What is the minimum personal protective equipment required for Con Edison employees?

• A. Gloves and earplugs.
• B. A bicycle helmet and safety vest.
• C. Safety shoes, hardhat, eye protection, and fire-resistant clothing (where applicable).
• D. No PPE is required.

Answer: (C)

PPE is the baseline protection you wear to guard against the common hazards in electrical field work. The minimum set focuses on protecting the most at-risk areas: head, feet, eyes, and skin from burns.

Safety shoes provide foot protection against heavy objects, punctures, and some electrical hazards. A hard hat protects the head from falling objects and impacts, and many hard hats also offer electrical protection ratings for certain tasks. Eye protection keeps eyes safe from flying debris, chemical splashes, and arc-flash-related hazards. Fire-resistant clothing, when there’s a real risk of arc flash or flame exposure, helps reduce burn injuries to the body.

The other options miss essential protections or use inappropriate gear (like a bicycle helmet), and saying no PPE is required ignores the hazards present in electrical work.