Personal Protective Equipment

Employers have duties concerning the provision and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) at work.

PPE is equipment 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, safety footwear and safety harnesses. It also includes respiratory protective equipment (RPE).

Why is PPE important?

Making the workplace safe includes providing instructions, procedures, training and supervision to encourage people to work safely and responsibly.

Even where engineering controls and safe systems of work have been applied, some hazards might remain.

These include injuries to:

• The lungs, Ex from breathing in contaminated air
• The head and feet, Ex from falling materials
• The eyes, Ex from flying particles or splashes of corrosive liquids
• The skin, Ex from contact with corrosive materials
• The body, Ex from extremes of heat or cold

PPE is needed in these cases to reduce the risk.

Selection and Use

You should ask yourself the following questions:

• Who is exposed and to what?
• How long are they exposed for?
• How much are they exposed to?

When selecting and using PPE:

• Choose products which are CE or ISI marked
• Choose equipment that suits the user – consider the size, fit and weight of the PPE. If the users help choose it, they will be more likely to use it
• If more than one item of PPE is worn at the same time, make sure they can be used together, eg wearing safety glasses may disturb the seal of a respirator, causing air leaks

Instruct and train people how to use it, eg train people to remove gloves without contaminating their skin. Tell them why it is needed, when to use it and what its limitations are

Responsibilities

The occupier / factory manager 

• Is responsible to ensure financial support of purchasing PPE.

EHS is responsible to;

• Assist to identify and evaluate the hazards and determine PPE requirement.
• Provide, assist or guide about PPE or training to employees.

Supervisor;

• Communicate the PPE procedure and provide discipline
• Provide appropriate PPE to the employees and set up PPE distribution, Keep the record;
• Provide training to employees on appropriate use of PPE

Employees are responsible to;

• Wear required PPE;
• Report any abnormal status applied to PPE to his /her direct supervisor;
• Attend training;

PPE Assessment

The following hierarchy should be for the hazard control;

• Eliminate or substitute the hazard
• Engineering Control
• Administrative control
• PPE Control

Some Basics

1. The used PPE should be disposed of in Hazardous waste bin if your works on hazardous material like chemical, oil etc.

2. Employee should not use defective PPE. If any defect is their check with your supervisor for new one.

3. No jewelry (rings, wrist bracelets, necklaces, metal watchbands, etc.) should be worn by employees / contractor while

a) Working around machinery, or using hand and portable power tools with a potential of catching, pulling in, or entangling jewelry

b) Performing electrical work

When working with heated surfaces or materials or working with hazardous chemicals (corrosive, harmful, etc.), coats and sleeves should be kept buttoned.

4. Long hair is required to be tied back.

5. Pictogram of PPE - Workstations need to have an easy to understand pictogram to define the PPE needed in the area.