PPE WORKWEAR GUIDE
Personal protective equipment, or PPE, protects its user against any
physical harm or hazards that the workplace environment may present. It
is important because it exists as a preventative measure for industries
that are known to be more hazardous. PPE can include items such as
safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, overalls, hi-vis clothing, ear plugs, ear defenders and respiratory protective equipment (RPE).
It’s important to know that safety equipment provided on the job should
meet European Union (Personal Protective Equipment) Regulations, and
that it is most effective when it meets the correct size, fit and height
of its user. PPE is deemed to be in conformity with the Regulations if
it bears the CE mark
Employers must provide PPE that is:
- Suitable PPE where health and safety cannot be controlled by other means.
- Compatible: where two or more items of PPE are required to be worn together, they must be compatible with each other.
- Maintained, cleaned or replaced when needed.
- Correctly stored when not being used.
- Provided with information, instruction and training to those required to wear it.
- Correctly stored, and workers must be instructed and trained in its use.
Types of PPE WORKWEAR
EAR PROTECTION
Ear protection helps to protect a user's hearing from damage caused by loud or noisy environments. There are two main types of hearing protection: Earmuffs and Inserts. Muffs block out noise by completely covering the outer ear. While inserts fit inside your ear canal to block sound waves from entering the innermost parts of your ear.
HEAD PROTECTION
Hard hats and face shields provide head protection when there is potential for falling objects or hazardous structures. Made from high-qulity, durbale ABS plastics, select a sturdy helmet that is adapted to the working conditions and is of meets the EN397 EU Standard.
WORK GLOVES
Protective gloves are essential for the prevention of serious injuries such as cuts, splinters, burns and chemicals. There are many types of gloves available today to protect against a wide variety of hazards. Matrials used include leather, fabric and rubber as well as chemical and liquid resistant.
EYEWEAR
Protective eyewear help protect the mucus membranes of the eyes, as well as help to reduce the risk of foreign objects entering the eyes and damaging them. Three main types of eye protection exist, each with advantages and disadvantages. They are safety glasses, goggles, and face shields.
HIGH VISIBILITY CLOTHING
High visibility clothing, also known as Hi-Vis work wear is a crucial requirement for mainly industrial sites for workers who need to be recognized from far away. Hi-Vis has been proven to prevent accidents and fatalities in potentially dangerous environments. Clothing encompasses t-shirts, vests, jackets and trousers and should have EN ISO 20471 certification.
RESPIRATORY PROTECTION
Respiratory PPE helps to protect the entire internal respiratory system against the inhalation of hazardous substances in the workplace air. Respirators include dust masks, chemical cartridge respirators, PAPR (powered air purifying respirators), airlines, and SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus).
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HOW DO I KNOW WHICH PPE IS NEEDED?
Different companies require different types of PPE. To understand what PPE is required by a business the employer has to make an assessment of the hazards in the workplace in order to identify the correct type of PPE to be provided and to ensure that PPE is appropriate to the risk. Care must be taken in selecting PPE as certain types give reasonably high levels of protection while others, that may appear almost the same, give relatively low levels of protection. The level of risk must be assessed so that the performance required of the PPE can be determined.
When must PPE be used?
- The fundamental principle is that personal protective equipment (PPE) should only be used as a last resort.
- The safety and health of employees must be first safeguarded by measures to eliminate workplace risks at source, through technical or organisational means (e.g by substituting hazardous chemical ) or by providing protection on a collective basis (e.g providing scaffolding instead of harnesses).
- Collective protective measures covering numbers of employees in a workplace must have priority over protective measures applying to individual employees.
- If these measures are not sufficient, only then should PPE be used to protect against the hazards that are unavoidable.
List of European Standards
Head/Face/Eyes/Ears
Head Protection
Garment
- EN ISO 20471 - High Visibility Clothing
- RIS-3279-TOM - Rail Industry standard for High Visibility Clothing
- EN ISO 11611 - Protective clothing for use in welding and allied processes
- EN ISO 11612 - Clothing to protect against heat and flame
- EN 1149 - Protective clothing. Electrostatic properties
- IEC EN 61482
- EN 343 - Protection against rain
- EN 342 - Ensembles and garments for protection against cold
