Technician
PPE Guide
In the hierarchy of risk control, PPE is considered to rank lowest and
represent the option of last resort. It is only appropriate where the hazard in
question cannot be totally removed or controlled in such a way that harm is unlikely
(for example by isolating the hazard or reducing the risk at source to an
acceptable level).
Technicians encounter multiple hazards when running wires
and installing security devices. Wearing personal protective equipment, or
PPE, helps protect against these hazards and mitigate the chance and severity
of injuries. Enforcing a strict PPE policy helps lessen worker's compensation
liability for employers and limits time lost to on-the-job injuries. In
this guide, we find PPE devices usage, including
· Codes and standards
· Eye protection
· Hearing protection
· Head protection
· Breathing protection
· Boots / Safety footwear
· Gloves
· PPE policies 
Codes
and Standards:
Most
countries have codes and standards that regulate workplace safety. Local
regulations should be treated as a minimum standard to be achieved. In the
absence of guidance from government standards, common sense and caution should
be your guide.
For
example, in the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) governs all aspects of workplace safety, including the
use of PPE. In India there are two acts containing the main provisions for
legal measures for the protection of health and safety of workers; they
are the Factories Act (1948) and the Mines Act (1952). All codes are available
online to facilitate compliance. Many national and local governments have
similar agencies. Employers should always ensure that they adhere to local
regulations at a minimum in order to avoid downtime due to workplace injuries,
fines, and lawsuits.
In the US,
the code source governing workplace safety is 29 CFR 1910. The part of the
code mandating and defining PPE standards for the construction industry,
including security technicians working on construction sites, is 1910:12.
Eye
Protection:
Eye protection
protects against impacts, debris, UV radiation, and glare. Ordinary sunglasses
can help protect against glare and UV radiation, while prescription eyeglasses
protect against impact, but safety glasses are designed to protect
against all hazards. In the US, eye protection must meet or exceed ANSI
Z87.1 standards. The European standard DIN EN 166 describes all personal eye
protection requirements. BS 7028 (Guide to Selection of Eye Protection for
Industrial and Other Uses) and BS EN 166 (Specification for Eye Protectors). Bureau
of Indian Standards (BIS) IS 1179 for all personal eye
protection requirements. Safety glasses that are compliant with this
standard are marked with Z87 or Z87+, along with the letter U followed by a
number to indicate the level of UV
protection. Glasses that are not marked as being Z87.1 compliant may not be any
safer or protective than ordinary sunglasses.
Safety
glasses for security technicians should always be scratch-resistant, as
the most common eye hazard they encounter is flying debris. Scratches from
flying debris caused by drilling will lower the optical quality of the glasses,
making it difficult to see clearly. Many technicians prefer safety glasses with
anti-fog coating, as they tend to fog up in warm weather.
In order
to be protected from flying debris, safety glasses with side protection
are recommended. Flexible temples allow the glasses to fit close to the face
without being tight or uncomfortable.
Safety
glass lenses come in a variety of colors and tints. However, it should be noted
some job sites or companies may prohibit tinted lenses, although they may
otherwise be rated for safe use.
Common
lens color options include:
·
Yellow/amber
lenses improve brightness and depth perception, and are good for environments
with poor lighting such as basements and crawlspaces.
· Grey
lenses prevent light from entering and are good for bright environments
·
Brown
and rose lenses filter almost as much light as grey lenses, but enhance
contrast, so the user does not have to change glasses when switching from
indoor to outdoor work.
·
Clear
lenses allow the user to perceive colors accurately and are good for telecom
workers who need to differentiate between wire-pair colors.
Technicians
who wear prescription glasses can wear OTG (over the glasses) style safety
glasses. These resemble goggles, and fit over ordinary vision correction
glasses, which do not offer debris protection. Custom made prescription safety
glasses are also available, which allows technicians to switch from their
ordinary glasses to glasses that allow them to see while still offering all the
features of standard safety glasses. Many technicians prefer these for all-day
use, while supervisors and others who require occasional eye protection
prefer OTG glasses.
