High Visibility Gear: There are two categories for high visibility vests: 1 Personal Protective Equipment for Truck Drivers Workers exposed to vehicles moving in excess of 30kms (20 miles) an hour. Must use either Type 1 or Type 2. Type 1: Vest, shirt or other similar garment worn on the torso with a fluorescent background and attached VE trim. Background must be fluorescent lime yellow, fluorescent yellow, or fluorescent orange colored. The minimum vertical length for both front and back of the garment is 0.61 meters (24 inches). The minimum background area for either the front or the back of the garment is 0.13 square meters (200 square inches). The fluorescent portion of the VE trim for either the front or the back of the garment must have a minimum area of 0.05 square meters (80 square inches). Type 2: Jacket, coat, coverall or other garment with a bright colored background and attached VE trim. The background of the garment must be either fluorescent lime yellow, fluorescent yellow, bright yellow, fluorescent orange, bright orange or bright red. The minimum vertical length for both front and back of the garment is 0.61 meters (24 inches). The minimum background area for either the front or the back of the garment is 0.258 square meters (400 square inches). 2 The fluorescent portion of the VE trim for either the front or the back of the garment must have a minimum area of 0.05 square meters (80 square inches). Workers exposed to mobile equipment in the yard. Must use high visibility gear at least meeting Type 3 criteria. Type 3: A harness type garment worn on the torso, fabricated from parallel strips of contrasting colors. The harness has fluorescent and retroreflective properties. The garment background must be fluorescent lime yellow, fluorescent yellow, or fluorescent orange colored. The minimum background area for either the front or the back of the garment is 0.064 square meters (100 square inches). The minimum vertical length for both front and back of the garment is 0.51 meters (20 inches). The fluorescent portion of the VE trim for either the front or the back of the garment must have a minimum area of 0.064 square meters (100 square inches). The garment must be designed so that there is color contrast along the entire length of at least one side of the VE trim.
General Information: VE Trim: Visibility enhancing trim attached to the garment. The trim has fluorescent and retroreflective properties. cannot be open weave construction; must have a smooth flat exterior finish must be visible on the side of the garment when worn must be a minimum of 77 square centimeters (12 square inches) of VE trim within a defined area below the arm hole (consists of a 152 mm (6 inch) wide vertical strip centered about the center line of the arm hole) { In lieu of side VE trim, a band of 50 mm (2 inches) wide VE trim may be placed around the sleeve at the wrist or upper arm area of the garment. must form one vertical stripe on either side on the front of the garment and an X pattern on the back of the garment must be at least 50 mm (2 inches) wide must be made from either combined performance material that exhibits both fluorescent and retroreflective properties OR separate fluorescent and retroreflective materials fluorescent portion of the trim must be fluorescent lime yellow if the background color is fluorescent orange, orange or red and must be fluorescent orange if the background color is fluorescent lime yellow, fluorescent yellow or bright yellow. retroreflective portion of the VE trim must be continuous along the entire length of the trim and have a minimum Coefficient of Retroreflection = 240 divided by the width in inches of the retroreflective portion of the VE trim.( e.g. if the width of the retroreflective portion is 1/2 inch, the minimum Coefficient of Retroreflection is 480) must be worn outside all other clothing and be fully fastened closed (as this completed the VE trim stripping requirements). if it may be caught in moving equipment or stationary objects, it must have tear away properties, such as Velcro fastening strips. If the driver is in high heat, fire-risk or explosion-risk environments there are specialized requirements in the standard. If background material is open weave the open dimension cannot exceed 3.2mm (1/8 inch) Regulations: OHSR 8.24 WCB Standard of Personal Protective Equipment Standard 2-1997, High Visibility Garment Stand Out Safely Poster (2 page poster on high vis) Steel Toe Boots: Determine what are the hazards to be considered, such as slipping, tripping, uneven train, abrasion, ankle and foot protection, MSI risk, crushing, temperature extremes and weather, corrosive substances, puncture, electrical shock and any other recognizable hazard. OHSR 8.23 requires that if a workplace has a slippery surface, appropriate non-slip footwear be worn. Determine what protection (toe, metatarsal puncture resistant soles, dielectric protection) the footwear requires. Worker must wear the appropriate footwear for the assessed risk and protections required ensuring that it is in a condition to provide the required protection. Sole plate puncture protection is only available in CSA certified footwear in combination with toe protection. All sole plates are designed to withstand the same puncture force. The colour of the external triangular patch varies only with the grade of toe protection.
