Welcome to Personal Protective Equipment Training

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Anyone entering a hazardous area or using hazardous materials or equipment must be protected against those hazards. One way to accomplish this is to use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The purpose of PPE is to shield or isolate individuals from workplace hazards. Hazards may be chemical, physical or biological. Therefore, careful selection and use of appropriate PPE is important to protect the respiratory system, skin, eyes, face, hands, feet, head, body and hearing.

The PPE Program at UNLV sets out procedures for selecting, providing and using PPE as part of an employee's routine job duties. The two basic goals of a PPE program are to (1) protect the worker from safety and health hazards and (2) prevent injury to the worker from incorrect use and malfunction of PPE. At UNLV, the Department of Risk Management and Safety will first assess the workplace to determine if hazards are present, which necessitates the use of PPE.

This training is provided to all workers who require PPE. This course will train when PPE is necessary, what type of PPE is required, how to properly wear PPE, the limitations of PPE, and the proper care of PPE. Specific PPE training and use will be provided in your respective workplace by your supervisor.

Before PPE is used, UNLV will first and foremost identify and implement all feasible engineering and work practice controls to eliminate and reduce hazards. If the machine, work environment or work practice can be physically changed to prevent employee exposure to the potential hazard, then the hazard can be eliminated with an engineering or work practice control. Example of engineering controls include substituting materials, changing processes or local exhaust ventilation. Example of work practice controls include housekeeping, and personal hygiene.

If the above engineering or work practice controls do not offer the correct level of protection, then PPE must be utilized. Remember, PPE is the last level of control.

To continue with this training, please click on Next Page below.

For more information concerning this training, please contact Ben Fausett at 702-895-4861 or email ben.fausett@unlv.edu.

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