Personal Protective Equipment
Responsibility to provide - WCB 8.2
(1) A worker is responsible for providing:
(a) clothing needed for protection against the natural elements,
(b) general purpose work gloves
(c) appropriate safety footwear
(d) safety headgear
(2) An employer is responsible for providing, at no cost to the worker, all other items of personal protective equipment required by this Regulation.
(3) If the personal protective equipment provided by the employer causes allergenic or other adverse health effects, the employer must provide appropriate alternate equipment or safe measures.
(4) Nothing in this section precludes or alters an existing or future agreement between a worker(s) and an employer to the effect that the employer will be responsible for the provision either at no cost or some cost to the worker, of any or all of the items described in subsection (1).
Selection, use and maintenance - WCB 8.3
(1) Personal protective equipment must:
(a) be selected and used in accordance with recognized standards, and provide effective protection,
(b) not in itself create a hazard to the wearer,
(c) be compatible, so that one item of P.P.E. does not make another item ineffective
(d) be maintained in good working order and in a sanitary condition.
(2) If the use of personal protective equipment creates hazards equal to or greater than those its use is intended to prevent, alternative personal protective equipment must be used or other appropriate measures must be taken.
Instruction - WCB 8.7
The employer must ensure that a worker who wears P.P.E. is adequately instructed in the correct use, limitations and assigned maintenance duties for the equipment to be used.
Supervisor's responsibilities - WCB 8.8
The supervisor must ensure that appropriate personal protective equipment is:
(a) available to workers,
(b) properly worn when required
(c) properly cleaned, inspected, maintained and stored
Worker's responsibilities - WCB 8.9
(1) A worker who is required to use personal protective equipment must
(a) use the equipment in accordance with training and instruction,
(b) inspect the equipment before use,
(c) refrain from wearing P.P.E. outside of the work area where it is required if to do so would constitute a hazard
(d) report any equipment malfunction to the supervisor or employer.
Personal clothing and accessories - WCB 8.10
(1) The personal clothing of a worker must be of a type and in a condition, which will not expose the worker to any unnecessary or avoidable hazards.
(2) If there is a danger of contact with moving parts of machinery or with electrically energized equipment, or if the work process presents similar hazards
(a) the clothing of the worker must fit closely about the body,
(b) dangling neckwear, bracelets, wristwatches, rings or similar articles must not be worn, except for medical alert bracelets which may be worn with bands that hold the bracelets snugly to the skin
(c) cranial and facial hair must be confined or worn at a length which will prevent it from being snagged or caught in the work process.
Safety Headgear - WCB 8.11
(1) Safety headgear must be worn by a worker in any work area where there is a danger of head injury from falling, flying or thrown objects, or other harmful contacts.
(2) Safety headgear must meet the requirements of the regulation Standards (CSA Standard CAN/CSA-Z94.1-92)
(3) If a worker may be exposed to an electrical hazard the safety headgear must have an appropriate non- conductive rating.
(4) Chin straps or other effective means of retention must be used on safety headgear when workers are climbing or working from a height exceeding 3 m (10 ft), or are exposed to high winds or other conditions that may cause loss of the headgear.
(6) Damaged headgear or headgear with missing, mismatched, or modified components must be removed from service.
Eye and Face Protection - WCB 8.14
(1) A worker must wear properly fitting safety eyewear appropriate to the conditions of the workplace if handling or exposed to materials which are likely to injure or irritate the eyes.
Prescription Safety Eyewear - WCB 8.15
(1) Prescription safety eyewear must meet the requirements of CSA Standard CAN/CSA-Z94.3-92, Industrial Eye and Face Protectors.
(2) Bifocal and trifocal glass lenses must not be used if there is danger of impact unless they are worn behind impact rated goggles or other eye protection acceptable to the Board.
(3) If the use of polycarbonate or plastic prescription lenses is impracticable, due to the conditions of the workplace, and there is no danger of impact, workers may use prescription lenses made of treated safety glass meeting the requirements of ANSI Standard Z87.1-1989, Practice for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection.
Sideshields - WCB 8.16
Safety eyewear must be fitted with sideshields when necessary for the safety of a worker.
Face protection - WCB 8.17
(1) If there is a risk of face injury, suitable face protection must be worn.
(2) Face protectors and non-prescription safety eyewear must meet the requirements of CSA Standard CAN/CSA-Z94.3-92, Industrial Eye and Face Protectors, or ANSI Standard Z87.1-1989, Practice for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection.
Contact Lenses - WCB 8.18
Adequate precautions must be taken if a hazardous substance or condition may adversely affect a worker wearing contact lenses.
Limb and Body Protection - WCB 8.19
(1) The employer must provide appropriate skin, hand, foot or body protection if a worker is exposed to a substance or condition which is likely to puncture, abrade or otherwise adversely affect the skin, or be absorbed through it.
