Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Introduction
Management responsibilities
Legal requirements
Choosing PPE
Factors affecting use
Types of PPE
Further information and advice
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1. Introduction
1.1
Within the modern workplace, a number of hazards are presented to the
workforce by various materials being used during the course of the day.
Where these hazards can be reasonably foreseen, it may be necessary to
implement the use of a number of controls to reduce the exposure to these
hazards, including the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE).
Therefore, the term PPE covers a variety of items that can be worn by a user
to protect them against residual hazards within a workplace.
2. Management responsibilities
2.1
PPE is protective equipment that should be worn by people when engaged in
a hazardous activity after all other possible safety measures have been
implemented.
2.2
Therefore, managers are required to undertake;
•
A full risk assessment of the activity and put into place the
appropriate controls, only using PPE as the last means of
protection where it is unavoidable. If it is unavoidable, the manager
should;
•
Identify the correct PPE for the task.
•
Provide the identified PPE at no cost to their staff.
•
Provide adequate storage for the PPE.
•
Ensure that the PPE is maintained correctly.
•
Maintain a supply of spare PPE, should any be damaged or
lost (including consumables such as filters).
•
Ensure staff are trained in the use of any PPE used.
•
Ensure that the PPE is used correctly.
3. Legal Requirements
3.1
The requirement for PPE is covered by several pieces of legislation;
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3.2
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002
The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005
The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002
The Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002
The Construction (Head Protection) Regulations 1989
The key piece of legislation is the Personal Protective Equipment at Work
Regulations 1992. As no PPE can be guaranteed to work for 100% of the
work force for 100% of the time, this piece of law stipulates that PPE must
only be used as the last option after a having attempted to minimise the
hazards by other, more appropriate means, such as use of inherently safer
equipment, enclosure into a safer environment, machine guarding,
appropriate ventilation, limiting the number of users, appropriate training, etc.
4. Choosing PPE
4.1
There are three main factors to be considered when selecting appropriate
PPE. These are;
•
The nature of the hazard to be protected against, and details are
required before adequate selection can be made – such as the type of
the contaminant and its concentration. Further advice on the various
hazards may be sought from the Education Health and Safety Team.
•
Performance data for the PPE to protect effectively against the hazard
identified, provided by the manufacturer.
•
The acceptable level of exposure to the hazard - for some hazards,
the acceptable level is zero. These include carcinogens (cancercausing chemicals) and the protection of eyes against flying articles.
5. Factors affecting use
5.1
There are three interrelated areas that must be considered before the best
choice of PPE can be made;
5.1.1
The Workplace – what sort of hazards remain to be controlled? How
big are the risks that remain? What is an acceptable level of exposure
or contamination? What machinery or processes are involved? What
movement of objects or people will be involved?
5.1.2
The Work Environment – What are the physical constraints? Can
they include temperature, humidity, ventilation, size and movement for
people and plant?
5.1.3
The PPE Wearer – There are a number of points to consider;
•
Training – Wearers and supervisors must know why the PPE
is necessary, any limitations it has, the correct use, how to
achieve a good fit, and the necessary maintenance and
storage for the PPE.
•
Fit – A good fit for the individual wearer is required to ensure
full protection. Some PPE is only available in a limited range
of sizes and designs.
•
Acceptability – How long will the PPE have to be worn by
individuals?
Giving some choice to the wearer without
compromising on protection standards will improve the
chances of it correct use.
•
Wearing Pattern – Are there any adverse health and safety
consequences that need to be anticipated? For example, any
need to remove PPE frequently, which may be dictated by the
nature of the work, may, in turn, affect the choice of design or
type of PPE.
•
Compatibility – Regard for the practicality of the item of PPE
is needed in the work environment. For instance, some eye
protection interferes with peripheral vision, and other types
cannot be easily used with respirators. Correct selection can
alleviate the problem but full consideration must be given to
the overall protection needs when selecting individual items, so
that the combined items may be employed effectively.
•
Management Commitment – An essential element of
implementing any safety scheme, especially as PPE
constitutes the last defence against hazards. Failure to comply
with instructions on wearing PPE can raise issues of industrial
relations and corporate policy.
6. Types of PPE
6.1
The different types of PPE have different function, and must be selected
appropriately to the situation that is encountered. All must have the CE mark.
6.2
Hearing Protection – There are two forms of hearing protection; objects (ear
plugs) placed in the ear canals to impede the passage of sound energy, and
objects (ear muffs) placed around the outer ear as well as the eardrum,
middle ear and inner ear. It should be noted that neither of these forms of
protection will completely eliminate sound reaching the ear, due to bone
conduction effects in the skull. Issues such as hygiene and the level of seal
must be properly assessed before use.
6.3
Respiratory Protective Equipment – There are two broad categories:
respirators, which purify the air by drawing it through a filter to remove
contaminants, and breathing apparatus, which supplies clean air to the
wearer from an uncontaminated external source. Selection depends on the
environment and the contaminants present (e.g. presence of certain gasses,
dusts or fibres, or an environment which is deficient in oxygen), as well as the
operations being undertaken and the length of time that will be involved.
6.4
Eye Protection – Assessment of potential hazards to the eyes and the extent
of the risks should be made in order to select equipment effectively. There
are three types of eye protection commonly available – safety spectacles
(effective against low energy projectiles), safety goggles (effective against
high-energy projectiles and dust), and face shields (effective against highenergy projectiles and can be treated to prevent issues such as non-ionising
radiation and glare).
6.5
However, various disadvantages include scratching on lenses after protracted
use, steaming up in warm environments, limited range of vision (especially
peripheral vision), weight, and cost of the individual units.
6.6
Protective Clothing and General Protection – There are a range of pieces
of protective clothing and general protective items, including head protection,
gloves, footwear, skin protection, protective outer garments, protective indoor
garments and safety harnesses. The individual items must be appropriately
selected for the tasks in which they will be employed, ensuring that the user
remains safely protected without hindering their ability to complete their
employment tasks.
6.7
All PPE must be cleaned and stored appropriately to prevent continual
damage, even when not being worn. It must be regularly checked for
damage to ensure that it remains undamaged through use, and replaced
when any damage negates the protection afforded. The cost of the PPE must
be borne by the organisation, and the cost cannot be passed on to the
individual wearing the PPE.
7. Further information and advice
7.1
If at any time further advice, assistance or information on selecting PPE is
needed contact the Education Health and Safety Team at John Smith House
(extensions 55034, 55035 or 55259) who will be able to help.