Personal protective equipment

Personal protective equipment

Safety-toe footwear

EHS manages the Safety-Toe Footwear program and should be contacted by the department supervisor prior to purchase or replacement. All personnel who are handling material on a regular basis, and all trades personnel must wear CSA rated safety-toe footwear. Permanent employees will be reimbursed to the extent authorized for the purchase of safety-toe footwear and should contact their supervisor for purchasing procedures prior to making an initial purchase or replacement.  Replacement or repair is made at the discretion of EHS when safety-toe footwear is worn beyond functional use.

Safety eyewear

Safety glasses or a face shield mustl be worn in all areas where there is a potential hazard of injury to the eyes, (i.e. drilling, grinding, chipping, sandblasting etc.). Full face shields or chemical splash goggles mustl be worn when working with hazardous chemicals. Flash glasses must be worn by electrical personnel when undertaking high voltage switching.

Hearing protection, audiometric testing

A base line audiometric test must be performed on all permanent Facilities Services trades personnel within one year of their start date. Contact your supervisor for details.

All reasonable measures will be taken to reduce noise levels or the duration of exposure to levels below WorkSafeBC's exposure limits. Where this is not feasible, hearing protection devices shall be provided by the university and worn by the employee. It is recommended that hearing protection be worn when there is prolonged exposure to noise from carpentry equipment, emergency generators and other noise generating equipment.

Ear plugs and/or muffs are acceptable depending on the noise level in the area.

Hard hats

Hard hats must be worn on all active construction sites where there is a potential of injury to the head from falling objects.

Respiratory protection

All respirator users should receive training and fit testing prior to using this equipment. Visit respiratory protection for more information.