Personal protective equipment (PPE) | A guide to designated substances in the workplace

Personal protective equipment (PPE) includes respirators, protective clothing (including gloves and footwear) and face and eye protection, which can reduce or prevent contact and the absorption of a designated substance. Depending on the type of workplace, sector-specific regulations under the OHSA may also set out requirements with respect to PPE.Protective clothingProtective clothing protects against the harmful effects of a designated substance in two ways:It can be a direct barrier between the substance and the skin. This is important when the substance can either damage the skin directly or be absorbed into the body through the skin.It can prevent the contamination of a worker’s street clothing or hair and reduce the chance of the substance being absorbed by the worker after leaving the workplace and contaminating areas used by other workers and the public.The control program should specify cleaning procedures to decontaminate clothing used during work. Workers handling the contam...