(2) If there is a danger of injury, contamination or infection to a worker's hands, arms, legs, or torso, the worker must wear properly fitting protective equipment appropriate to the work being done and the hazards involved.
Cleaning or replacement - WCB 8.20
If a glove, apron, or other protective equipment used to protect the skin against contact with a hazardous substance is rendered ineffective due to contamination with the substance, the protective equipment must be promptly replaced with clean or decontaminated equipment to maintain the required protection.
Leg protection - WCB 8.21
(1) Leg protective devices must be worn by a worker operating a chain saw.
Footwear - WCB 8.22
(1) A worker's footwear must be of a design, construction, and material appropriate to the protection required and that allows the worker to safely perform the worker's work.
(2) To determine appropriate footwear under subsection (1), the following factors must be considered:
Slipping, tripping, uneven terrain,abrasion, ankle protection, foot support, musculoskeletal injuries, crushing potential, temperature, corrosion, puncture, electrical hazards or any other recognisable hazards.
***An employer must not require a worker to wear footwear that does not comply with subsection (1).
(3) If a determination has been made that safety protective footwear is required to have toe protection, metatarsal protection, puncture resistant soles, dielectric protection or any combination of these, the footwear must meet the requirements of CSA Standard CAN/CSA-Z195-M92, Protective Footwear
(4) A worker must wear the appropriate footwear and ensure that it is in a condition to provide the required protection.
High Visibility Apparel - WCB 8.24
(2) A worker exposed to the hazards of vehicles travelling at speeds in excess of 30 km/h must wear high visibility apparel meeting the Type 1 or Type 2 criteria
(3) A worker whose duties on the work site result in exposure to the hazards of mobile equipment must wear high visibility apparel meeting at least the Type 3 criteria
Respirators - WCB 8.32
When respirator required:
(a) If a worker is or might be exposed in a workplace to an air contaminant(s)
(b) The employer must provide an appropriate respirator and ensure that the worker uses an appropriate respirator in accordance with section 8.34.
Respirator Selection - WCB 8.33
(1) The employer, in consultation with the worker and the occupational health and safety committee or the worker health and safety representative, must select an appropriate respirator in accordance with CSA Standard CAN/CSA-Z94.4-93, Selection, Use, and Care of Respirators.
(2) Only a respirator which meets the requirements of a standard acceptable to the Board may be used for protection against airborne contaminants in the workplace
(3) The employer must ensure that a worker does not use a respirator for protection against a concentration of an air contaminant in the workplace that is greater than the maximum use concentration
Respirators & Corrective eyewear - WCB 8.38
(1) If a worker who wears prescription eyeglasses is required to wear a full facepiece respirator, the employer must assess the work to be performed, and provide appropriate specialty corrective eyewear if necessary to ensure that the work can be performed safely.
(2) The employer may permit the use of contact lenses by a worker who is required to wear a full facepiece respirator if their use is not likely to adversely affect the health or safety of the worker.
Respirators & Face seal - WCB 8.39
(1) Except for specialty eyewear approved by the Board for use with positive pressure full facepiece respirators, nothing is permitted which intrudes between the facepiece and the face, or which interferes with the face seal of the facepiece.
(2) A worker required to wear a respirator which requires an effective seal with the face for proper functioning must be clean shaven where the respirator seals with the face.
Respirators & Fit tests - WCB 8.40
(1) A respirator which requires an effective seal with the face for proper functioning must not be issued to a worker unless a fit test demonstrates that the facepiece forms an effective seal with the wearer's face.
(2) Fit tests must be performed in accordance with procedures in CSA Standard CAN/CSA-Z94.4-02, Selection, Use, and Care of Respirators.
(2.1) A fit test must be carried out:
(a) before initial use of a respirator,
(b) at least once a year,
(c) whenever there is a change in respirator facepiece, including the brand, model, and size, and
(d) whenever changes to the user's physical condition could affect the respirator fit.
(3) Other personal protective equipment that is to be worn at the same time as a respirator and which could interfere with the respirator fit must be worn during a fit test.
Respirators User seal check - WCB 8.41
(1) Before each use of a respirator which requires an effective seal with the face for proper functioning, a worker must perform a positive or negative pressure user seal check.
Respirators & Medical Assessment - WCB 8.42
If a worker is required to use a respirator and there is doubt about the worker's ability to use a respirator for medical reasons, the worker must be examined by a physician, and the examining physician must be provided with sufficient information to allow the physician to advise the employer of the ability of the worker to wear a respirator.
Respirators & Optional use - WCB 8.43
In circumstances where section 8.32 does not apply, and either an employer chooses to provide a respirator to a worker or the worker chooses to use a personal respirator, then the requirements of sections 8.3, 8.7 and 8.33(2) apply.
Respirators & Records - WCB 8.44
The employer must maintain a record of fit test results and worker instruction(s).
