Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 (Act No. 85 of 1993)RegulationsRegulations for Hazardous Chemical Agents, 202011. 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. |