PPE Purchasing Checklist: Are Your Safety Equipment Specifications Up to Date?

1. Start with the Current Workplace Hazards

Review the task before reviewing the product. What could injure the worker, how might exposure occur, and what controls are already in place?

CCOHS recommends identifying hazards and evaluating control options before selecting PPE. Protective equipment remains part of a broader safety program, alongside measures that eliminate or reduce exposure.

Revisit specifications when processes, materials or equipment change. A glove previously approved for dry handling deserves another review if the task now involves a cleaning chemical. For hand protection, Stalwart’s workplace glove selection guide provides a useful starting point.

2. Separate Legal Requirements from Standards

Legislation, consensus standards and company specifications serve different purposes.

Canadian occupational health and safety requirements depend on the jurisdiction and workplace. Standards developed by organizations such as CSA and ANSI generally become legally enforceable when adopted into legislation. Employers may also establish internal purchasing requirements.

Record the applicable requirement and exact standard edition. Avoid vague instructions such as “ANSI compliant” without identifying which standard, classification and performance level the application requires. For Canadian high-visibility apparel, CSA Z96:22 is a relevant reference alongside any applicable legislative and workplace requirements.

3. Check Standard Editions and Product Markings

Compare the purchasing specification with the product label and supporting documentation. ISEA’s current directory lists ANSI/ISEA 105-2024 for hand protection, ANSI/ISEA 138-2019 for impact-resistant gloves and ANSI/ISEA 107-2020 for high-visibility apparel. These references cover different performance characteristics and should not be treated as interchangeable.

Head protection illustrates why reviews matter. Released September 11, ANSI/ISEA Z89.1-2026 retains existing Type and Class classifications while introducing optional Type I+ and Type II+ designations for additional performance. ISEA explicitly states that the revision does not make current compliant head protection obsolete. An older marking warrants checking suitability, condition and applicable requirements rather than automatic rejection.

4. Request Evidence for the Actual Application

Effective PPE selection requires more than a catalogue description. Request product-specific technical information supporting the protection claimed.

Depending on the application, review:

• Gloves: relevant mechanical, thermal or chemical performance data.
• Sleeves: documented protection and required arm coverage.
• High-visibility apparel: standard, classification and garment documentation.
• Protective garments: evidence for the particular exposure involved.
• Eye and head protection: markings and performance information matching the identified hazard.

For chemical gloves, confirm the substance, concentration, contact conditions and manufacturer compatibility data. CCOHS cautions that no single glove material resists every chemical and that performance can vary between manufacturers and constructions.

5. Evaluate Fit and Compatibility Together

A product can meet a performance standard and still fit a particular worker poorly.

Include workers in supervised evaluations of approved options. Check movement, dexterity, comfort and how equipment functions together. CCOHS identifies individual fitting, worker participation and compatibility as important parts of a PPE program.

For example, evaluate glove-and-sleeve coverage during movement. Check high-visibility apparel over seasonal layers and ensure other equipment does not obscure its visible materials. Document the accepted sizes and configurations so purchasing decisions reflect the evaluation.

6. Define Substitution and Replacement Rules

A similar-looking replacement should go through the same approval process as the original product. Compare its documented performance, limitations, fit and care requirements. Assign responsibility for approving substitutions and record the decision before updating the purchasing list.

Specifications should also identify inspection, storage and replacement requirements. Cleaning does not automatically make contaminated PPE suitable for reuse; the contaminant, manufacturer instructions and effectiveness of decontamination must be considered.

7. Keep a Usable Audit Record

For each approved item, record the task, hazards, product code, required performance, supporting documents, sizes, care instructions and approval date. Assign an owner and review date. Reopen the record when conditions change, workers report problems or a supplier proposes an alternative. This turns an audit into a working purchasing reference that supervisors and buyers can use.

Interested in actually putting your PPE review into practice? Download Stalwart Safety’s free, fillable PPE Specification Audit Checklist to document your review, record individual product details, and assign follow-up actions. Complete it digitally or print it for your next purchasing or safety meeting.

Download here: http://snapme.ai/Stalwart-Safety-PPE-Specification-Checklist

Strengthen Your PPE Purchasing with Stalwart Safety

Reviewing industrial safety gloves, sleeves, garments and high-visibility products is easier when the application and requirements are clearly documented.

Stalwart Safety works with distributors and their customers to develop protective solutions for real workplace demands. Explore our safety products and PPE catalogue, then bring your current specifications, application details and unresolved questions to our team.

Contact Stalwart Safety at 844-945-5050 or customerservice@stalwartsafety.com. Let us help you evaluate relevant options and make your next PPE order a better-informed decision.