Section 39.25. Apparel

(a) General. Superfluous material and loose fitting clothing should be avoided in the presence of a hazard from moving machine parts. Excessively wide or long aprons should not be worn around moving machinery. Aprons should never be tied on with wire and should be but lightly secured, so that they may be easily torn loose by hand. In the presence of a fire hazard, aprons of nonflammable material should be used.

(b) Head coverings. Persons working in shops around machinery which presents a hair-catching hazard should wear caps or other types of head covering. Caps should also be worn if there is danger of the hair-catching fire. Caps with metal buttons or metal visors should not be worn around electrical hazards. Women working about machines should wear caps at all times.

(c) Footwear. For normal shop wear, shoes with unbroken soles and low or medium height broad heels should be used. If there is a possibility of heavy objects dropping on the feet, the toes should be boxed or reinforced. For hazardous occupations, such as the handling of hot metal, acids, caustics, electric current, and hot substances, or other objects offering a burning hazard to the feet, specially adapted types of footwear are available and should be worn.

(d) Leg protection. Protective leg covering (clothing or devices) should be worn when handling hot metals, acids, caustics or other hot or cold substances offering a burning or scalding hazard. The material of which they are made should be determined by the nature of the product being handled. Full length leg or body protection should be used if the nature of the operation presents a full length leg or body hazard. The method of fastening all protective leg covering should be such as to permit instantaneous removal.

(e) Hand or arm protection. Unless the hands come close to rotating or otherwise moving machine parts, gloves, mitts, hand pads, or other hand or arm protection should be worn when handling objects with sharp edges or which contain splinters, fins, slivers, or similar dangerous projecting parts. The material used and the shape and style of the gloves, mitts, or hand pads should be determined by the nature of the operation and the hazard against which it is desired to project. Gloves or other hand or arm protection against heat or fire, hot or corrosive substances, electricity or similar hazards, such as the handling of plates of glass, should be long enough to cover the space between the wrist and the end of the shirt or coat sleeve.

(f) Flammable attire. Articles of wearing apparel or personal adornment, including spectacle rims, collars, eye shades, or cap visors, composed principally of some form of cellulose should not be worn in the presence of a spark or fire hazard. Clothing rendered quickly flammable by grease or other substances should also not be worn by persons exposed to a fire hazard.

(g) Head and eye protection. Goggles or other forms of head and eye protection should be worn during the performance of all operations involving hazard to the head or eyes. Subchapter C (relating to head and eye protection) should also be complied with.

(h) Sterilization before interchange. The interchange of personal protective devices among employes without first having been sterilized should be avoided.

(i) Lifebelts. All persons working aloft should be required to wear lifebelts properly secured when exposed to a falling hazard.

(j) Special requirements for women. All industrial plants employing women should conform to the following, in addition to the other requirements of this section:

(1) Work dresses should suit the job to be safe.

(2) Jewelry should be prohibited on the job.

(3) Correct footwear should include well-fitted shoes with low heels and good soles. If the job requires it, safety shoes should be worn.

(4) Any industry employing women where exposures to hazard such as corrosive substances, alkalies, or acids, cuts, dermatitis, falling objects, falls or slips, flying particles, hot liquids, hot materials, moisture, punctures and blows, rough, sharp objects, or spark explosions exist should consult the Department in regard to proper clothing for their workers.