External strap-on or glue-on safety toecaps do not meet any recognized safety standard and should not be used as an alternative to recognized safety footwear or as a substitute for metatarsal protection. Metatarsal protectors should be an integral part of the footwear. Metatarsal protectors that only attach to the laces or are only strapped in place do not meet the CSA Standard Z195. Slip-on rubber type footwear with integral safety toecaps, which slip on over existing footwear, and have evidence of independent testing proving that they meet the impact criteria of CSA Standard Z195, may be used. If the possibility of ankle cuts or abrasion exists, the footwear should be at least 13 cm (about 5 inches) high. The height is the measurement from the top of the sole at the arch to the top of the upper. For walking on uneven surfaces, footwear should provide adequate ankle support and be worn tight fitting around the ankle. Appropriate footwear would generally be lace-up boots. Cowboy style and rubber boots would not provide sufficient ankle support on uneven surfaces. Lace-up style 20 cm (8 inch) leather-upper winter boots generally provide sufficient ankle support on uneven surfaces. Athletic shoes are acceptable for occupational use provided the style and construction provides protection from the hazards to which the worker will be exposed. Regulations: OHSR 8.22 & 8.23 Cited standards in the regulation (must be compliant with one of these): CSA Standard CAN/CSA-Z195-M92, Protective Footwear ANSI Standard Z41-1991, American National Standard for Personal Protection - Protective Footwear British Safety Institution Standard BS EN 345:1993 Specification for Safety Footwear for Professional British Safety Institution Standard BS EN 346:1993 Specification for Protective Footwear for Professional Use. Grades of safety footwear: The levels of footwear certified by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) as meeting CAN/CSA Z195-M92 are set out in the following table. Grade 1 2 3 Internal CSA label colour denoting only grade of toe protection Green Yellow Red External triangular CSA patch colour denoting sole plate puncture protection with toe protection External rectangular patch colour with Greek letter omega (Ω) in orange denoting only electrical shock resistant soles Green Yellow Red White White White External rectangular patch colour with green "SD" notation and an electrical grounding symbol, denoting static dissipate footwear Fluorescent Yellow Fluorescent Yellow Fluorescent Yellow Protective Toecap Impact Resistance, joules (ft*lb) 125 (93) 90 (65) 60 (45) The degree of protection to the toe based on the table above is approximately as follows: Grade 1 - Dropping a 30 pound weight from 3 feet onto toe Grade 2 - Dropping a 20 pound weight from 3 feet onto toe Grade 3 - Dropping a 15 pound weight from 3 feet onto toe The following American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and British Standards Institution (BSI) Standard Impact and Compression classification combinations are acceptable substitutes for the named CSA Grades: CSA Grade Equivalent ANSI Classifications Equivalent BSI Designations 1 I/75 combined with C/751 Safety General, Heavy Duty, or Clog; Safety Footwear with toe impact energy protection levels of either 120 joules, 160 joules, or 200 joules (88, 118, or 148 ft. lb)
CSA Grade Equivalent ANSI Classifications Equivalent BSI Designations 2 I/50 or higher, combined with C/50 or higher2 3 I/30 or higher, combined with C/30 or higher3 Protective Footwear with toe impact energy protection levels of 80 joules (59 ft. lb.) Protective Footwear with toe impact energy protection levels of 40 joules (30 ft. lb) Gloves: OHSR 8.2(b) which states that a worker is responsible for providing general purpose work gloves. There s really no information on this item but I do think it should be included with a brief note. As gloves protect: 1) against the elements (cold temperatures, snow, ice) and 2) protect the hands when using equipment to secure loads, adjust equipment and when material handling. Hard Hats: Safety headgear must be worn by a worker in any work area where there is a danger of head injury from falling, flying or thrown objects or other harmful contacts. Chin straps or other effective means of retention must be used on safety headgear when workers are climbing or working from a height exceeding 3 m (10 ft), or are exposed to high winds or other conditions that may cause loss of the headgear. Damaged headgear or headgear with missing, mismatched, or modified components must be removed from service. It is recommended not to put stickers or draw on hard hats. Stickers, drawings or items can cover up damage to the hard hat. Also, there is concern that some adhesives could compromise the structural integrity of the hard hat. This does not apply to retroflective stripping that can be placed on hard hats to increase worker visibility. The CSA Standard classifies safety headgear into two acceptable types: Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1: provides protection from impacts and sharp objects from above. Type 2: provides protection from impacts and sharp objects from above and the sides. Must be Class G (General Usage). For general use there is no colour restrictions. There is for traffic control. Regulations: OHSR 8.11 Cited standards in the regulation (must be compliant with one of these): CSA Standard CAN/CSA-Z94.0-92, Industrial Protective Headwear ANSI Standard Z89.1-1986, American National Standard for Personnel Protection - Protective Headwear for Industrial Workers Requirement Japanese Industrial Standard JIS T8131-1990, Industrial Safety Helmets, for Class AB or ABE headgear.
