Personal Protective Equipment

 

Chapter 7

HEALTH & SAFETY
 Section: 7:600

Personal Protective Equipment

ADOPTED:                             03/1999

REVISED:                                12/20/2021

RESPONSIBLE OFFICE:         MU Environmental Health & Safety

 

POLICY STATEMENT

The University of Missouri (MU) is responsible for developing and implementing programs and policies to ensure that MU is in compliance with all applicable environmental health and safety regulations and provides a safe work environment for faculty, staff, students, and visitors as outlined in the Collected Rules & Regulations.

Protective equipment, including personal protective equipment for eyes, face, head, and extremities, protective clothing, respiratory devices, and protective shields and barriers, shall be provided, used, and maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition wherever it is necessary by reason of hazards of processes or environment, biological hazards, chemical hazards, radiological hazards, or mechanical irritants/hazards encountered in a manner capable of causing injury or impairment in the function of any part of the body through absorption, inhalation or physical contact.

DEFINITIONS

  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Equipment worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause serious workplace injuries and illnesses. These injuries and illnesses may result from contact with biological, chemical, radiological, physical, electrical, mechanical, or other workplace hazards. Personal protective equipment may include items such as gloves, safety glasses/goggles, shoes, earplugs or muffs, hard hats, respirators, coveralls, lab coats, vests, and/or full body suits.

RESPONSIBILITIES

MU ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY RESPONSIBILITY

It is the responsibility of EHS to develop/update PPE policies and guidance on Hazard Evaluation, PPE Selection, and Training, as well as to provide the following:

  • Statutory Compliance. Develop programs and policies to ensure that MU is in compliance with all laws and applicable regulations; to ensure the health and safety of its students, faculty and staff; and to ensure the proper use, storage, and disposal of biological, chemical, radioactive materials, and any other hazardous materials.
  • Training & Documentation. Provide faculty, staff, and students with the relevant rules, the necessary training, and the appropriate resources to comply with standards and regulations, to maintain an appropriately safe work environment, and to maintain appropriate documentation that standards and regulations are being met.

STUDENT, FACULTY, STAFF, AND VISITOR RESPONSIBILITY

  • Comply with Rules and Regulations. Faculty, staff and students at the University of Missouri have the responsibility and obligation to act in accordance with all applicable federal and state regulations.
    • It is the responsibility of individual faculty, staff, and students to be informed of applicable rules and regulations and to comply with these rules and regulations. Failure to comply with these rules and regulations constitutes possible grounds for dismissal of students and termination for cause of faculty and staff.
    • In unusual situations where the University is exempt from regulatory jurisdiction due to its status as a government entity, faculty, staff, and students still have an obligation for knowledge of the risk and meeting the intent of the regulations.
    • It is also the responsibility of individual faculty, staff and students having actual knowledge that the actions of visitors are in violation of applicable rules and regulations to inform the visitor(s) of that known fact and to take reasonable steps in an effort to stop such action.
  • Deans / Directors / Department Heads and their Designees. Responsible for site-specific:
    • Hazard Evaluation & Communication. Assess the campus environments, activities, and potential exposures to determine if hazards are present, or are likely to be present, which necessitate the use of PPE. Ensure faculty, staff, students, and visitors are aware of hazardous materials, conditions or processes in the work environment.
    • PPE Selection & Training. Select, and have each affected individual use, the types of PPE that will protect the affected individual from the hazards identified in the hazard assessment.  Communicate and enforce minimum PPE standards, schedule PPE training with EHS as needed, provide required site-specific PPE training, and provide PPE to faculty, staff, students, and visitors.

RESOURCES

For additional information about any safety or health related policy or guideline, refer to the EHS web site or contact us at ehs@umsystem.edu / (573) 882-7018.