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  • PPE and Safety for Chemical Handling
    Jul 14, 2020 | ACS MATERIAL LLC

    The 2020 COVID-19 crisis has created a global conversation about personal protective equipment, commonly known as PPE. Individuals who have never given PPE a single thought are now freely discussing the differences between standard masks and certified N95 masks and their respective abilities to protect against infection. While PPE is, for the vast majority of people, a new topic, for laboratory workers, having the right PPE has been at the forefront of lab safety for years. Advanced chemical research, especially research involving nanomaterials, requires careful attention to the latest accepted best practices for lab safety including the use of PPE. PPE must be on every researcher’s critical list of lab supplies. The purpose of this article is to define PPE, review its proper use, and discuss how PPE fits into lab safety protocols.

    Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Defined

    PPE is protective gear designed to protect the wearer from injury or other harm. Examples of PPE include the following:

    • Helmets
    • Goggles
    • Gloves
    • Masks
    • Safety glasses
    • Guards
    • Shields
    • Lab coats
    • Safety shoes
    • Earplugs
    • Hard hats
    • Coveralls
    • Respirators
    • Full body suits

    The purpose of all PPE is to protect the wearer from workplace hazards including heat, chemicals, electricity, various biohazards, and airborne particulates. PPE varies from industry; PPE for chemical handling is designed to  address the risks associated with working with chemicals while PPE for biohazards is designed to reduce biohazard contamination.

    PPE in the Lab

    Proper Use of PPE

    The basics of PPE are simple: PPE creates a barrier between the wearer and the working environment. To be effective, PPE must provide an actual, functional barrier without creating significant discomfort or interfering with the wearer’s ability to function. If significant discomfort or impaired function are present, workers become discouraged about wearing PPE correctly, thus placing them at risk for illness or injury.

    To ensure that PPE is used diligently and correctly, it’s important to consider the following:

    • Safety. Effective PPE is designed and constructed to provide protection against known hazards. To keep your lab workers safe, you must provide PPE designed specifically for the threats at hand. For example, if nanoparticles are present in your lab, face masks designed to protect against respiration of nanoparticles are required.
    • Design. Good ergonomic design minimizes the awkwardness of PPE and ensures that workers are able to perform necessary functions comfortably while wearing PPE.
    • Fit. PPE that fits poorly also functions poorly.
    • Training. Workers are more compliant with wearing PPE if they are carefully taught why the PPE is necessary, how to use the PPE, and how to care for their PPE. PPE is, by its very nature, personal; workers must be involved in their own protection.

    PPE’s Place in the Lab

    PPE is only one part of comprehensive lab safety protocols. Lab safety begins with engineering and administrative safety controls designed to reduce risks. Once risks have been reduced, PPE is used to protect against the hazards that remain. PPE does not eliminate any hazards; it only provides additional protection beyond other safety measures.

    Broad Safety Practices

    1. Conduct a thorough risk assessment.
    2. Implement engineering controls. Use work flows, ventilators, filters, and other techniques to manage risk.
    3. Implement administrative controls. Spill cleanup procedures, storage guidelines, decontamination protocols, proper disposal practices, and even proper labeling standards are all examples of administrative controls that reduce risk.
    4. Add personal protective equipment. Set specific guidelines for clothing and protective gear to be worn in the lab and when working with specific materials.

    ACS Material and PPE

    ACS Material is at the forefront of advanced chemical and nanomaterial research; we are committed to providing superior products and to keeping our customers safe. Whether you’re purchasing CVD graphene powder, cutting edge molecular sieves, or graphene quantum dots, we provide extensive safety information via our safety data sheets. Our team is also available to answer any of your safety-related questions on the phone or in a live online chat. We also carry a range of PPE including KN95 masks, Disposable face mask, Nitrile Powder free gloves, Vinyl Powder free gloves, safety googles, face shield, hand sanitizer etc.. Keep your lab supplied with ACS Material today.