Personal Protective Equipment for Unidentified Hazards

Gear must provide a level of protection so that workers using PPE have a level of exposure below permissible exposure limits and published exposure levels (PELs) for all detected and suspected hazardous substances and health hazards.

If there are not PELs for the hazards, then the employer may use published studies to determine acceptable exposure limits.

There are times when the qualified person conducting the evaluations cannot identify the exact hazards and determine PELs. This makes it impossible to determine the specific PPE for employees. In these cases, employers must at minimum provide employees with equipment equivalent to Level B PPE, which is listed in 29 CFR 1910.120, Appendix B. Level B PPE is for situations requiring the highest level of respiratory protection but a lower level of skin protection.

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