Equipment such as hardhats, respirators or safety gloves might someday be all that stands between a worker and serious injury. The correct PPE, the training to use it and a comprehensive safety program are each components of personal protective equipment implementation as laid out in a 40 hour HAZWOPER program.

The Right Equipment

The first step is to choose the proper PPE for the worker and the job. OSHA has minimum requirements for PPE that must be met and these guidelines are laid out in 40 hour HAZWOPER training. For example the equipment must be durable, capable of being disinfected and be marked only to identify the manufacturer. Equipment that doesn't meet OSHA specifications should not be used.

The PPE should be appropriate to the job. Issuing dust masks to employees who need full respirators is not an appropriate response. If a job requires respirators, then that is the equipment that should be used. PPE should be issued with a worst case viewpoint. It's not about the incident that will happen; it's about the incident that might happen.

The Right Training

Employees must be properly trained in the use of the PPE. A 40-hour HAZWOPER course is part of this training but doesn't take the place of hands on sessions with equipment on the job site. Some employers are under the mistaken impression that face to face 40 hour HAZWOPER training is better than online training because they don't need a hands-on session when the employee returns to work, but OSHA guidelines say workers must train with the actual equipment they will use not just the equipment used in a course. This is a site-specific training requirement -  using the actual equipment an employee will be using in their job.

Site-specific training drills ensure that workers know how to put on, use and take off the equipment. It verifies that equipment is fitted correctly and all seals are intact. Training should also include proper maintenance of the PPE, including a regular program of inspection and replacement.

The Right Program

PPE is one component in an array of tools designed to keep workers safe. The 40-hour HAZWOPER course is only a piece of a comprehensive safety plan that includes engineering controls, manufacturing practices, passive protection and more. PPE is an important element in the program but should be the defense of last resort in case of contamination or accident.

Companies with carefully designed safety programs have fewer incidents every year. This translates to improved productivity and employee morale, not to mention better worker safety. HAZWOPER doesn't exist by itself. It is a program with specific requirements and responses for hazardous waste handling, but depends on companies to use common sense when it comes to safety. Anything from ice on the sidewalk to fuses in an electrical panel could lead to disaster even if not part of the 40-hour HAZWOPER domain.