Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) protects workers from injury at work. Unsurprisingly, injuries and fatalities are most common in the construction industry: other sectors with high incidences are agriculture, manufacturing and service industries.
Aside from the human cost, there is a huge financial cost. annually PPE-related accidents cost £252 million. Failure to make a provision for PPE costs business approximately £49 million and failure to implement the use of it costs £65 million. Much of this is avoidable.
What is PPE?
The Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 2002 define PPE as all equipment, including clothing, that will protect the user against health or safety risks at work. It can include items such as safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, high-visibility clothing, footwear and safety harnesses. PPE also includes respiratory protective equipment (RPE) to protect workers from breathing in dust, mist, gas or fumes.
Why is it Important?
Even with good and effective management of health and safety issues, it is impossible to eliminate the risk of a workplace accident. Hazards can include electrical shocks, chemical splashes, excessive noise, cuts and burns and exposure to gases. Alongside other control measures, PPE should be used to further minimise any risks.
Should Employers Provide PPE?
Providing suitable protective equipment is a legal requirement under the regulations.
Employers are also required to:
- Properly assess PPE before use to make sure it is fit for purpose: Users should know they must report any fault or loss immediately.
- Ensure PPE is maintained and stored properly: Planning how reusable PPE should be stored correctly, laundered and maintained when not in use is also of paramount importance.
- Provide users with instructions on how to use it safely: All users should be trained on how to use protective equipment, explaining when it should be used and why.
- Ensure it is used as instructed. It is the responsibility of management to ensure all staff understand the importance of wearing PPE, particularly for jobs that will “only take a couple of minutes.”
Relevant safety signs are a useful reminder of when and how PPE should be worn.
How Often Does PPE Need Replacing?
It is also important to ensure you have replacement PPE available if needed together with a stock of relevant disposable PPE for any visitors to your workplace who may need protective clothing. It is the duty of the manager to provide PPE.
The first step is deciding what equipment is appropriate for your organisation.
Selecting PPE
Your risk assessment should consider who is exposed to hazards and what they are exposed to, how long, and how much. You can then decide whether PPE is necessary. It should never be used as the only control measure but can be used to support other controls which should be used in the following order:
- Elimination – physically remove the hazard
- Substitution – replace the hazard
- Engineering controls – isolate people from the hazard
- Administrative controls – change the way people work
- PPE – protect the worker with equipment
Remember: PPE should always be the last resort to protect against risks.
What Should You Look For When Choosing PPE Products?
- Ensure products are CE or UKCA marked in accordance with the PPE regulations.
- Make sure you choose equipment to suit the user: size, weight and fit of the equipment should all be considered.
- If the user will be wearing more than one item of protective equipment at the same time, make sure they are compatible to use together. For instance, choose hard hats and ear defenders carefully to make sure they can be worn together and are both effective.
- Always check the PPE you select is the appropriate one for the hazard.
- Suppliers can advise about the suitability of the PPE available.
Different Types of PPE
Head Protection:
Helmets/Hard Hats: Protects against impacts, falling objects, and electrical hazards (e.g., construction helmets, electrical helmets with insulation).
Bump Caps: Lighter head protection for environments with minor impact hazards.
Eye and Face Protection:
Safety Glasses: Shields the eyes from flying debris, dust, and chemical splashes.
Goggles: Provides a seal around the eyes for better protection against chemical splashes, dust, and impacts.
Face Shields: Protects the face from chemical splashes, heat, and flying debris.
Welding Shields: Protects against intense light and sparks during welding.
Hearing Protection:
Earplugs: Inserted into the ear canal to reduce noise levels.
Earmuffs: Covers the ears to reduce noise levels, often used in combination with helmets.
Respiratory Protection:
Dust Masks: Protects against dust and other airborne particles.
Respirators: Protects against gases, vapours, and more dangerous particulates (e.g., N95 masks, half-mask respirators, full-face respirators).
Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA): Used in environments with insufficient oxygen or high contamination.
Hand Protection:
Gloves: Various types to protect against different hazards (e.g., chemical-resistant gloves, cut-resistant gloves, thermal gloves, electrical insulation gloves).
Body Protection:
Overalls/Coveralls: Full-body protection against dirt, chemicals, and other contaminants.
Aprons: Provides protection for the torso against chemicals, heat, and cuts.
Vests: High-visibility vests for enhanced visibility in low-light environments.
Foot Protection:
Safety Boots/Shoes: Protects against impacts, punctures, chemicals, and electrical hazards (e.g., steel-toe boots, slip-resistant shoes, electrical hazard boots).
Fall Protection:
Harnesses: Used to prevent falls from heights.
Lanyards and Lifelines: Connects the harness to a secure anchor point.
Anchorage Connectors: Secure points for attaching lanyards or lifelines.
Skin Protection:
Sun Protection: Clothing, hats, and sunscreen to protect against UV exposure.
Barrier Creams: Applied to skin to protect against irritants and contaminants.
Thermal Protection:
Heat-Resistant Clothing: Protects against high temperatures and flames (e.g., aluminized suits, flame-resistant clothing).
Cold-Weather Gear: Insulated clothing for protection in cold environments (e.g., thermal jackets, gloves, and boots).
Remember
The provision of PPE will help ensure that your workplace is a safe environment for everyone and will also encourage people to work safely and responsibly. Good management and procedures should always be the basis of your health and safety policy, but protective equipment is your last line of defence. If the risk can be controlled any other way then there is no need for PPE.
Find out more about PPE and other health and safety requirements with our accredited Health and Safety Competent Person Course
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