PPE Policy Reassess the workplace hazard situation as necessary, by identifying and evaluating new equipment and processes. Ensure employees understand training on PPE. Ensure employees use PPE when required. Safety Officer Approve all PPE used at the institution Provide training Conduct, review and/or approve all workplace hazard assessment. Provide assistance and recommendations in PPE selection. Establish procedures for replacing worn or damaged PPE. Reassess the workplace hazard situation as necessary, by identifying and evaluating new equipment and processes, reviewing accident records, and reevaluating the suitability of previously selected PPE. Conduct visual observations of the PPE Program compliance. Report to Management/Supervision any non-compliance noted during the observation. Conduct the annual audit, report findings to the President of CARY INSTITUTE OF ECOSYSTEM STUDIES. Individual Employees Attend training. Use PPE when necessary. Maintain PPE in a clean environment when not in use. Replace worn or broken PPE. Direct questions concerning the PPE Program to their supervisor.

4 INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PAGE: GENERAL CARY INSTITUTE OF ECOSYSTEM STUDIES will provide training, including retraining where appropriate to each employee who is required to wear PPE. All new employees will be trained upon entering the institute via online training and/or workshop within the first 30 days of employment. All employees not immediately assigned to CARY INSTITUTE OF ECOSYSTEM STUDIES Millbrook location will complete the training modules on the CARY INSTITUTE OF ECOSYSTEM STUDIES intranet. In order to determine if the PPE training program objectives have been met, CARY INSTITUTE OF ECOSYSTEM STUDIES employees will be given a quiz following the instruction and a hands-on demonstration by the Safety Officer or the immediate Supervisor when available. 7.0 TRAINING Training for the care, maintenance, and donning of PPE will be the responsibility of each individual. All training records will be entered into the system wide training database. Each employee required to use PPE will receive training in the following areas: How to obtain approved PPE. How to properly wear PPE. The types of PPE protection provided Limitations of PPE. When PPE must be used, and the proper care and useful life of PPE. Proper handling of damaged PPE. Determining Employee Understanding Each employee must demonstrate an understanding of the training elements before being allowed to perform work requiring the use of personal protective equipment. Acceptable methods of determining employee understanding include: Orally questioning the employee. Observing the employee using the personal protective equipment in a training session or actual work setting. Administering a written test

5 INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PAGE: RETRAINING An employee must be retrained when there has been: A change in the workplace, such as new equipment or processes, which render the previous training obsolete. A change in the type of personal protective equipment being used, requiring additional training. The written test or oral questioning indicates inadequate employee knowledge. The use of assigned personal protective equipment indicates the employee has not retained understanding or skill. Refresher retraining will be conducted annually via the intranet. 9.0 COMPLIANCE Internal on-going observations will be made be the immediate Supervisor to determine employee compliance. When discrepancies in the program are observed the employee will be counseled immediately. Unannounced periodic documented reviews and an annual audit of the program will be conducted by the Safety Officer to determine if the 90% compliance performance indicator has been met REPLACEMENT OF PPE CARY INSTITUTE OF ECOSYSTEM STUDIES provided items that are damaged/lost or worn out in the course of their use will be replaced by CARY INSTITUTE OF ECOSYSTEM STUDIES PPE PURCHASED BY INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEES PPE purchased by individuals and brought on to the CARY INSTITUTE OF ECOSYSTEM STUDIES campus are not authorized nor sanctioned by the Cary Institute or the Safety Officer. PPE purchased by individual employees will not be replaced and or maintained by CARY INSTITUTE OF ECOSYSTEM STUDIES. Should an individual feel the need to purchase their own PPE they must first speak with their Supervisor and the Safety Officer.