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Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 (Act No. 85 of 1993)

Regulations

Regulations for Hazardous Chemical Agents, 2020

11. Personal protective equipment and facilities

 

(1) If it is not reasonably practicable to ensure that the exposure of an employee is adequately controlled as contemplated in regulation 10, the employer must—
(a) in the case of an airborne HCA, provide the employee with suitable respiratory protective equipment and protective clothing; and
(b) in the case of an HCA which can be absorbed through the skin, provide the employee with suitable non-HCA impermeable protective equipment.

 

(2) Where respiratory protective equipment is provided, the employer must ensure—
(a) that the relevant equipment is capable of controlling the exposure to below the OEL for the relevant HCA;
(b) that the relevant equipment is correctly selected and properly used;
(c) that information, instructions, training and supervision, which is necessary with regard to the use of the equipment, is known to the employee; and
(d) that the equipment is kept in good condition and efficient working order.

 

(3) An employer must, as far as is reasonably practicable—
(a) not issue any used personal protective equipment to an employee, unless the relevant protection equipment is decontaminated and sterilised;
(b) provide separate containers or storage facilities for personal protective equipment when not in use; and
(c) ensure that all personal protective equipment not in use is stored in only the place provided therefor.

 

(4) An employer must, as far as is reasonably practicable, ensure that all contaminated personal protective equipment is cleaned and handled in accordance with the following procedures:
(a) Where personal protective equipment is cleaned on the premises of an employer, care must be taken to prevent contamination during handling, transport and cleaning;
(b) where personal protective equipment is sent off the premises to a contractor for cleaning purposes, the equipment must be packed in impermeable containers;
(c) the impermeable containers must be tightly sealed and must have a clear indication thereon that the contents thereof are contaminated; and
(d) the relevant contractor must be fully informed of the requirements of these regulations and of the precautions that must be taken for handling contaminated personal protective equipment.

 

(5) Subject to the provisions of subregulation (4)(b), an employer must ensure that no person removes dirty or contaminated personal protective equipment from the premises: Provided that where contaminated personal protective equipment has to be disposed of, it is treated as HCA waste as contemplated in regulation 15.

 

(6) Subject to the provisions of the Facilities Regulations, an employer must, where reasonably practicable, provide an employee who is using personal protective equipment, as contemplated in subregulation (1), with—
(a) adequate washing facilities, which are readily accessible and located in an area where the facilities will not become contaminated, in order to enable an employee to meet a standard of personal hygiene consistent with the adequate control of exposure, and to avoid the spread of an HCA;
(b) two separate lockers, separately labelled "protective clothing" and "personal clothing", and ensure that the clothing is kept separately in the locker concerned; and
(c) separate "clean" and "dirty" change rooms if the employer uses or processes an HCA to the extent that the HCA could endanger the health of persons outside of the workplace.