PPE Selection by Task Reference

Why this matters

Wrong PPE = injury. Right PPE = career protection. OSHA mandates specific PPE by task; most trades violate at some point + face injury or fine. Tradesmen who consistently wear right PPE work decades; those who don't accumulate injuries that end careers early. This is the field card.

PPE categories

Head: hard hat (impact), bump cap (light impact), welding helmet. Eyes/face: safety glasses (general), goggles (chemical/splash/dust), face shield (grinding/splash/arc), welding lens. Hearing: foam earplugs (general loud), ear muffs (very loud), dual (extreme). Respiratory: N95 (dust, mold), N100/P100 (oil-mist, fine particles), half-face cartridge (vapors), full-face cartridge (vapors + eye), SCBA (oxygen-deficient). Hand: cotton/leather (general), cut-resistant (sharp), chemical-resistant (solvents), anti-vibration (long power tool use), electrically-insulated (live electrical). Body: work clothing, high-vis vest (traffic), coveralls (paint/chemicals), Tyvek (asbestos/fiberglass/lead), welder's leather. Foot: steel-toe (impact), composite-toe (lighter non-metallic), slip-resistant, insulated (cold), dielectric (electrical EH-rated), puncture-resistant. Fall protection: full-body harness, shock-absorbing lanyard, SRL, rated anchor points.

PPE by trade-specific task

HVAC: equipment work → glasses + gloves; sheet metal → eye + gloves + hearing; refrigerant → eye + chemical-resistant gloves + respirator if vapor; brazing → welding glasses + gloves + jacket; attic → insulation respirator + eye + gloves; above 6 ft → fall protection.

Plumbing: pipe cutting → eye + gloves; drain cleaning → eye + gloves + splash protection; sewer (open) → Tyvek + gloves + respirator + eye; brazing → welding glasses + gloves + jacket; crawl space → coveralls + respirator + eye + gloves; confined space → per 1910.146; septic → Tyvek + gloves + respirator + eye.

Electrical: general → glasses + light gloves; energized panel → Class 1 rubber gloves (1,000V) + arc-rated clothing; cable pulling → cut-resistant gloves + eye; hot work live → arc flash suit + face shield + voltage-rated gloves + EH boots; service entrance → arc-rated PPE + dielectric gloves + face shield.

Roofing: walking → slip-resistant boots + fall protection if > 6 ft; shingle removal → eye + gloves + asphalt/dust respirator; hot work → welding glasses + jacket + respirator; tear-off → Tyvek (asbestos?) + respirator + gloves; heights → harness + lanyard + anchor.

Painting: latex roll/brush → vapor respirator + gloves + eye; oil/lacquer spray → organic cartridge respirator + eye + Tyvek; sanding → dust respirator + eye + gloves; lead (RRP) → HEPA respirator + Tyvek + gloves + eye + foot covers; chemical stripping → cartridge respirator + chemical gloves + eye + Tyvek.

Demolition / heavy: sledgehammer → hard hat + eye + hearing + gloves + boots; grinder → face shield + hearing + leather gloves + sleeves; power saw → eye + hearing + gloves + slip-resistant; concrete cutting → silica respirator + eye + hearing + gloves; lead demolition → Tyvek + respirator + foot covers + eye; asbestos → asbestos-rated respirator + Tyvek + abatement-certified.

General: yard/outdoor → boots + sun hat + bug spray + water; cold weather → insulated gloves + layers + hat; driving → seatbelt + sober; customer-in-home → boot covers + respect space.

OSHA mandatory PPE

Hard hat required on construction sites, falling-object risk, work below others. Safety glasses for cutting/grinding/drilling, chemical work, hammering. Hearing protection for >85 dB sustained (power tools, generators, compressors). Respirator for visible airborne hazards + specific chemicals per SDS (fit-tested + certified). Fall protection above 6 ft (construction) or 4 ft (general industry).

Respirator selection

N95 (disposable filtering facepiece): particulate ≤ 0.3 micron, 95% filtration, general dust + spores, cheap, doesn't filter vapors. N100 / P100: 99.97% filtration, lead/asbestos/mold remediation. Half-face elastomeric: replaceable cartridges, better fit + reusable, cartridge for specific hazards. Full-face: eyes + lungs protected, better seal, reusable.

Cartridge color code: black = organic vapors (paint, solvents), white = acid gas, yellow = combo OV + acid gas, magenta = P100 particulate, green = ammonia, orange = chlorine. Don't reuse beyond manufacturer specs - cartridge time-limited.

Fit testing + medical clearance

OSHA requirement for tight-fitting respirators (half + full face):

• Medical clearance (annual)
• Fit testing (annual)
• Training on use + limitations
• Maintenance + storage

Filtering facepiece (N95): only fit testing required (no medical).

Beards + respirators: clean-shaven required for tight-fitting; gaiter style for limited use.

Workplace specific PPE

Roof / ladder work: harness + anchor + lanyard.

Trenching: hard hat + steel-toe + slip-resistant.

Welding: welding helmet + welding gloves + welding jacket + boots.

Hot work (cutting, welding): leather + flame-resistant fabric.

Asbestos abatement: full PPE + decontamination procedures (RRP cert).

Lead remediation: full PPE + HEPA respirator + decon (RRP cert).

Confined space: SCBA OR supplied air + harness + retrieval line.

Common PPE mistakes

No protection at all (lazy + injury).

Wrong PPE for task: dust mask where vapor respirator needed.

Damaged PPE: cracked glasses, holey gloves, worn boots.

Improper fit: respirator with leaks; helmet too small.

Reusing disposable: N95 worn day after day → loses fit + filtration.

Not training: PPE only effective with proper use.

Skipping fit testing: respirator may leak.

Working alone in high-risk environment: no second person to help in emergency.

PPE budget

Per-tech annual PPE budget (typical residential service):

Total.

Worth it: one workers' comp claim costs employer +. PPE prevents most.

Hand tool PPE specifically

Power tool operations:

• Eye + hearing always
• Gloves NOT recommended for rotating tools (chuck can grab glove)
• Cut-resistant for blade work
• Respirator for dust-generating

Hand tools:

• Gloves OK
• Eye when striking
• Hearing when loud

PPE inspection + replacement

Before each use:

• Visible damage
• Cracks, tears, holes
• Worn fasteners
• Date markings (expired?)

Replace:

• Hard hat: every 5 years OR after impact
• Safety glasses: when scratched OR cracked
• Gloves: when holed
• Boots: when worn through
• Respirator filters: per manufacturer (typical 30-day daily use)
• Fall protection: per manufacturer (typically 5-year max)

References

• OSHA 1910.132 - 138 (PPE general industry)
• OSHA 1926.95 - 107 (PPE construction)
• ANSI Z87.1 (eye + face)
• ANSI S3.19 (hearing)
• ANSI Z89.1 (head)
• ANSI Z89.1 boots ratings
• NIOSH respirator certification
• Manuall internal: OSHA Quick Reference, First Aid + AED Jobsite