For PPE, it will be written in the laws of each country. For skilled workers, safety is the number one priority at work. PPE protects the wearer from potential hazards. Construction workers, public safety personnel, general contractors and technicians all wear some form of personal protective equipment while on the job. After reading this article, you will learn:
What is Personal Protective Equipment?
Personal Protective Equipment, commonly referred to as "PPE," is equipment worn to minimize exposure to hazards that lead to serious workplace injury and illness. These injuries and illnesses may result from exposure to chemical, radiological, physical, electrical, mechanical or other workplace hazards.
OSHA：What is personal protective equipment?
What can be done to ensure proper use of personal protective equipment?
All personal protective equipment should be designed and constructed safely and should be maintained in a clean and reliable manner. It should be comfortable and encourage workers to use it. Inappropriate personal protective equipment may result in safety coverage or hazardous exposure. When engineering, work practices and administrative controls are not feasible or provide adequate protection, employers must provide their workers with personal protective equipment and ensure its proper use. Employers also need to train every worker who needs to use personal protective equipment on:
- must be worn
- Which type or types of PPE should be worn
- How to don, adjust, put on and take off properly
- Device restrictions
- Proper care, maintenance, service life and disposal of equipment
Why PPE Matters
Safety is a major concern for casual and skilled workers. Every year, accidents frequently occur in the construction industry, often due to lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) or not wearing the PPE provided. The purpose of PPE is to reduce employee exposure to hazards when engineering and management controls are not feasible or effective to reduce these risks to acceptable levels. These dangerous risks can be anything from wet floors to falling debris and anything in between. PPE includes protective helmets, goggles, high-visibility clothing, safety shoes, seat belts, and sometimes respiratory protective equipment.
Types of PPE
There are different types and grades of PPE.
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Head protection
Head restraints protect your head from smaller impacts and provide shields for larger impacts.
Hard hats and bump caps are common on construction sites and manufacturing facilities.
Different hats have different levels of certification and compliance indicators, so make sure the hat you wear meets your safety needs.
All head restraints should fit snugly. Neither the size is too large nor too small to provide adequate coverage.
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Face protection
This includes safety glasses, welding masks, face respirators and face shields.
Paint and sanding masks protect against inhalation of debris and fumes.
Half-mask and full-face respirators are used for more extreme jobs, such as mold and asbestos removal.
A welding helmet protects the face from stray sparks and hot metal debris.
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Hearing protection
Earplugs and earmuffs are the most common hearing protection options.
Loud industrial sounds can damage your ears over time.
Earplugs and earmuffs protect your ears from high-frequency noise.
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Skin protection
Physical labor requires proper protection of the skin.
Work gloves protect your palms and fingers from abrasions, cuts and heat. They also have a better grip on smooth surfaces.
Work aprons and flame retardant coveralls protect the skin on your body from chemicals, electricity and other hazards.
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Level of personal protective equipment
Grade A PPE is designed for advanced skin, eye, respiratory, mucous membrane and membrane protection. This includes, but is not limited to, self-contained breathing apparatus, chemical-resistant gloves, and steel-toed boots.
Grade B PPE is designed for advanced respirator protection with less emphasis on skin and eye protection.
Class C PPE is designed to protect against airborne substances, especially full-face and half-mask air-purifying respirators.
Class D PPE is designed for lower levels of body protection, including work aprons, boots and gloves.
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Other types of PPE include:
- Fall protection
- Seat belt
- High visibility clothing
- Sunscreen
- Rain gear
- Warm jacket
PPE products offered by Dursafety:
- Hand Protection
- Head Protection
- Eye Protection
- Hearing Protection
- Respiratory Protection
- Body Protection
- Foot Protection
- Traffic Protection
Check it out now!
4 reasons why you must wear PPE!
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PPE is protecting you
The whole reason PPE was invented and worn is to protect workers at work, so if you don't wear it or use it, it won't work.
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This is your last line of defense
Your PPE is your last line of defense against danger. There may be other controls, but your PPE is the one that hinders any final or residual risk, no matter how small.
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It can save your life
Don't believe me? Hard hats keep bricks from smashing your skull, seat belts keep you from falling from roofs, and life jackets keep you afloat until rescue arrives. I'm sure you can think of more examples.
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It improves the quality of your workday.
Think of PPE as a system of support for the work your job requires you to do. It may be more physically demanding or slightly dangerous than your average desk job, but the equipment provided makes you feel like there is little physical risk.
PPE items provide stability for jobs that require you to lift weights, and these can be the difference between having to go to work the next day with a strained muscle or burnt skin. Steps should be taken to prevent basic bodily harm, at the simplest level. Injury only ruins a person's day.
All workers should have the confidence to question the effectiveness of the PPE provided and feel educated about the standards the equipment needs to meet.
