Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
Personal Protective Equipment and Clothing Directive
This directive is deemed to be part of collective agreements between the parties to the National Joint Council (NJC), and employees are to be afforded ready access to this directive.
In cases of alleged misinterpretation or misapplication arising out of this directive, the grievance procedure, for all represented employees within the meaning of the Public Service Staff Relations Act, will be in accordance with Section 7.0 of the National Joint Council By-Laws. For unrepresented employees the departmental grievance procedure applies.
This directive is effective on July 1, 1997.
The purpose of the Personal Protective Equipment and Clothing Directive is to protect employees from injury and illness. The scope of this directive includes all systems, procedures, clothing and safety material designed to ensure the safety and health of all employees.
This directive applies to all departments and other portions of the Public Service, as defined in Part I of Schedule I of the Public Service Staff Relations Act.
In this directive:
fall protection system (dispositif antichute) - means materials, equipment, methods and devices to protect employees from injuries due to falling;
person in charge (responsable) - means a qualified person appointed by management to ensure the safe and proper conduct of an operation or of the work of employees;
personal protective equipment (équipement de protection individuelle) - means safety materials, equipment, systems, devices and clothing whose purpose is to protect from injury or illness;
qualified person (personne qualifiée) - means a person who, because of knowledge, training and experience, is qualified to perform safely and properly a specified job;
safety restraining device (dispositif protecteur de soutien) - means any safety belt, safety harness, seat, rope, belt, strap or life-line designed to be used by an employee to protect that employee from falling, and includes every fitting, fastening or accessory thereto.
1.1 Where an employment hazard (refer to appendix A) cannot be eliminated or controlled within safe limits at source or along the path of the employee, and the wearing or use of personal protective equipment may prevent an injury or reduce its severity, departments shall ensure that each employee who is exposed to an employment hazard wears or uses that equipment as prescribed by this directive.
1.2 Personal protective equipment shall as much as possible not add to the total heat burden. Where personal protective equipment adds to the total heat burden, rest periods shall be routinely provided and the employer shall ensure that employees take those rest periods.
1.3 In determining the requirements for personal protective equipment, departments shall consult with Occupational Safety and Health Committees in accordance with the Committees and Representatives Directive.
1.4 Departments shall appoint a qualified person to ensure personal protective equipment is safely, properly and reasonably comfortably fitted.
1.5 Departments shall appoint a qualified person to instruct and train those employees required:
(a) to use or wear personal protective equipment in the proper and safe operation, use and care of the personal protective equipment; and
(b) to effectively deal with emergency situations.
1.6 Departments shall ensure that all personal protective equipment worn or used by any employees shall be:
(a) designed to protect the employee from the hazards for which it is provided; and
(b) not in itself create an employment hazard.
1.7 Departments shall ensure that all personal protective equipment:
(a) is stored, maintained, inspected and tested by a qualified person for the purpose of ensuring that it is in a safe and fully effective condition at all times;
(b) when necessary to prevent a health hazard, is maintained in a clean and sanitary condition by a qualified person;
(c) in cases of defective equipment that may render it unsafe for use, is marked or tagged as unsafe and removed from service; and
(d) in cases of defective equipment, is repaired by a qualified person to ensure that the equipment is in safe and fully effective condition, or permanently removed from service.
1.8 Departments shall keep and make available a record of all personal protective equipment provided to employees for as long as the equipment is in use. The record should contain the following information:
(a) a description of the equipment and the date of its purchase or acquisition;
(b) the date and result of each inspection and test of the equipment; and
(c) the date and nature of any maintenance work or repair performed on the equipment since its purchase or acquisition.
2.1 No employee shall commence a work assignment or enter a work area where any kind of personal protective equipment is required by this directive to be worn or used unless the employee:
(a) is wearing or using personal protective equipment in the manner prescribed in this directive;
(b) has been instructed and trained in the proper and safe operation and use of that personal protective equipment pursuant to subsection 1.5; and
(c) has inspected that personal protective equipment to ensure it will protect against the hazards of employment.
2.2 Every employee shall immediately report to the person in charge any personal protective equipment that, in the opinion of the employee, is defective or no longer adequately provides protection from the hazards of employment.
3.1 Protective clothing is required for the safety of employees in order that job-related duties may be performed with minimum risk of injury or illness and shall be provided to employees when there is a requirement for protection of employees to serve the purposes of:
(a) occupational safety;
(b) occupational health; or
(c) occupational cleanliness.
