EHS-02 Personal Protective Equipment

Revision 6 · Effective 2026-04-06

1 Purpose

This procedure defines the personal protective equipment (PPE) required in each area of the Wichita plant, how it is issued and how it is cared for.

2 Scope

Applies to all employees, contractors and visitors at the Wichita plant. The Overland Park sales office has no PPE areas; sales staff visiting the plant follow this procedure.

3 Definitions

• Yellow line: The painted floor line marking the boundary of the production floor. Office areas, the front lobby and marked aisles in front of the offices are outside the yellow line.
• Safety glasses: Eyewear marked ANSI Z87.1 with side shields (permanent or attached).
• Cut-resistant gloves: Gloves rated ANSI/ISEA 105 cut level A4 or higher.

4 Responsibilities

• EHS Coordinator performs PPE hazard assessments, selects PPE and maintains this procedure.
• Supervisors enforce PPE use and stop work when PPE is missing.
• Employees and contractors wear the required PPE, inspect it before use and replace damaged items.
• Front desk issues visitor safety glasses and records visitors.

5 PPE Requirements

5.1 General rules

• Safety glasses (ANSI Z87.1 with side shields) are required everywhere past the yellow line on the production floor, at all times, including when walking through.
• Safety-toe shoes are required in all production and shipping areas.
• Hearing protection is required in Bay 2 (grinding and saws), where noise levels exceed 85 dBA.
• Cut-resistant gloves (ANSI A4) are required for deburring and handling sharp parts.
• No gloves of any kind may be worn near rotating spindles or drill presses. Gloves can be caught and pull the hand into the machine. Remove gloves before reaching toward any running spindle, chuck or drill.
• A face shield worn over safety glasses is required for grinding, including bench and pedestal grinders.

5.2 PPE by area

Area	Safety glasses	Safety-toe shoes	Hearing protection	Other
Bay 1 receiving and shipping dock	Required	Required	-	Cut gloves when opening banded crates
Bay 2 grinding and saws	Required	Required	Required (>85 dBA)	Face shield for grinding; no gloves at drill presses
Bay 3 MRB cage and receiving inspection	Required	Required	-	Cut gloves for sharp parts
Bay 4 metrology lab	Required	Required	-	Part handling per WI-210
Bay 5 5-axis and horizontal machining	Required	Required	-	No gloves near rotating spindles; cut gloves only with spindle stopped
Bay 6 mechanical assembly	Required	Required	-	Cut gloves for deburr; FOD rules in QP-7.7
Bay 7 final inspection and packaging	Required	Required	-	FOD rules in QP-7.7

5.3 FOD-critical areas

In Bays 6 and 7, PPE must be secured so nothing can fall into product: earplugs must be corded, clip-on lenses must be tethered, and badges may not be worn on clips. See QP-7.7 for the full FOD rules.

6 Issue and Replacement

6.1 Issued PPE

Tallgrass provides safety glasses, hearing protection, face shields and gloves at no cost. Replacement PPE is available from the PPE vending cabinets in Bay 2 and Bay 5 and from supervisors. Damaged or scratched glasses must be replaced before continuing work.

6.2 Safety-toe shoes

Employees are reimbursed up to $125 per calendar year for safety-toe shoes meeting ASTM F2413. Submit the receipt to HR.

6.3 Prescription safety glasses

Employees who need vision correction are enrolled in the prescription safety glasses program, with an allowance of $150 every 2 years at the company's optical vendor. Prescription glasses must be Z87.1 rated with side shields. Regular prescription glasses are not safety glasses; employees waiting for prescription safety glasses wear over-the-glasses safety goggles from the vending cabinet.

6.4 Visitors

Visitors receive visitor safety glasses at the front desk and are escorted past the yellow line. Visitors without safety-toe shoes stay in marked aisles. Contractors provide their own safety-toe shoes and follow EHS-04.

7 Training

Employees receive PPE training at hire and when assigned to a new area. Bay 2 employees are enrolled in the hearing conservation program, including annual audiometric testing; results are kept in the medical file per HR-230.

8 Records

PPE hazard assessments are certified by the EHS Coordinator and kept on the Operations SharePoint site. PPE training is recorded on F-620-02 per QP-6.2.

9 Revision history

Rev	Date	Change	Approved by
4	2022-03-07	Added hearing protection requirement for Bay 2.	Carl Brandt
5	2024-04-01	Cut-resistant gloves raised from A3 to A4; added no-gloves rule near drill presses.	Carl Brandt
6	2026-04-06	Added face shield for grinding and PPE-by-area table; prescription safety glasses allowance raised to $150 every 2 years; visitor glasses issued at front desk.	Margaret Lindqvist