On-the-Job Safety Starts Here
Create a safer workplace with first aid kits, personal protective equipment (PPE) and other safety products. As your single-source supplier of essential safety products, HD Supply has everything you need to protect against falls, burns and other hazards.
Use our insights and business resources to help safeguard your workspace, occupants and staff.
Respiratory Protection Standards
Follow respiratory protection standards set by The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to:
- Ensure the correct respirators are used
- Protect against exposure to harmful air contaminants
- Provide sufficient oxygen during use
- Prevent cancer and other serious illnesses
When to Use Respirators
OSHA states that respirators must be used to protect employees from breathing contaminated and/or oxygen-deficient air when effective engineering controls are not feasible, or while they are being instituted.1 When it is not possible to control or contain airborne contaminants, keep need respirators on hand.
However, no respirator can fully protect workers from breathing in contaminants. For that reason, it’s important to have the correct respirators for each situation.
Hand Protection & Glove Standards
OSHA also requires hand and arm protection for workers who are exposed to hazards "that cannot be completely eliminated through other means." Follow OSHA protective glove standards and ratings to protect against:
- Harmful substance absorption through skin
- Chemical and thermal burns
- Electrical dangers
- Bruises, abrasions, cuts and punctures
- Fractures and amputations
Remember gloves don’t work for all hazards. Choose gloves based on the job type and hazards.
Glove Ratings & Standards
The American National Standard Institute (ANSI) released Hand Protection Selection Criteria. Known as ANSI/ISEA 105-2011, this criteria helps:
- Choose gloves that properly protect against workplace hazards
- Provide a "numeric-scale method for manufacturers to rate their products against certain contaminants and exposures"3
First Aid Kit Compliance
Did you know that 5,333 workers died on the job in 2019?1 With the right first aid kits and supplies, you can be better prepared to protect your team. First aid kits should comply with OSHA and ANSI standards.
First Aid Compliance Tips
According to OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.151, you must provide readily accessible first aid supplies in adequate quantities. First aid training and supplies should be tailored to the hazards of your specific workplace.
First Aid Training & PPE
- At least one team member must be trained in first aid, if your workplace is not close to a clinic or hospital. You must provide appropriate PPE for this team member.
- Employees should not have to travel up or down stairs, through multiple hallways or from building to building to reach a first aid kit.
- If personnel drive on the job, they should have a first aid kit in the vehicle.
Factors for Determining Number & Location of Kits
- Number of on-site employees—higher the number, the more kits required
- Number, size and complexity of floors—at least one kit on each floor where employees work
- Floors larger in size should have one kit at each end
- Floors with complex layouts should have several kits in visible locations
- The level of hazard risk for the workplace
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Summary, 2019”. 2020.
- EHS Today. “Standard Gives Employers, Employees a Hand With Protection”. 2000.
Disclaimers
- *The comments above are guidelines only. It is the employer’s responsibility to determine how to comply with local, state and federal laws and meet the unique characteristics of their workplace environment.
- **The regulations listed above are not intended to be all-inclusive. Other specific requirements may apply based on the location of each workplace.