Does "Subpart I - Personal Protective Equipment" Apply to You?

Subpart I provides the standards for eye and face protection, respiratory protection, head protection, foot protection, hand and body protection, lifesaving equipment, personal fall arrest systems, and positioning devices. Do you have hazards involving processes or the environment, chemical hazards, radiological hazards, or mechanical irritants that are capable of causing injury or impairment to any part of the body through absorption, inhalation or physical contact? Do employees work near or on the water? Are employees exposed to fall hazards?  If yes, then you need to comply with all or sections of subpart I. Click on the appropriate tabs below for more information.

The standard on the scope, application and definitions states that this subpart applies to all work in shipyard employment regardless of geographic location. It also provides key definitions:

Personal fall arrest system means a system used to arrest an employee in a fall from a working level. It consists of an anchorage, connectors, body belt or body harness and may include a lanyard, a deceleration device, a lifeline, or a suitable combination of these. As of January 1, 1998, the use of a body belt for fall arrest is prohibited.

Positioning device system means a body belt or body harness system rigged to allow an employee to be supported at an elevated vertical surface, such as a wall or window, and to be able to work with both hands free while leaning.

Qualified person means a person who by possession of a recognized degree or certificate of professional standing, or who, by extensive knowledge, training, and experience, has successfully demonstrated the ability to solve or resolve problems related to the subject matter and work.

This subpart also provides the general requirements standard which covers all personal protective equipment (PPE). According to this standard, the employer shall provide and ensure that each affected employee uses the appropriate PPE for the eyes, face, head, extremities, torso, and respiratory system, including protective clothing, protective shields, protective barriers, personal fall protection equipment, and lifesaving equipment, wherever employees are exposed to work activity hazards that require the use of PPE. To identify what the hazards are and what PPE is required to protect employees from them, this standard requires that the employer conduct a PPE hazard assessment. Once completed, you will know which PPE standards you need to comply with in addition to the general requirements standard. This standard also requires training employees on the use, care, limitations and when PPE is necessary. It also covers the payment criteria for PPE. The following appendices apply to this subpart: appendix A pertains to non-mandatory guidelines for hazard assessment, personal protective equipment (PPE) selection, and PPE training program and appendix B provides the general testing conditions and additional guidelines for personal fall protection systems. 

Additional information on PPE can be found on the A-Z safety and health topics pages for personal protective equipmentrespiratory protection, and fall protection.

Subpart I - Personal Protective Equipment

Tab/Accordion Items

Based on your PPE hazard assessment, are employees exposed to eye or face hazards where there are exposures to eye or face hazards caused by flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acid or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors, or potentially injurious light radiation? If yes, then you need to comply with the eye and face protection standard. It provides general requirements (i.e., corrective lenses, filter lenses) and criteria for protective eye and face protection (i.e., consensus standards). 

Additional information can be found on the A-Z safety and health topics page for personal protective equipmentorganic solvents and radiation, ionizing and non-ionizing. The NCDOL Library is also available for assistance regarding access to consensus standards (i.e., ANSI, ASME, NFPA).

This standard applies when breathing air is contaminated with harmful dusts, fogs, fumes, mists, gases, smokes, sprays, or vapors which can cause occupational diseases. Do you have harmful air contaminants? Note: To answer this question, you may need to review safety data sheets, labels, conduct air monitoring, or gather other relevant data that can provide you with useful information regarding the hazards for the contaminant.

If the answer is yes, you may need to comply with the respiratory protection standard. Note: An employer should evaluate the use of engineering and administrative controls to minimize air contaminant exposures. If exposure levels are above the permissible exposure limits (PELs), (or in the absence of a PEL, another recommended level), then respirators must be provided and used in accordance with an effective respiratory protection program.

This standard applies to shipyards (part 1915), marine terminals (part 1917), longshoring (part 1918), general industry (part 1910), and construction (part 1926).

Note: Voluntary Users of Respirators - (c)(2)(i); An employer may provide respirators at the request of employees or permit employees to use their own respirators, if the employer determines that respirator use will not in itself create a hazard. If the employer determines that voluntary respirator use is permissible, they shall provide the information contained in Appendix D to the employee. In addition, the employer must establish and implement those elements of a written respiratory protection program necessary to ensure that any employee using a respirator voluntarily is medically able to use that respirator, and that the respirator is cleaned, stored, and maintained so that its use does not present a health hazard to the user.