3.2 Special consideration should be taken with respect to:
- preventing the spread of contamination or diseases and protecting the employee from the risk of disease that may be contracted in the performance of job-related duties;
- the nature of the duties performed by the employee where those duties present a risk of significant or permanent damage to the employee's skin, hair or personal clothing; or
- the working environment results in a significant degree of soiling of the employee's personal clothing, e.g. coveralls provided to mechanics, lab coats for laboratory use.
3.3 Protective clothing shall be:
- provided free of charge to employees;
- replaced free of charge when no longer serviceable;
- normally worn over the employee's personal clothing; and
- suitable for the gender of the user.
3.4 Protective clothing is maintained and laundered by the employer. In exceptional cases, however, where this protective clothing is provided on an individual basis and the employer permits the employee to wear it away from the workplace at the employee's request, the wearer is responsible for maintenance and laundering.
4.1 Insulation clothing shall be provided for duty in hazardous weather conditions:
(a) where the type of personal outer clothing normally worn while working outdoors is inadequate to protect the employee from physical and health harm in the particular working environment; or
(b) when there is risk of damaging or soiling to the employee's personal insulation clothing.
4.2 Insulation clothing designed to prevent hypothermia shall be provided to individuals when their duties involve significant risks of immersion in cold water.
5.1 The quantity of each commodity to be provided initially to each employee shall be based on the expected frequency of change, conditions of wear and tear and the expected wear-life of each commodity.
6.1 Departments may provide pool clothing as protective clothing under all of the following conditions:
(a) when the frequency of use by the employee does not justify individual provision;
(b) when the clothing is worn over the employee's personal clothing; and
(c) when the clothing will not be worn next to the employee's skin.
6.2 Quantities of pool clothing shall be adequate to provide a range of sizes and also to permit rotational cleaning.
6.3 Cleaning and upkeep shall be scheduled on a regular basis.
7.1 Where, in accordance with subsections 1.1 and 1.3 an employee is required to wear industrial protective headwear, departments shall provide headwear that meets the requirements of CAN/CSA Z94.1-92 Industrial Protective Headwear as amended from time to time.
7.2 Where, in accordance with subsection 1.1, an employee is required to wear a form of head protection other than industrial protective headwear, such headwear shall adequately protect the employee from the potential hazard.
8.1 Where, in accordance with subsections 1.1 and 1.3 eye or face protection is required, departments shall provide:
(a) eye or face protection;
(b) prescription safety lenses in situations where:
(i) the nature of the work is such that the protective prescription lenses are installed in specialized protective frames such as in goggles and other eye protection which is not normally worn off the job, or
(ii) it is impractical to wear protection over glasses because of distortion,
that meet the requirements of CAN/CSA Z94.3-92, Industrial Eye and Face Protectors, as amended from time to time.
8.2 The wearing of contact lenses is not considered as a substitute for the required use of approved eye protection equipment and appliances, and those wearing contacts should use the same eye protection equipment as that required of other employees performing the same tasks.
8.3 Contact lenses should not be worn by those who are routinely exposed to irritating fumes, intense heat, liquid splashes, molten metals or other similar environments, and where the work requires the regular wearing of a respirator.
8.4 Where, in accordance with subsections 1.1 and 1.3, eye protection against ultraviolet radiation (UVR) associated with sunlight is required, departments shall provide sunglasses that meet:
(a) ANSE Z87.1-89; and
(b) in cases where traffic light recognition is also required, ANSE Z80.3.
9.1 Where, in accordance with subsections 1.1 and 1.3, protective footwear or purpose-designed footwear is required, such footwear will meet the requirements of CAN/CSA Z195-M92, Protective Footwear, as amended from time to time.
9.2 Specific types of footwear may be required for protection of employees for the following purposes:
- occupational safety,
- occupational health, or
- occupational cleanliness.
10.1 Departments may provide footwear on an individual loan basis free of charge.
11.1 Departments shall provide purpose-designed footwear:
- designed and constructed to meet requirements based on the unique occupation of the wearer or unusual nature of the environment; or
- possesses specialized protective features additional to, or other than, those found in regular protective footwear.
11.2 Workplace and environmental factors which would be expected to call for purpose-designed footwear, and the design features one would expect to find in that footwear, are:
- dangerous liquids: footwear either constructed of impermeable materials or specially treated to protect the wearer's feet from contact with dangerous or corrosive liquids or other dangerous substances, or where feet may be immersed in any such liquid;
- explosive-electrical hazards: footwear made with non-sparking and/or non-conducting materials (except metal box toe) for use by workers subject to explosion or electrical hazards;
- physical hazards: footwear designed to protect against a harmful degree of physical stress resulting from requirements of an unusual nature as may be encountered in such activities as mountain climbing, logging, skiing, pole climbing, riding horses, operating chainsaws, etc.;
- temperature extremes: thermo-insulated footwear for extreme cold.
