Personal protective equipment (PPE) program

Microsoft establishes the minimum global requirements for the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) at all Microsoft locations. These requirements are intended to be adequate in most situations encountered at Microsoft. Any variation to this global program or creation of a location-specific procedure/plan must be approved through the change management procedure in the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Governance Framework.

This document provides requirements for Microsoft full-time employees (FTEs), interns, and external staff (where applicable) on the use of PPE to control workplace hazards when engineering or administrative controls are not adequate or infeasible. This Program covers selecting, acquiring, using, inspecting, and maintaining common types of PPE.

Microsoft will provide PPE to Microsoft employees and external staff when the risk assessment of the task is conducted and the subsequent need for PPE is determined by Microsoft. However, if the risk assessment is conducted by suppliers or contractors, the prescribed PPE must be provided by the supplier or contractor for their employees. A defined risk assessment process to properly select PPE will be used by all.

The use of respiratory protection presents unique hazards and necessitates implementation of specific program requirements (for example, exposure assessment, medical evaluation, fit-testing, documentation, etc.) that are beyond the scope of this Program. If there is a need to implement a respiratory protection program for Microsoft FTEs, review and approval from the Global OHS team is required, and it must comply with applicable regulations.

2.1 Protective Equipment Selection

Employees may be required to wear PPE from time to time in the course of their work at Microsoft. When PPE is required in a work area, it means that Microsoft has determined that a hazard exists that has not been mitigated with other types of hazard controls. In this case, PPE is a barrier between the employee and the hazard, intended to minimize exposure to the hazard. Examples of PPE include gloves, face shields, safety glasses, ear plugs or muffs, hard hats, respirators, and chemical protective clothing. Results from a risk assessment conducted by a qualified OHS professional familiar with hazards associated with a process or work area should be used to identify and document acceptable PPE. A list of required PPEs should specify performance standards and/or provide acceptable types/makes/models.

The PPE selection process should require that selected PPE meet relevant agency standards (for example, American National Standards Institute (ANSI), EN Standards, ISO Standards, CE, etc.). Whenever possible include employees who may be using the PPE in the selection process. Remember to consider physical differences that may impact fit, such as left- or right-handed. Several styles and sizes of PPE should be made available to employees to ensure it is reasonably comfortable to wear, fits properly, does not interfere with movement or vision, is compatible with other PPE in use, and does not create any additional hazards.

Important considerations:

• PPE is intended as a "last line of defense" and should not be the primary form of protection between a worker and a hazard. OHS Managers must explore and implement elimination or substitution, engineering, and administrative controls whenever possible to mitigate risks before implementing PPE to protect workers. PPE may only be provided as determined by the outcome of the risk assessment for the activity in question.
• Without proper use, maintenance, and inspection, all PPE can degrade or fail, possibly resulting in exposure and adverse health effects for users.
• Use of PPE can harm the user if not worn properly, does not fit, or is used without medical clearance, when required.
• Employees who cannot wear assigned PPE due to religious or medical reasons must work directly with Microsoft OHS and HR to determine appropriate work accommodation.
• If an employee elects to wear PPE voluntarily, even when a hazard assessment shows it is not required, the PPE must be appropriate to the task, and must be worn within manufacturer specifications and in compliance with applicable regulations and these provisions of this document.

2.2 Site Specific PPE Plan

For each Microsoft location, determine the minimum PPE requirements for each work area or task and make this information available to all employees, interns, external staff, and visitors. PPE requirements must be clearly communicated with workers (for example, with signage or posters). It is recommended that locations develop a matrix or table listing the PPE required for each area. This matrix can be prominently displayed to communicate PPE requirements.

2.3 Risk Assessment

Determining appropriate PPE for the task involves a thorough evaluation of the associated health and safety hazards and determining the likelihood of personnel injury from exposure to those hazards. Use Microsoft's Risk Assessment Program to identify hazards and controls to minimize exposure to them.

These risk assessments will usually include:

• Interviewing supervisors, employees, and external staff.

• Observing work practices.

• Reviewing supporting documents that may include applicable regulations and guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs).

• Conducting air and/or surface sampling, where occupational exposure limits are in question or as otherwise necessary.

• Engaging process experts to review the tasks and develop safe work practices for operation and maintenance.

PPE may be used only when there is a documented risk or hazard assessment completed by a competent person with experience/qualifications/authority in the proper selection of PPE.

A risk assessment should be conducted by the OHS Manager or qualified safety professional whenever an employee decides to voluntarily use PPE when none has been prescribed. The assessment must document the risks associated with the voluntary use of PPE to ensure the additional PPE will:

• not create a new/additional hazard;

• not interfere with emergency response and/or communication;

• be used in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions;

• be used in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements;

• will not be incompatible with other required PPE.

