EMPLOYEE IDENTIFICATION &
PROTECTIVE PURCHASES POLICY

Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment

Personal protective clothing and equipment are items purchased for employee use to protect DNR staff from exposure to hazardous conditions and weather. These items provide appropriate protection to employees in the course of their daily work duties including outdoors and laboratory work on an as needed basis. Below is a list of approved items that are in this category. Similar protective items may also be considered as long as they meet the need of personal protection.

The Sub-Object Code of expense for personal protective clothing and equipment is 218-03.

In order to provide appropriate protection to DNR employees, the following items are appropriate to be provided as needed by the Department to the employees:

Steel Toe Shoes/Boots and Safety Shoes
Rain Gear including hats, coats, pants, and ponchos
Cold Weather/Winter Wear Clothing
Dust/Particle Masks
Protective Glasses/Goggles
Face Shield/Guards
Hard Hats and other Protective Head Gear
Chaps/Other Items of Clothing for Use with Chain Saws and Related Equipment
Burn Suits and Other Clothing for Wildfires and Controlled Burns
Brush Pants
Ear Protection/Muffs
Gloves, Rubber, Leather, etc. for chemicals, weather exposure, exposure to equipment
Coveralls
Personal Floatation Device/Float Coats
Waders/Boots for wet areas
Vests, both protective and orange including bullet-proof
Neck Shrouds
Respirators
Gas Monitor Detectors
FCC Required RF Monitors

Wearing Apparel for Volunteers and Uncompensated Individuals

Volunteers and uncompensated individuals that are formally enlisted to perform specific functions for the department in areas that would not otherwise be completed and are in need of appropriate identification may be provided with apparel that identifies them to the public as a department representative.

OBM has established the new Sub-Object Code 217-03 to accommodate these identification apparel purchases for volunteers and uncompensated individuals performing functions, activities, events, training, interpretive, etc., services.

Wearing Apparel for DNR Employee Identification

It is appropriate for compensated department employees (permanent and seasonal), that interact with the public on a daily basis, to be provided with wearing apparel with appropriate department or division identification. These are non-uniform items and may include t-shirts, golf shirts, hats, etc. The purchases must demonstrate a legitimate public benefit and be limited to those employees that perform work, as part of their normal duties, where it is beneficial to be identified to the public.

Purchases of approved uniforms for commissioned law enforcement officers, including exempt supervisors, for public identification purposes are appropriate.

Purchases of identifying apparel for employees for major public events such as the Ohio State Fair, boat shows, public meetings, Farm Science Review, and Fish Ohio are appropriate.

Purchases of identifying apparel for employees on assignments to directly educate the public where the public needs to identify a DNR employee are appropriate.

Purchases of lapel pins for identification purposes are appropriate.

OBM has established the new Sub-Object Code 217-04 to accommodate these identification apparel purchases for employees. Refer to the attached language for this new sub-object Code.

OBM will approve these purchases if the following is met:

• The purchase must demonstrate a business purpose and provide a legitimate public benefit.
• The purpose/reason must be clearly indicated on an attachment to the voucher.

Purchases of identifying apparel for employees for county, state, and national meetings and conferences as well as for office employees that make infrequent contact with the public in the field are not appropriate. Thus, purchases for Fountain Square office employees on temporary assignments in the field or for employee/team recognition would not be appropriate.

Purchases of Apparel and Other Items for Resale to Employees

Divisions may purchase for resale to employees, at cost plus sales tax, wearing apparel for identification purposes and other promotional items. Shirts, hats, jackets and limited merchandise may be sold to division employees at the division's cost of the product plus tax. This allows employees an affordable means to acquire apparel for personal benefit and non-uniform, non-mandated events.

The Sub-Object Code of expense for items for resale is within the 653 series.

Purchases of Promotional Items

The purchase of promotional merchandise of a nominal value for the free distribution to the general public is appropriate in some situations. Promotional items, such as mugs, lapel pins, and key chains, etc. may be purchased on a very limited basis that is for specific public marketing purposes of special events and occasions. The items are meant to be for public and not for distribution to employees. These purchases should be made with consideration for reasonable/nominal cost, good judgment, and public perception.

The Sub-Object Code of expense for the purchase of promotional items is 283-03. OBM will approve these purchases if the following is met:

• The purchase must demonstrate a business purpose and provide a legitimate public benefit.
• The purpose/reason and occasion must be clearly indicated on an attachment to the voucher.

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