12.1 Where departments do not provide protective footwear free of charge, an allowance will be paid to employees upon presentation of proof of purchase of protective footwear meeting the CSA standard.
12.2 The allowance is based on the 1997 average retail cost difference between regular work footwear and protective footwear meeting the CSA standard. The amount of this allowance, effective January 1, 1998, is $43.18. The allowance will be paid each time the employee submits proof of purchase. The allowance will be adjusted effective January 1 of each year based on the yearly Clothing and Footwear Sub-Index of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) published by Statistics Canada effective at the end of October of the previous year.
12.3 Employees occupying a position where protective footwear is mandatory, but who are required to wear protective footwear on an infrequent, periodic or intermittent basis in the performance of their regular duties, are eligible for the allowance.
12.4 It is expected that the frequency of replacement will be governed by the nature of the work, therefore replacement may occur at shorter than yearly intervals. Where it is cost effective to have safety footwear repaired, the department shall pay for the repairs.
12.5 Where, in accordance with 1.1, an employee is required to wear leg protection or foot protection other than protective footwear or purpose-designed footwear, such leg protection or foot protection shall comply with the appropriate Canadian Standards Association standard.
12.6 In an industrial fabricating, processing, maintenance, repair or storage area, employees shall not wear, or be permitted to wear:
(a) footwear constructed of canvas, fabric, soft rubber or other lightweight material that provides insufficient protection from impact or puncture; or
(b) sandals or other footwear that have open toes.
13.1 Where, in accordance with subsections 1.1 and 1.3, personal protective equipment and/or a barrier cream is required for skin protection:
(a) such personal protective equipment and/or barrier cream shall be adequate to protect the skin of the employee during the entire period during which the skin is exposed to any hazard; and
(b) if such personal protective equipment is not disposable, departments shall ensure that such personal protective equipment is maintained in a clean and sanitary condition.
13.2 With respect to the hazards of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) associated with sunlight:
(a) exposure to UVR must be reduced as much as possible, and where such exposure cannot be avoided employees skin must be protected against the adverse effects of UVR;
(b) departments, in consultation with local occupational safety and health committees, shall carefully review the various situations where employees are required to work outdoors and take all reasonable practicable measures to reduce exposure to the harmful effects of the sun;
(c) where such consultations identify potential health risks, departments shall supply an appropriate broad-spectrum sunscreen with a minimum SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of 15 to provide protection from UVA and UVB radiation.
14.1 Where, in accordance with subsections 1.1 and 1.3, respiratory equipment is required, such respiratory equipment shall be of a type approved for its intended use and listed in the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Certified Equipment List published by NIOSH, as amended from time to time.
14.2 A respiratory protective device referred to in subsection 14.1 shall be selected, fitted, cared for, used, maintained and its users trained in accordance with CAN/CSA Z94.4-93, Selection, Use and Care of Respirators, as amended from time to time.
14.3 Where air is provided for the purpose of a respiratory protective device referred to in subsection 14.1:
(a) the air shall meet the standards set out in the CSA Standard of CAN3-Z180.1-M85 Compressed Breathing Air and Systems, as amended from time to time; and
(b) the system that supplies air shall be constructed, tested, operated and maintained in accordance with the standard referred to in subsection 14.3(a).
15.1 Where an employee is required or permitted to work while standing on or supported by:
(a) any unenclosed or unguarded work structure that is:
(i) more than 2.4 m directly above the nearest permanent safe level,
(ii) above an operating machine, device structure or obstruction that could cause injury to the employee upon contact, or
(iii) above any open-top tank, pit or vat;
(b) any scaffold or other similar elevated work structure that is more than 6 m above a permanent safe level and from which the employee may fall if the structure tips or fails; or
(c) any ladder at a height more than 2.4 m directly above the nearest permanent safe level if, because of the nature of the work, one hand cannot be used to hold onto the ladder;
the department shall provide and ensure the use of a fall protection system and ensure employees wear safety restraining devices.
15.2 Every fall-protection system and safety restraining device used by employees shall be of sufficient strength, at all times and under all conditions of its normal use, to support, without failure or loss of integrity, the maximum load to which it will be subjected and, in any case shall meet the following Canadian Standard Association (CSA) standards:
(a) CSA Z259.1-95, Safety Belts and Lanyards, as amended from time to time;
(b) CSA Z259.2-M1979, Fall Arresting Devices, Personnel Lowering Devices, and Life Lines, as amended from time to time.
15.3 The anchor of a fall-protection system shall be capable of withstanding a force of 17.8kN.
15.4 A fall-protection system that is used to arrest the fall of an employee shall prevent that employee:
(a) from being subjected to a peak arrest force greater than 8kN; and
(b) from falling freely for more than 1.2 m.
