When it comes to talking about hazards and risks within the business or workplace, the individuals who have to deal with them are the employees and workers. A worker’s main concern is to get the job done quickly as well as safety at the end of the day.
As an employer, though, it is your responsibility to provide a certain level of protection to get the job done safely. Therefore, this piece of content will walk readers through what personal protective equipment (PPE) is required and how employers ensure whether PPE regulations apply to them or not.
What is Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)?
Personal protective equipment or PPE is the name given to a range of products that are designed to protect users from health and safety hazards while at work. These hazards could range from falling objects to working at height, airborne hazards to hot work equipment, and dangerous fumes or gasses. To avoid any such harm, PPE plays a significant role in doing the work safely.
Common examples of personal protective equipment include:
- Safety helmets
- Ear protection
- Goggles
- High visibility clothes
- Coveralls
- Safety footwear
- Gloves
- Respiratory protective equipment (RPE)
PPE Regulations for Employers & Employees
The use of PPE in the workplace is governed by the Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 1992 which set out the requirements for individuals that must be met by both employers and their staff members. These regulations state that employers have a duty of care toward their employees to provide them with the right tools and equipment to undertake the work safely and efficiently.
These regulations also require that:
- PPE needs to be properly assessed and inspected before use
- All PPE must be maintained in good order and stored securely to avoid any injuries
- PPE must be used correctly by the workers
- Employees must know how to use PPE for the designated task safely
Do PPE Regulations Apply to You?
To put it in simple words, yes, personal protective equipment regulations apply to all employers and businesses. However, when and where to use it depends on the nature of the work and its proximity to risk.
For this very reason, employers need to undertake a thorough risk assessment of their workplace to examine the need for PPE required at work. By examining the work environment, employers can get a deeper dive into analyzing the things that can go wrong and be able to put effective control measures to control and minimize the risk.
And so, using the right protective equipment for the task can help prevent major accidents and injuries.
How to Choose the Right PPE for Work?
When it comes to picking the right PPE for work employers need to carefully examine what items their workforce needs. For this, you first need to identify the types of risks present in your workplace.
However, below are some commonly used PPE that may be required in almost every workplace:
1. Safety Helmets
Most workers work in areas where there is a risk of falling objects, head bumps, or other incidents that may produce serious health risks. These industries typically include construction workers, manufacturers, or tradesmen. The use of safety helmets at work can save them from serious injuries.
2. Safety Glasses
While working in environments where the work involves sparks, chemicals, or dangerous fumes or gasses, safety glasses or goggles becomes a necessity. One thing an employer can do to minimize the risk is either to avoid the work or if cannot be avoided provide vital training to the workers.
These training courses include hot works training, PPE training, welding fume control training, abrasive wheel training, and other relevant training sessions.
3. Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE)
Respiratory protective equipment or RPE protects employers from potential hazards resulting due to dangerous gasses, fumes, or airborne dust. This equipment is widely used in engineering, woodworking, and metal processing industries.
4. Gloves
Hand protection is extremely important when working with hazardous materials, in extreme weather conditions, and to avoid numerous hand injuries. Gloves are essential protective equipment to prevent workers from serious hand injuries.
5. Ear Defenders
Ear defenders are also an important type of personal protective equipment used at work. These are mostly used by construction workers to avoid high levels of noise at work.
In Summary
To sum it up, personal protective equipment is a basic necessity for workers to undertake their job safely. It is required by law that employers must have the right knowledge with appropriate arrangements to provide everything their workers need to minimize the risk of injuries to their health.
Proper staff training alongside is also important to work efficiently and proficiently. This content piece has covered the basics of what one needs to know about protective equipment at work and what the law says about providing the right tools and equipment to workers and employees.
