Preliminary Evaluation - PPE

One of the main purposes of the preliminary evaluation is to determine which personal protective equipment (PPE) employees should wear when entering a site. 29 CFR 1910.120 states that this gear "must provide a level of protection that creates 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. This makes it impossible to determine the specific PPE for employees. In these cases, the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act determines that employers must at minimum provide employees with equipment equivalent to Level B PPE. This is listed in 29 CFR 1910.120, Appendix B and used in situations when "the highest level of respiratory protection is necessary but a lesser level of skin protection is needed." It requires the following:

• A positive pressure, full-facepiece self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) or NIOSH-approved positive pressure supplied air respirator with escape SCBA
• Hooded chemical-resistant clothing (such as overalls and long-sleeved jacket, coveralls, one or two-piece chemical-splash suits, and disposable chemical-resistant overalls)
• Gloves, outer, chemical-resistant
• Gloves, inner, chemical-resistant
• Boots, outer, chemical-resistant steel toe and shank
• Boot-covers, outer, chemical-resistant (disposable)
• Coveralls
• A hard hat
• A face shield

The last four items listed above are "optional, as applicable" according to the standard. The standard lists no further details regarding when those items are "applicable."

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