Safety Glasses: A worker must wear properly fitting safety eyewear appropriate to the conditions of the workplace if handling or exposed to materials which are likely to injure or irritate the eyes. If a worker has 20/200 or less vision in either eye, or is blind in either eye they must wear properly fitting safety eyewear. Regulation for general eye protection does not cite a specific standard. Prescription eyewear must be compliant with CSA Standard CAN/CSA-Z194.3-92, Industrial Eye and Face Protectors. CSA approved would be recommnended. Regulations: OHSR 8.14 www.worksafebc.com/en/resources/health-safety/toolbox-meeting-guides/eye-and-face-protection?lang=en (info on eyewear and face wear) www.worksafebc.com/en/resources/health-safety/articles/choosing-and-using-prescription-safety-eyewear?lang=en (info on prescription eyewear) Hearing Protection: Workers in areas where noise exposure limits exceed allowable limits, employers must provide hearing protection meeting the requirements of CSA Standard Z94.2-02 Hearing Protection Devices Performance, Selection, Care and Use. Workers in a posted noise hazard area must wear hearing protection. The CSA has two tables that are to be used together in selecting hearing protection. The first table provides information on the recommended class or grade of protector for the worker s noise exposure. The higher the class (A vs. B) or grade (2 vs. 3) the more protection it offers the worker. The second table provides guidance on protection outcomes to prevent overprotection. Overprotection is undesirable as it may prevent the worker from hearing audible warning signals, communicating with coworkers, changes in machinery or processes which can signal a problem and may promote workers to yell at one another. Where one- or two-way radio communication is required, a commercially manufactured hearing protection device with builtin speakers and/or microphone should be supplied. There is an entire section in the 2002 CSA standard devoted to specialized hearing protection. Regulations: OHSR Section 7, Division 1 is about noise exposure OHSR 7.7 specifically about hearing protection www.worksafebc.com/en/resources/health-safety/signs/when-you-use-ear-plugs?lang=en www.worksafebc.com/en/resources/health-safety/toolbox-meeting-guides/hearing-protection?lang=en www.worksafebc.com/en/resources/health-safety/books-guides/hear-for-good-preventing-noise-exposure-at-work?lang=en www.worksafebc.com/en/resources/health-safety/books-guides/sound-advice-a-guide-to-hearing-conservationprograms?lang=en General Content: Required: Steel Toes recommend 6 ankle height, lace up with a green CSA tag High Viz should be type 1 or 2, preferably tear away (open to debate) Hard Hats CSA Class G either Type 1 or 2. This is the most common PPE and often a requirement of worksites that drivers are picking up from/delivering to.
Situational: Gloves pretty standard in the industry but no specific regulations on type. Safety Glasses depends on work being performed (and load type); should also consider Tint (protection from sunlight and glare) Hearing Protection depends on work being performed and location of loading/unloading. Some drivers do have difficult with road noise when driving but protection must be compliant with motor vehicle laws and allow for driver to hear sirens. All of this PPE can be helpful in reducing injury types. Some worksites require this PPE for before site access is granted. Specialized: Clothing: Fall protection equipment may be required. This is specialized equipment with an entire section in the regulations (OHSR Section 11). This would require its own resource. If space suggest addressing basic clothing. Drivers often wear shorts in the summer (or all year) and this puts them at risk as it is easier to cut the leg with no pant leg for coverage. If they fall, there leg is more exposed. Clothing also protects from the elements (ex. rain gear).