Results from this assessment along with any additional requirements must be communicated to the employee electing to voluntarily wear PPE.

The local OHS Manager or a person knowledgeable about the potential risks, who understands the type of PPE available and limitations of its use, must conduct the assessment. The type of PPE and control measures must be reassessed by an OHS professional when:

• Changes are made to job processes that change the hazards.

• Investigations show incidents or near misses have been related to PPE.

Corrective actions are taken in response to an inspection or audit finding that changes the hazard profile. For example, a task that generates dust has been fully enclosed, thereby eliminating the dust exposure and potential need for respiratory protection.

NOTE: Appendix A contains recommendations and additional information on PPE selection.

For more information on the risk assessment process, consult the Microsoft Risk Assessment Program.

2.4 PPE Acquisition

Prior to the purchase of any PPE, the following must be considered:

• Only PPE that meets applicable safety standards (for example, ANSI, EN, ISO, NIOSH, or CE marking) can be approved for purchase.

• Specific questions related to the selection of PPE should be directed to the local OHS Manager or Global OHS.

• For high-risk, nonroutine activities such as working at heights, entering confined spaces, or doing electrical work, Microsoft OHS must be consulted before acquiring any PPE. During the planning process, contact Global OHS prior to proceeding. Managers or supervisors must notify external staff of hazards present in Microsoft work areas and of the minimum PPE requirements.

• Microsoft must provide PPE to employees and external staff (when applicable) whenever Microsoft completes the risk assessment defining the selection of PPE.

• Suppliers and contractors must provide appropriate PPE when the risk assessment calling for PPE is conducted by the supplier or contractor.

2.5 PPE Use

All employees, interns, external staff, and visitors in an area where PPE is required must be notified through signage or digital communication (emails, website postings, etc.) or verbally. Supervisors are responsible for ensuring notification has occurred and been understood.

The following table provides general guidance on PPE selection.

2.6 Inspection and Maintenance

Employees and external staff using PPE must follow these practices:

• PPE may be used only when there is an accompanying risk or hazard assessment that defines the selection of the PPE.

• Employees must not alter or modify PPE except as allowed in manufacturer instructions.

• PPE must be evaluated for wear and defects before and after each use. Any damaged or defective PPE must be immediately removed from service, clearly marked as out-of-use or damaged, and discarded.

• PPE must be used, maintained, cleaned, and stored in accordance with manufacturer instructions, and in a manner that protects against physical damage (heat, cold, abrasion), moisture, dust, or other deteriorating agents.

• Electrical gloves and flame-resistant clothing must be tested by an accredited supplier to verify the protective value at the frequency determined by the manufacturer. Prior to use, the user must confirm testing has been done and is current. For more information, reference NFPA 70E.

2.7 Hazard Warning Signs

Signs must be clearly posted notifying workers of known or anticipated hazards in an area and the required type of PPE to be worn. Use of internationally recognized pictograms, symbols, or icons is recommended.

PPE training is required for all employees, interns, and external staff who use PPE. Requirements include:

• Before beginning work that requires PPE, individuals must demonstrate an understanding of the proper use and limitations of PPE.
• An individual who does not demonstrate the proper use of PPE must be prevented from performing the work activity that requires PPE and must be retrained on how to use the PPE.
• The training program will include information as required by the applicable regulations and describe the following:
  • Contents of the Microsoft Global PPE Program (and any relevant supplements for the location) and where it is located.
  • Specific hazards in the employees' work areas
  • Who must wear PPE, the type required, and under which conditions.
  • How to don, doff, adjust, and wear PPE.
  • Limitations of the PPE.
  • The proper care, maintenance, useful life, and disposal of the PPE.
  • When and how to dispose of PPE.
  • Emergency provisions.
  • Issuance/replacements procedures for company-provided PPE and the site's reimbursement procedure (for example, for safety shoes).
  • Actions to be taken when an employee reports to work without the required PPE.
  • Responsibilities for those making changes or updates to the Global PPE Program and local procedures.

Document training subject(s), attendees, and dates of training. Depending on the type of PPE in use, refresher training may be required. Microsoft Global OHS has defined training to meet the requirements of this Program. To obtain training, contact Global OHS.

Any failure of PPE that results in a known or suspected injury or illness must be reported as an incident to Global OHS via SafetyHub Report. PPE failure that had the potential to result in a workplace injury or illness should be reported as a near miss via SafetyHub Report. This function is also accessible via employees’ Viva Connections dashboard—select the "SafetyHub: Report an Injury or Safety Observation" tile.

