Non-Research PPE

Overview

The purpose of personal protective equipment (PPE) is to protect individuals, exposed to health and safety hazards, from the risk of injury by creating a barrier against workplace hazards. Work with EHS to have a Job Safety Analysis and/or an Exposure Control Plan in place to address hazards by looking at a task and focusing on the relationship between the worker, the task, the tools and the work environment. Contact EHS at 949-824-6200 or email safety@uci.edu.

Safety Eyewear

Eye protection must be worn where there is potential for injury to the eyes or face from small particles, toxic chemicals, flying objects or particles, large objects, thermal hazards.

Prescription Eyewear

For Full-time employees - Side shields permanently affixed to the frames to protect eyes from flying particles to meet ANSI Z87.1 requirements and must not be removed. The employee’s home department is responsible for paying and covering the cost of prescription eyewear materials (frames and impact resistant lenses). Employees are responsible for any additional professional fees associated with the eye examination, fitting, and dispensing but may be subject to change based on union contract agreements. Check with the campus Human Resources Officer for details.

For Temporary or part-time employees - Provision for temporary safety glasses that can be placed over their personal prescription glasses. “Over-the-glasses” safety glasses are available through EHS at 949-824-6200 or email safety@uci.edu.

Safety Footwear

Injuries that may occur when the proper footwear is not worn such as chemical and heat burns from spills and splashes of acids and caustics, compression injuries, electrical shocks, and slipping.

Steel-toe Safety Shoes - Examples of work that may require foot protection include operations involving heavy equipment, foot hazards in construction areas, work involving close contact with large animals, jobs requiring work with certain chemicals, or any other work where there is a danger of foot injuries from falling or rolling objects, objects piercing the sole, or exposure to electrical hazards. Safety shoes must be appropriate for the potential foot hazards and meet ANSI Standard Z41. Check with your department on the internal policies on steel-toe shoes. Internal policies may be driven by but not limited to union contract agreements. Check with the campus Human Resources Officer for details.

Slip Resistant Shoes - The Office of the President, Office of Risk Services (OPRS) provides oversight and funding for the University of California (UC) Slip-Resistant Footwear (SRF) Program. The goal of the UC SRF Program is to reduce the frequency and severity of slip-and-fall incidents throughout the UC system by providing high-quality, slip-resistant footwear to employees whose job duties routinely expose them to significant slip-and-fall hazards (e.g., dining/nutrition services, custodial/environmental services, patient care, and animal care employees). Please see the list for participating departments . For complete program information, view the UC Slip-Resistant Footwear Program Document . For assistance, contact EHS at 949-824-6200 or email safety@uci.edu.

Gloves

It is important to know that not all gloves are protective against all chemicals. To choose the proper chemical resistance gloves for a specific chemical, view the Kimberly Clark Nitrile Gloves: Chemical Resistance and Barrier Guide .

Head, Face, and Body Protection

Specific jobs and tasks may require additional protection to the head, face and body. For instance, welding requires a specific welding helmet and apron for protection to withstand sparks and heat. Contact EHS at 949-824-6200 or email safety@uci.edu.