Anti-fog,
scratch resistant safety glasses common brands include 3M, Bollé, Jackson
Safety, Dewalt, Radians, Uvex, and SAS Safety Corp.
OTG safety
glasses with anti-scratch coating common brands include 3M, Uvex, Jackson
Safety, and Honeywell.
Prescription
safety glasses with anti-scratch and anti-fog coating are often ~$250 and can
be custom ordered from websites such as RXSafety and SafeVision.
Hearing Protection:
OSHA recommends less than 85dB to avoid hearing damage. If a person must
shout to be heard from 2-3 feet away, the background noise level is over 85dB.
A typical metal cutting wheel, for example, is 95+dB.
The relevant standard for the ear protectors is BS EN 352 Part 1. Because
many technicians only require hearing protection temporarily, while running
power tools, they often prefer disposable ear plugs. These are compressed and
then inserted into the ear. They then expand to fill the entire ear canal.
These can be uncomfortable when worn for an entire day, but many technicians
only wear ear protection when necessary. Comfortable ear protection, such as
earmuff style protectors that either go over the head or clip onto a hard hat,
should be offered when the technician will be exposed to noise over 85dB
for an entire 8 hour shift.
Hearing protection filters out safety instructions and warnings from
coworkers as well as unwanted ambient noise. Therefore, while using hearing
protection, users must remain alert and conscious of any hazards around
them. Some technicians use a buddy system, with one technician cutting metal or
drilling a hole, and a helper looking out for danger, ready to warn the first
technician by laying a hand on their shoulder or back.
Disposable earplugs common brands include 3M, Magid, Honeywell,
Howard Leight, and Radian. Overhead style earmuffs common brands
include 3M, Howard Leight, Honeywell, and Peltor.
Head
Protection:
Helmets,
also known as hard hats, offer voltage, impact, and penetration
protection. Hard hats should be worn any time there is a risk of falling
objects. They should be used on any job site where there is a risk of a
technician bumping their heads into a low ceiling, such as cellars, mines,
trenches, or crawlspaces. Some commercial and industrial sites mandate all
visitors, vendors, and employees wear head protection. Technicians should also
wear head protection when using an aerial work platform.
IS CODE 2745:
1983 – Specification for non-metal helmet for firemen and civil defence
personnel. IS CODE 2925: 1984 – Specification Industrial safety helmet. IS CODE
4151: 1993 – Specification for protective helmets for scooter and
motorcycle riders.
In the
US, Z89.1 governs hard hat standards. Security technicians working on
job sites that require hard hats should choose one that is rated at Class G
(for general), at minimum. Some job sites with high voltage hazards present
mandate that Class E (electrical) should be worn.
Standard hard
hats can come with or without vents, which keep the user cooler during the
summer. Some hard hats include slots that allow users to mount lights or other
accessories. Full brim style hard hats protect the user's ears and neck from
the sun and are popular for technicians that mainly work outdoors. Full brim
hard hats do not come with slots. The particular style worn is mainly
dependent on the personal taste of the user.
Common brands
include Jackson Safety, Occunomix, and MSA.
Breathing
Protection:
Dust
masks, sometimes called nuisance masks, are intended to filter nontoxic
particulates such as dust, smoke, pollen, mold, and dander. These masks
are typically made of paper and are disposable, intended to be worn for short
periods of time. They have a single strap and fit loosely around the face.
These are good for performing a single task that can raise dust, such as
drilling holes, cutting a lock, or pulling wires in a dusty space.
N95
respirators resemble dust masks, but have two straps instead of one. They
create a tight seal around the face and filter 95% of particles. They are good
for working in a dusty environment for an extended period of time, such as
pulling wires through an unfinished attic.
N95
respirator masks are also available with valves, which expel respired air. This
prevents fogging and overheating. Valved respirators are much more comfortable
to use on hot days.
Dust masks
are just as effective as N95 respirators at filtering out the hazards most
technicians will encounter on an average installation, and are significantly
cheaper. However, N95 masks are significantly more comfortable than dust masks,
making technicians more likely to use them. The most effective protection
equipment is the one that gets used regularly. Therefore, many installers
prefer to spend the extra money on N95 masks, with or without valves.
