§ 850.29 Protective clothing and equipment.

(a) The responsible employer must provide protective clothing and equipment to beryllium workers and ensure its appropriate use and maintenance, where dispersible forms of beryllium may contact worker's skin, enter openings in workers' skin, or contact workers' eyes, including where: (1) Exposure monitoring has established that airborne concentrations of beryllium are at or above the action level; (2) Surface contamination levels measured or presumed prior to initiating work are above the level prescribed in § 850.30; (3) Surface contamination levels results obtained to confirm housekeeping efforts are above the level prescribed in § 850.30; and (4) Any beryllium-associated worker who requests the use of protective clothing and equipment for protection against airborne beryllium, regardless of measured exposure levels. (b) The responsible employer must comply with 29 CFR 1910.132, Personal Protective Equipment General Requirements, when workers use personal protective clothing and equipment. (c) The responsible employer must establish procedures for donning, doffing, handling, and storing protective clothing and equipment that: (1) Prevent beryllium workers from exiting areas that contain beryllium with contamination on their bodies or their personal clothing; and (2) Include beryllium workers exchanging their personal clothing for full-body protective clothing and footwear before they begin work in regulated areas. (d) The responsible employer must ensure that no worker removes beryllium-contaminated protective clothing and equipment from areas that contain beryllium, except for workers authorized to launder, clean, maintain, or dispose of the clothing and equipment. (e) The responsible employer must prohibit the removal of beryllium from protective clothing and equipment by blowing, shaking, or other means that may disperse beryllium into the air. (f) The responsible employer must ensure that protective clothing and equipment is cleaned, laundered, repaired, or replaced as needed to maintain effectiveness. The responsible employer must: (1) Ensure that beryllium-contaminated protective clothing and equipment, when removed for laundering, cleaning, maintenance, or disposal, is placed in containers that prevent the dispersion of beryllium dust and that are labeled in accordance with § 850.38 of this part; and (2) Inform organizations that launder or clean DOE beryllium-contaminated protective clothing or equipment that exposure to beryllium is potentially harmful, and that clothing and equipment should be laundered or cleaned in a manner prescribed by the responsible employer to prevent the release of airborne beryllium.