Fire Extinguisher/Range Hood Technicians face unique hazards as they perform service work in customer facilities, as well as when recharging pressurized fire protection systems at workstations located within the customer facility, at the VSC warehouse, or in a mobile workstation. When conducting this type of service work the following information provides the minimum PPE to use.
PPE
Requirements
Hard Hats
Hard Hat required when:
Working with contents under pressure.
When pressurizing contents.
Working in environments with the potential for your head to make physical contact with overhead objects or to be struck by a falling object(s).
Required by the owner or contractor.
Eye/Face Protection
Protection required when conducting tasks or operating equipment that have the potential for eye injury.
Face Shield & Safety Glasses must be worn when charging suppression systems.Goggles must be worn when refilling Kitchen Suppression Cylinders.Chemical Goggles must be worn when charging fire extinguishers.Goggles must be located in designated charging station at all times.
Prescription Lenses If employees wear prescription lenses, protection shall be afforded as follows:
Wear eye protection equipment over the prescription lenses without disturbing the proper position of the prescription lenses. Per OSHA, VSC will provide the eye protection equipment. This may include goggles or face shield.Use prescription lensed safety glasses. In accordance with OSHA requirements, employees who select this option are responsible for the expense to purchase the prescription safety glasses, which shall be safety rated lenses with side shields.
Respiratory and Skin Protection
N95 Dust Mask – when charging fire extinguishers. Note: Individual masks will be located in the designated charging station at all times for each employee engaged in charging process.
Charging suppression systems – you must wear respiratory protection stated in the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for the specific chemical(s) used in the charging process.
For protection against skin exposure while charging suppression systems, employees will comply with all protection requirements established by the SDS for the specific chemical(s) used.
Wear nitrile, latex or similar gloves and coveralls to prevent skin contact with dry chemical agent(s).
Hand Protection
At minimum, Type 2 cut resistant gloves are required when:
Handling materials with sharp or pointed edges.
Moving and sorting through material by hand in vehicles or tool box to access items.
Using blades, knives or other sharp edged instruments.
Reaching into or climbing in overhead areas with inadequate lighting or visual obstructions.
Protective Footwear
Wear impact resistant safety toed footwear per ANSI Z41.Never permitted: Tennis shoes or open-toed style shoes.
Note: Where the job task involves exposure or contact with electrical panels, wiring or any other conductive electrical device(s), footwear must be non-conductive. No steel-toed footwear allowed.
Additional Requirements
Technicians who perform tasks involved with cleaning, maintenance and refilling extinguishers at VSC facilities must do so in a designated workstation isolated from other shop activities and personnel.
When working within any customer facility employees will comply, at minimum, with the PPE requirements that exist at that facility provided those minimums are not less than the applicable OSHA regulations.
Technicians assigned to construction projects will follow PPE requirements established for work at that construction project site, as long as requirements do not violate applicable OSHA regulations.
