Personal protective equipment (PPE) is protective clothing or equipment worn by employees to minimize exposure to chemical, biological, electrical, physical, and other hazards that cause serious workplace injuries and illnesses.
Protective clothing and equipment such as gloves, safety glasses, respirators, and coveralls should be used only as a last line of defense when engineering and administrative controls are not feasible to reduce the risk to acceptable levels.
Oregon OSHA regulations require employers to identify the necessary PPE for all jobs/activities through the use of hazard assessments. Additionally, the employer is responsible for providing PPE necessary to comply with Oregon OSHA standards at no cost to the employee. Employees are responsible for using and maintaining the PPE provided to them.
The PSU PPE Program was established to help reduce employee exposure to hazards and meets the requirements of the Oregon OSHA PPE standard. This program applies to all PSU employees who work with or around hazardous materials that can cause injury or impairment to any part of the body.