(1) Application.

(a) Protective equipment, including personal protective equipment for eyes, face, head, and extremities, protective clothing, respiratory devices, and protective shields and barriers, must be provided at no cost to the employee, used, and maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition wherever it is indicated by reason of hazards of processes or environment, chemical hazards, radiological hazards, or mechanical irritants encountered in a manner capable of causing injury or impairment in the function of any part of the body through absorption, inhalation, or physical contact.

(b) Employee-owned equipment. Where employees provide their own protective equipment, you must be responsible to ensure its adequacy, including proper maintenance, and sanitation of such equipment.

(c) Design, construction, testing, and use of personal protective equipment must comply with the requirements of the safety and health core rules, WAC 296-800-160; the Occupational health standards—Safety standards for carcinogens, chapter 296-62 WAC; or the currently applicable ANSI standard.

(2) Eye and face protection. Eye and face protective equipment must be provided and worn where there is exposure in the work process or environment to hazard of injury, which can be prevented by such equipment.

(3) Occupational head protection. Employees working in areas where there is a possible danger of head injury from impact, or from falling or flying objects, or from electrical shock and burns, must be protected by protective helmets, i.e., a lift operator would not be required to use a hardhat while operating the lift. However, if that same person is assisting with maintenance operations and is working under a tower where overhead work is being done, that operator would now be required to wear an approved helmet.

(a) Helmets for the protection of employees against impact and/or penetration of falling and flying objects must meet the specifications contained in American National Standards Institute, Z89.1-1986, Safety Requirements for Industrial Head Protection.

(b) Helmets for the head protection of employees exposed to high voltage electrical shock and burns must meet the specifications contained in American National Standards Institute, Z89.2-1971, Safety Requirements for Industrial Protective Helmets for Electrical Workers, Class B.

(c) Approved head protection must be worn by operators of snowmobiles and other mobile oversnow equipment which is not equipped with a rigid metal operator's cab.

(4) Occupational foot protection.

(a) Substantial footwear appropriate for the work conditions encountered must be worn by all employees.

(b) Where the job assignment includes exposure to slipping hazards, soles and heels of footwear must be of such material and design as to reduce the hazard of slipping.

(5) Requirements for safety belts, lifelines, lanyards, and nets must be in accordance with chapter 296-880 WAC, Unified safety standards for fall protection.