Common brands
include 3M, Honeywell, and Jackson Safety.
Boots
/ Safety footwear:
The
relevant standard for safety footwear is BS EN ISO 20345. BS EN ISO 17249:2004 is
the standard for chainsaw footwear. Raw Materials used for Upper, Lining,
Insole, Toe Cap, Sole etc shall be of suitable quality so that safety footwear
shall conform to IS 15298 (Part-2):2011/ISO 20345:2004. Boots should
be well fitting, provide ankle and heel support, and have rubber soles designed
to provide traction and electrical insulation. In the US, ASTM
F2413 governs minimum standards for boots, including drop protection,
puncture resistance, and electrical protection. Boots and shoes that do not
comply with this standard cannot guarantee to prevent injury to the
wearer.
Back
injuries and knee injuries are very common for technicians, and wearing the
right boots can help prevent or mitigate these. Boots should be well
fitting and comfortable for all-day wear. They should provide arch support
and heel cushioning to prevent back injuries. Mold-able inserts are available,
and should be changed frequently, whenever the heel cushion begins to wear
down.
Many
technicians prefer steel toed boots, but these can be quite heavy.
Aluminum(Al)
and carbon fiber toe protection is now available for boots, which make the
entire boot much lighter. Lightweight boots help prevent and mitigate knee
pain, but lightweight boots that offer good protection and ankle support can be
expensive.
Prices for
boots vary widely. Common brands include Red Wing, Timberlands,
Caterpillar, and Doc Marten.
Gloves:
BS EN
14328 is the standard for gloves and armguards protecting against cuts by
powered knives while BS EN 407 contains the specifications for gloves intended
to protect against thermal risk such as heat and/or fire. BS EN 374 Part 1
covers gloves for protection against chemicals and microorganisms. BS EN 511
covers gloves for protection against the cold. BS EN 388 covers the
specification of gloves against mechanical hazards.
Gloves are
used to prevent cuts and blisters, improve grip strength, prevent tool
slippage, and protect against cold. Because it can be difficult to splice
wires or use hand tools while wearing gloves, many technicians choose to wear
carpenter's gloves, which have the tips of the thumb and one or two fingers cut
off. Gloves for security technicians should have padding on the palm and across
the knuckles for full protection.
Current
standards for gloves mainly address machine operators and chemical handlers,
not construction workers or security technicians.
Common brands
include Mechanix, Irwin, and Duluth.
PPE
Policies:
All
employees who are exposed to hazards should be made aware of what those hazards
are and how to mitigate them. It is the responsibility of management to ensure
that every employee knows and understands the hazards of installing security
technology products. IS: 17423 2020 for "Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Coveralls for COVID-19.
New hires
and apprentices especially should be taught how to dress for the job and how to
act safely on a job-site, as they may not be aware of the dangers
involved. Supervisors and managers should correct any unsafe behavior they
observe, even from long term employees. All employees should be reminded of
workplace safety periodically.
Best
practice is to have a written PPE policy. Such a policy together with
documented workplace safety training can help installation companies
avoid liability for workplace injuries and worker's compensation claims.
Many private companies exist to help installers create a workplace safety
program, and insurers often have resources available as well.
PPE does not include:
·
Ordinary
working clothes or uniforms not designed to provide for the health or safety of
workers;
·
Clothing
provided for food hygiene purposes;
·
Equipment
used for protection while travelling on a public road (ie motorcycle or bicycle
helmets);
·
Equipment
used during competitive sport competitions (but other protective equipment used
by sports instructors would be included eg life jacket worn by canoe
instructor);
·
An
offensive weapon used as self-defence or as deterrent equipment. For example,
truncheons or CS gas canisters as used by the police or military (but helmets,
body armour and other PPE used to protect staff from physical violence, is
included);
·
Portable
devices for detecting and signalling risks and nuisances, such as badges for
detecting radiation, or personal gas detectors.
Ref:
IPVM.com
bis.gov.in
osha.gov