If you are unable to access SafetyHub Report, please report the incident through Global OHS.

A detailed description of the incident investigation process can be found in the Microsoft Incident reporting and investigation program.

The initial report of the incident, investigation findings, corrective actions, and current reporting status will be documented in the central incident management tool, Enablon. The Supervisor and Global OHS team will verify the completion of identified corrective actions. They will also communicate the investigation results to any groups exposed to similar hazards or risks.

Each site must maintain and have the following records available for review by Microsoft OHS.

At Microsoft, data and documents are retained in compliance with the retention times set out in our Corporate Retention Schedule.

 Log in to view record retention schedules.

The following terms are used in this document. The definitions below are used in the scope of this document, but local regulatory definitions supersede if there is a conflict.

Administrative areas: Areas within a Microsoft facility or construction site where the risk of injury is minimal, so that PPE is not necessary. Administrative areas typically include offices, corridors, conference rooms, restrooms, and breakrooms.

Administrative controls: The use of management involvement, employee training, job or task rotation, safe work practices, exposure monitoring, or medical surveillance to protect workers from exposures to workplace hazards.

Chemical-resistant gloves: Protective equipment worn over the hands as a barrier when there is a risk of chemical contact with hands. Gloves may be made of rubber, neoprene, nitrile, polyvinyl alcohol, vinyl, or other materials. When selecting chemical-resistant gloves, be sure to consult the manufacturers' recommendations for immersion and breakthrough.

Engineering controls: The elimination of a hazard by means of engineered machinery or equipment. Examples include process change, isolation, ventilation, and source modification.

Face shield: Normally consists of adjustable headgear and transparent barrier to protect the face from contact with chemical splashes or flying debris. The barrier may be constructed of tinted or transparent acetate or polycarbonate materials, or wire screen. Face shields are available in various sizes, tensile strength, impact or heat resistance, and light ray filtering capacity.

Goggles: Eye protection of soft pliable body design that prevents splash or vapor hazards from contacting the eye. They are available with clear or tinted lenses, perforated, port vented, or nonvented frames.

Hard hat: A lightweight protective helmet, usually of metal or reinforced plastic, worn by workers in industrial settings. A hard hat is a type of helmet predominately used in workplace environments such as construction sites to protect the head from injury, such as from falling objects. 

Personal protective equipment (PPE): Specialized clothing or equipment worn by an employee for protection against workplace hazards. Examples include safety glasses or goggles, respirators, hard hats, hearing protection, gloves, impermeable or fire-retardant clothing, and protective boots.

Respirator: Any device, worn over the nose and mouth, designed to prevent the wearer from inhaling hazardous constituents present in ambient air.

Safety boots: Boots designed to protect feet from physical hazards.

Safety glasses: Protective eyeglasses made with safety frames, tempered glass or plastic lenses, and temples and side shields that provide eye protection from moderate impact and particles encountered in job tasks such as carpentry, woodworking, grinding, and scaling. 

Steel-toed boots: Durable boots (sometimes safety boots and often with composite or ceramic toe boxes) made of leather or rubber with a reinforced toe to protect the foot against falling objects. They also often have steel inserts in their soles to prevent punctures from below.

Steel-reinforced safety shoes: Shoes designed to protect feet from common machinery hazards such as falling or rolling objects, cuts, and punctures. The entire toe box and insole are reinforced with steel, and the instep is protected by steel, aluminum, or plastic materials.

8.1 Microsoft Internal

Microsoft internal safety programs can be accessed at SafetyHub Programs and Guidance and Microsoft Supplier Code of Conduct and training. 

8.2 Microsoft External

• OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.132, Personal Protective Equipment 

• OSHA, 29 CFR 1910 Subpart I App B, Non-mandatory Compliance Guidelines for Hazard Assessment and Personal Protective Equipment Selection

• Washington, WAC 296-800-160, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Cal/OSHA, 8 CCR § 3380, Personal Safety Devices and Safeguards

• ANSI/ASSE Z87.1-2003, Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices 

• ANSI Z41.1-1991, American National Standard for Personal Protection-Protective Footwear

• European Directive: Consolidated TEXT: 32003L0010 — EN — 26.07.2019 (europa.eu)

The information in the following table provides guidance on PPE required for a variety of hazard-specific tasks. A competent professional knowledgeable about the task or work area must complete a risk assessment to identify the required PPE. PPE will be used only after conducting a risk assessment. The local OHS Manager or Global OHS should be consulted with any questions about PPE including selection, maintenance, and use.