Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE)
Personnel Protective Equipment : To prevent/reduce the chances of accidents, it is mandatory for all employers to provide PPE’s, also known as Personal Protective Equipment, at the workplace. These PPE’s include Shoes, Helmet, Visible Jacket, Respirator, Safety Glass and Hand Gloves.
According to the Work Regulation Act PPE is ‘All equipment which is required to be worn by a person at work, which protects them against one or more risks to their health and safety’.
Importance of Personnel Protective equipment (PPE)
We all know how fatal a fall can be, if not fatal, it can break an arm, leg or possibly the spine. Hard Hats (Safety Helmet) protect our most valuable assets.. our brains, of course if a transformer falls on your head it will cause injury even after wearing it, but everyday bumps and bumps and small falls objects can be easily avoided with minimal or no injury.
Safety Glasses (Safety Glass or Google) protect our second most valuable asset, our eyes. There are certainly a lot of blind people who live full lives, but I still believe that the world we live in is better for seeing. Face shields provide the next level of protection for the face and eyes. It provides better coverage and should definitely be used when required. Gloves protect our hands from cuts, abrasions, chemicals, heat and cold.
Even small cuts become a cause of trouble. Proper shoes, proper clothing, the list goes on. They are all designed to make our jobs safe, so use it and meet your families safely. Rethink your aversion to using PPE, it could save your life one day.
Types of PPE’s
Head & Feet PPE- This is an essential equipment, this type of equipment is more commonly used in all industries and construction and building sector. These are in the form of Safety Helmet (Hard Hat) and Safety Shoes.
Eye PPE – Most of the causes of injury to the eyes are due to exposure to small and large particles in the air. Particles such as dust, broken glass, wood chips, sand and cement chips are some examples that cause these injuries. Other injuries can be caused through chemical substances and other agents in the form of welding work, arc rays etc. Goggles with side shields and safety glasses with face respirator are types of equipment used to protect the eyes from harm.
Skin PPE- Chemical, Physical and Biological agents are some of the things that the body needs protection from. Agents such as aerosols, radiation, extreme temperatures, parasites, contaminated surfaces, splashes etc. are very dangerous and are considered to have a high risk of causing permanent damage to the skin. Some common examples of skin protective equipment are Gloves, Gum Boots or Safety Shoes, Face Shields, and Rubber Aprons.
Hearing Protection – Manufacturing Industries, and these hearing problems happen without the affected person realizing it. It is an unconscious process, which is caused by noise levels exceeding the recommended limits. Hearing protectors generally come in the form of earmuffs and earplugs.
Protective Clothing- This type of clothing is designed with scientifically tested materials to provide maximum protection to the wearer. Such clothing includes Fire Resistant Clothing designed to protect workers from fire, Laboratory Coat, High Visibility Jacket, etc. Every employer must ensure that employees are provided with the correct protective clothing and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE’s) in the working conditions.
Respiratory PPE- This type of PPE’s provide protection to workers from breathing in contaminated air which damages the respiratory system in the body. There are two types of respirators, the gas mask, which is designed to filter out chemicals and toxic gases, and the oxygen (O2) mask, which is designed to provide clean, breathable air in general.
Industrial Mandatory PPE’s
Before going inside the site in all industries, some necessary PPE’s have to be worn to ensure safety, whether you are working or just going to visit the site, you must have some necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Which are as follows:-
– Safety Helmet for Head Protection
– Safety Shoes for Feet Protection
– Safety Glass or Goggle for Eye Protection
– Coverall or FRC for Body Protection
– Hand Gloves for Hand Protection (where needed)
– Ear Plug or Earmuff for Ear Protection (where needed)
