Personal protective equipment requirements

Illinois DOT requires its employees to wear:

Hard hats: All supervisors are mandated to wear and require their employees to wear protective hard hats/caps when they are in an area where there is potential for injury from falling, moving, swinging, or flying objects.

Safety glasses: Eye protection such as safety glasses, goggles, or face protectors shall be worn when observing, performing, or assisting with any operation where danger of injury to the eye or face may occur.

Safety shoes: Safety-toe footwear as defined in Department’s Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual shall be worn by employees as a contractual requirement and/or by employees engaged in operations where the danger of injury to the foot may occur. Casual style footwear such as canvas, slip-ons, and loafers are not acceptable footwear for normal maintenance, construction, materials testing, and materials handling activities.

Safety vests: All employees engaged in ground-level field activities on or within 25 feet of a pavement open to traffic shall wear high-visibility orange vests or approved high-visibility orange outer garments. Flaggers shall wear high-visibility vests at all times. The department purchases IDOT vests for employees. If they desire, employees may also purchase and wear similar designed t-shirts or sweatshirts.

More information are included in IDOT’s Employee Safety Code, Chapter 24.