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Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Tony Cygan

Your EHS contact for PPE
[email protected]
814-865-6391

This program has been established to:

  • Ensure the proper selection and use of PPE.
  • Ensure that units understand and comply with safety standards for PPE.
  • Establish minimum PPE requirements for job tasks and/or work areas with potential injury exposure.
  • Assign responsibilities to personnel which are necessary for successful implementation.
PPE on a table: helmet, boots, gloves, mask, goggles, yellow vest

Program Applicability

The Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Program applies to Penn State employees who use personal protective equipment as a means of controlling exposure to workplace hazards. PPE includes a wide range of devices designed to create a barrier between the user and potential hazards, such as safety glasses, gloves, respirators, hearing protection, and foot protection.

This program supports the safe performance of job tasks across Penn State by ensuring PPE is properly selected, used, and maintained when hazards cannot be eliminated through other means.

Program Requirements

Penn State’s PPE Program emphasizes the use of engineering and administrative controls as the primary methods for reducing workplace hazards. PPE must be used when these controls are not possible, infeasible, or do not fully eliminate the hazard, and may also be used to supplement other controls.

Hazard Assessments

  • The PPE Program is based on the completion of PPE hazard assessments, which involve identifying hazards associated with specific tasks and determining the PPE required to reduce risk.

Supervisor Responsibilities:

  • Conduct and document PPE hazard assessments within their areas of responsibility
  • Ensure employees receive appropriate PPE training
  • Provide employees with suitable PPE
  • Enforce compliance with all provisions of the PPE Program

Employee Responsibilities

Employees must:

  • Comply with all PPE Program requirements
  • Participate in required training
  • Properly use assigned PPE as directed 

Training Requirements

  • Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) provides training to supervisors on:
    • Completing PPE hazard assessments
    • Training employees on PPE requirements
  • Supervisors are responsible for ensuring employees who are required to use PPE are trained to understand:
    • When PPE is required
    • What PPE is required
    • How to properly don, doff, adjust, and wear PPE
    • PPE limitations
    • Proper care, maintenance, useful life, and disposal of PPE

Basics of PPE Training

Prescription Safety Eyewear - guidance for obtaining eyewear.  IMPORTANT: You must contact your College/Work Unit/Campus contact person prior to going to one of the designated eyecare providers.

Website to find a local eyecare provider

Prescription Safety Eyewear - List of College/Work Unit/Campus Contacts for obtaining eyewear

Recordkeeping Requirements

  • Each work unit must maintain records of PPE hazard assessments and employee PPE training.

Documents and Forms

Additional Resources