15.5 Prior to the installation or removal of a fall-protection system departments shall:
(a) prepare written instructions for the safe installation or removal of the system; and
(b) keep a copy of the instructions readily available to the employees involved.
15.6 Every ladder from which an employee is working, as described in paragraph 15.1(c), shall be secured in such a manner that it cannot be accidentally or inadvertently dislodged from its position.
15.7 The cleaning of a window on any level above the ground floor level of a building shall be done in accordance with the requirements of the CSA Standard CAN/CSA-Z91-M90, Safety Code for Window Cleaning Operations, as amended from time to time.
16.1 Where, in accordance with subsections 1.1 and 1.3, at any work location where there is a danger of drowning, departments shall ensure that:
(a) written procedures covering:
(i) the emergency procedures to be followed,
(ii) the responsibilities of all persons involved, and
(iii) the location of all emergency equipment
are available to, and explained to, all employees at the work location;
(b) every employee exposed to the danger is provided with a life jacket or buoyancy device that meets the Canadian General Standards Board Standard (CGSB) CAN/CGSB-65.7-M88, Life Jackets, Inherently Buoyant Type, as amended from time to time, or 65.11-M88, Standard for Personal Flotation Devices, as amended from time to time, or ensure that the employee is protected by a safety net or is wearing a fall-protection device;
(c) appropriate emergency equipment, including an inherently buoyant powered boat, that meets the requirements of Transport Publication #1332 Construction Standard for Small Vessels, is provided and held in readiness;
(d) that a qualified person is available to operate all the emergency equipment.
16.2 Where the workplace is a wharf, dock, pier, quay or other similar structure, a ladder that extends at least two rungs below water level shall be attached to the face of the structure every 60m along its length.
16.3 Where there is a risk of hypothermia due to falling into icy water, suitable insulated protective clothing shall be provided to employees who are so exposed.
17.1 Departments shall ensure that where an employee is wearing loose clothing, long hair, dangling accessories, rings or other jewellery that might become entangled with a machine or any rotating or moving part of that machine, or the metallic part of which might come into contact with energized electrical equipment, the employee shall not enter or be permitted to enter a work area where any such machine or equipment is operating unless the clothing, hair, accessories, rings or other jewellery is so tied, fitted, covered or otherwise secured as to prevent such entanglement or contact.
18.1 Departments shall ensure that any employee who is assigned to give traffic signals or direction or who is otherwise exposed to a possible hazard from vehicular traffic during work shall:
(a) wear a high visibility vest or other similar clothing; or
(b) be protected by a high visibility barricade.
18.2 Departments shall ensure that the high visibility vest and barricade referred to in subsection 18.1 shall be readily noticeable or distinguishable all of the time and under all of the conditions that the employee is exposed to vehicular traffic.
19.1 Where there is a dispute regarding the term "qualified person" for purposes of an occupational safety and health standard, the following procedure shall be implemented:
(a) the employee shall raise the matter directly with the person in charge;
(b) the person in charge shall review the employee's qualifications and decide upon the employee's status as a qualified person;
(c) if the employee is dissatisfied with the decision, the matter shall be referred to the safety and health committee established for the employee's workplace;
(d) the safety and health committee shall review the matter and make appropriate recommendations to the person in charge.
(e) if the safety and health committee does not consider itself competent to deal with the case, it shall recommend an acceptable third party to the person in charge.
(f) the person in charge shall, pursuant to (d) or (e), take the recommendations into consideration, render a final management decision and undertake the appropriate action.
19.2 If the employee does not agree with the final decision which has been rendered, a grievance may be initiated pursuant to the NJC redress procedure.
The following is only a representative listing of occupational safety and health hazards where an employee may require the protection provided by personal protective equipment.
- animals, birds, reptiles
- heavy boxes, crates, packages
- tanks, bins, excavations
- confined spaces
- buildings and structures
- dangerous substances
- mechanical transmission equipment
- electrical apparatus
- fire
- glass
- hand and power tools
- high pressure cleaning
- hoisting apparatus
- machines
- metal processing
- minerals and mineral processing
- paper and pulp processing
- plants, trees, vegetation
- plastics processing
- scrap, debris, waste materials
- steam
- textile processing
- wood processing
- acids
- caustics
- liquids
- gases
- dusts
- fumes
- mists
- vapours
- ionizing and non-ionizing radiation
- noise
- vibration
- sanitation
- ventilation
- natural and industrial extremes of temperatures and pressure
- insects
- mites
- molds
- yeasts
- fungi
- viruses
bacteria