Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) » Donning and Doffing PPE

Properly donning PPE 
1910.269 Photo credit: Oak Ridge National Laboratory

See:

1910.269(l)(2) on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Minimum Approach Distances

1910.269(g)(2) on Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and Fall Protection

Workers must properly don (put on) required PPE before entering an area with a potential hazard that requires the use of the PPE. Workers may not remove (doff) required PPE before leaving the area of exposure. Personnel required to wear PPE need to be instructed in proper donning and doffing techniques and inspection procedures.

Some specific PPE donning and doffing requirements include:

  • A 269-qualified person must don insulating gloves with leather protectors (and sleeves if required) before entering the Minimum Approach Distance (MAD) for the voltage involved. The best practice is for a worker to don the necessary PPE (for example, rubber gloves) before approaching the equipment, while still on the ground, or before leaving the bucket cradle, and wear it until he or she returns to the original location ("Ground-to-Ground" and "Cradle-to-Cradle"). [See 1910.269(l)(2)].

  • An unqualified climber (including trainees) who will be higher than 4 feet off the ground (or next lower level) must don fall protection prior to climbing and doff it when the climb is finished. [See 1910.269(g)(2)].

  • Occupants working from aerial lift trucks (buckets) must wear fall protection. [See 1910.67(c)(2)].