Personal Protective Equipment at Work 
Employers must protect workers from health and safety risks, they must provide PPE free of charge if a risk assessment shows it is required.
To help workers stay safe workers may have to wear PPE such as hard hats, safety gloves , ear/eye protection, safety footwear, hi vis clothing and harnesses.
A risk assessment must be carried out, PPE then may be needed to reduce the risk of injury.
The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 place duties on employers to ensure that PPE is:
- Properly assessed before use to make sure it is fit for purpose
- Maintained and stored properly
- Provided with instructions on how to use it safely
- Used correctly by workers
Employers must ensure workers have sufficient information and training on the use of PPE.
Check with your supplier on what PPE is appropriate or if in doubt seek further advice from an Health and Safety advisor.
The equipment should suit the worker and the task being carried out. Modifying PPE to fit is not a suitable solution. For harnesses choosing the right size is crucial and they need to fit properly to protect against fatal hazards.
Maintenance
PPE must be looked after correctly and stored properly when not in use. Items must be left clean/cleaned after use.
Hi Vis workwear should be cleaned regularly to ensure the reflective strips are identifiable. All workers must use PPE properly and report any loss, destruction of defects to the PPE.
Using the right type of PPE
Eyes – PPE options include Safety Goggles, glasses, face screens, face sheilds and visors
Head & Neck – Safety helemets, bump caps and hairnets
Ears – Earplugs and ear defenders
Hands & Arms – Gloves and gauntlets
Feet & Legs – Safety boots./ trainers with protective toe caps or specific footwear – foundry and chainsaw boots
Lungs – Respirators/ Masks
Whole Body – Harnesses, overalls and boiler suits
PPE Training
Employees should either have a toolbox talk or training on how to use Personal Protective Equipment.
PPE eLearning:
In the UK there are approximately 144 fatalities in the workplace and around 621,000 non-fatal injuries every year. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) plays a vital role in managing Health & Safety risks. However, historical data shows many workers suffering injury were not wearing this clothing. This course will show how wearing PPE plays a crucial role in preventing and reducing fatalities, injuries and diseases that would otherwise occur in the workplace. It includes details of a wide range of PPE options, examines the legislation and regulations that govern the responsibilities of employers, employees and suppliers, and provides a real-life case study showing the law in action. The course will also cover risk assessment and the role it plays in the selection and use of PPE along with discussing other hazard control measures that can be implemented. Finally, the course will move on to how to use, fit and wear PPE and understand its physical and theoretical limitations.
If you would like to train your employees on how to use PPE why not purchase an eLearning course by clicking the below link you can trial the first part of the course for free:
At Prestige Safety Services we can supply all types of Personal Protective Equipment, why not create a strong brand image and set a great safety example. We can print and embroider on to a huge range of hi vis products.
