10
4 PROPER USE OF YOUR HAIX
®
NFPA COMPLIANT
FOOTWEAR –
PROTECTING HEALTH CARE WORKERS
FROM OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO BLOOD-BORNE
PATHOGENS
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the U.S. Department of Labor
places the responsibility for selection, approval, maintenance, inspection and training in the
proper use and limitations of safety gear on your department, team, or employer. (Code of Federal
Regulations Volume 29, Section 1910.132, General Requirements of Subpart I, Personal Protective
Equipment). By doing this, OSHA is recognizing a simple truth: how you use your protective
clothing is beyond the manufacturer’s control. Your department or employer controls the
circumstances under which the protective ensemble will be used and is in the better position to
assess the hazards at the emergency scene and to direct the appropriate selection and use of
safety equipment including protective ensembles. Consistent with the OSHA regulations, your
protective ensemble is offered for your department (paid or volunteer), team, or employer to
evaluate and decide for itself whether or not the protective ensemble will provide an acceptable
level of protection for any particular emergency operation. It is recommended that your
department or employer conduct its own testing, evaluation and training in conjunction with
qualified safety experts before issuing protective ensemble elements for use by its members.
Whether to use protective ensemble in a particular incident, whether to enter a particular situation,
whether to remain in a particular situation, and similar decisions are a matter to be decided by
your department or employer at the scene on a case by case basis. Since, obviously, the
manufacturer of your protective ensernble element cannot know in advance all of the many
conditions existing at each scene, the appropriate use of your protective ensemble and its
suitability for that use must be decided by your department or employer at each and every scene.
The manufacturer makes no guarantees or warranties, express or implied, that your protective
ensemble is fit for a particular purpose. (See Warranty Information on inside back cover.) Your
protective ensemble must be used only under the direct supervision of your department or
employer in a manner consistent with NFPA 1581 (Standard on Fire Department Infection Control
Program), NFPA 1500 (Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety Health Program), 29
CFR 1910.132 referenced earlier, and 29 CFR 1910.1030 (Protecting Health Care Workers from
Occupational Exposure to Blood-borne Pathogens.)
This Footwear is designed to provide
LIMITED
protection under the requirements of the NFPA
Standards to the foot, ankle and lower leg against hazards in STRUCTURAL FIRE FIGHTING
OPERATIONS, WILDLAND OPERATIONS, AND NON-FIRE RELATED RESCUE OPERATIONS,
EMERGENCY MEDICAL OPERATIONS, AND VICTIM EXTRICATION, INCLUDING:
• heat and flame,
• liquid splash of 10 common fire ground chemicals
(See Section 10 of this Guide for more information),
• penetration of blood and other body fluids,
• environmental, including moisture and cold weather,
• physical hazards, including puncture, crushing, cuts and abrasion,
• rain and hose steam water