Exception: Employers are not required to include in a written respiratory protection program those employees whose only use of respirators involves the voluntary use of filtering facepieces (dust masks).

Additional information can be found on the A-Z safety and health topics pages for respiratory protectionorganic solvents and flammable liquids

If based on your PPE hazard assessment, employees are exposed to head injury from falling objects or when they work near exposed electrical conductors which could contact the head, then you need to comply with the head protection standard. It provides general head protection requirements along with criteria for protective devices (i.e., consensus standards).  

Additional information can be found on the A-Z safety and health topics pages for personal protective equipment and electrical safety. The NCDOL Library is also available for assistance regarding access to consensus standards (i.e., ANSI, ASME, NFPA).

If based on your PPE hazard assessment, employees are working in areas where there is a danger of foot injuries due to falling or rolling objects, or objects piercing the sole, or when the use of protective footwear will protect the affected employee from an electrical hazard, such as a static-discharge or electric-shock hazard, that remains after the employer takes other necessary protective measures, then you need to comply with the foot protection standard. It provides general foot protection requirements along with criteria for protective footwear (i.e., consensus standards).  

Additional information can be found on the A-Z safety and health topics page for personal protective equipment and electrical safety. The NCDOL Library is also available for assistance regarding access to consensus standards (i.e., ANSI, ASME, NFPA).

If based on your PPE hazard assessment, employees' hands and/or body are exposed to hazards such as skin absorption of harmful substances, severe cuts or lacerations, severe abrasions, punctures, chemical burns, thermal burns, harmful temperature extremes, and sharp objects, then you need to comply with the hand and body protection standard. It provides requirements pertaining to hot work operations and electrical protective devices.  

Additional information can be found on the A-Z safety and health topics pages for personal protective equipment and electrical safety.

If yes, then you need to comply with the standard on lifesaving equipment. It provides the requirements personal floatation devices, ring life buoys and ladders. 

Additional information can be found on the A-Z safety and health topics page for personal protective equipment

If yes, then you need to comply with the standard on personal fall arrest systems (PFAS). It provides the criteria for connections and anchorages; lifelines, lanyards, and personal fall arrest systems; selection, use and care of systems and system components; and training. If positioning device systems are used, you will also need to comply with the standard on positioning device systems. This standard provides criteria for connectors and anchorages, positioning device systems (i.e., window cleaners), use and care of positioning device systems, and training.

Anchorage means a secure point of attachment for lifelines, lanyards, or deceleration devices.

Body belt means a strap with means for both securing it about the waist and attaching it to a lanyard, lifeline, or deceleration device.

Body harness means straps which may be secured about the employee in a manner that will distribute the fall arrest forces over at least the thighs, shoulders, chest and pelvis with means for attaching it to other components of a personal fall arrest system.

Lanyard means a flexible line of rope, wire rope, or strap which generally has a connector at each end for connecting the body belt or body harness to a deceleration device, lifeline, or anchorage.

Lifeline means a component consisting of a flexible line for connection to an anchorage at one end to hang vertically (vertical lifeline), or for connection to anchorages at both ends to stretch horizontally (horizontal lifeline), and which serves as a means for connecting other components of a personal fall arrest system to the anchorage.

Personal fall arrest system means a system used to arrest an employee in a fall from a working level. It consists of an anchorage, connectors, body belt or body harness and may include a lanyard, a deceleration device, a lifeline, or a suitable combination of these. As of January 1, 1998, the use of a body belt for fall arrest is prohibited.

Positioning device system means a body belt or body harness system rigged to allow an employee to be supported at an elevated vertical surface, such as a wall or window, and to be able to work with both hands free while leaning.

Qualified person means a person who by possession of a recognized degree or certificate of professional standing, or who, by extensive knowledge, training, and experience, has successfully demonstrated the ability to solve or resolve problems related to the subject matter and work.

Additional information can be found on the A-Z safety and health topics page for fall protection.