Case Study: Why Is PPE Important?
Case Study: Why Is PPE Important?
work.
PPE is equipment that will protect the user against health or safety risks at work. It can include items
such as safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, high-visibility clothing, safety footwear and safety
Case study
Why is PPE important?
Making the workplace safe includes providing instructions, procedures, training and supervision to encourage
Even where engineering controls and safe systems of work have been applied, some hazards might remain.
If PPE is still needed after implementing other controls (and there will be circumstances when it is,
eg head protection on most construction sites), you must provide this for your employees free of charge
You must choose the equipment carefully (see selection details below) and ensure employees are
trained to use it properly, and know how to detect and report any faults
Choose products which are CE marked in accordance with the Personal Protective Equipment
Choose equipment that suits the user – consider the size, fit and weight of the PPE. If the users help
If more than one item of PPE is worn at the same time, make sure they can be used together, eg
wearing safety glasses may disturb the seal of a respirator, causing air leaks
Instruct and train people how to use it, eg train people to remove gloves without contaminating their
skin. Tell them why it is needed, when to use it and what its limitations are
Never allow exemptions from wearing PPE for those jobs that ‘only take a few minutes'
Check with your supplier on what PPE is appropriate – explain the job to them
Maintenance
PPE must be properly looked after and stored when not in use, eg in a dry, clean cupboard. If it is reusable it
Think about:
using the right replacement parts which match the original, eg respirator filters
having a supply of appropriate disposable suits which are useful for dirty jobs where laundry costs are
Employees must make proper use of PPE and report its loss or destruction or any fault in it.
Monitor and review
Check regularly that PPE is used. If it isn’t, find out why not
Take note of any changes in equipment, materials and methods – you may need to update what you
provide
Options
Note
Make sure the eye protection chosen has the right combination of impact/dust/splash/molten metal eye
Impact from falling or flying objects, risk of head bumping, hair getting tangled in machinery, chemical drips or
Options
Note
Some safety helmets incorporate or can be fitted with specially-designed eye or hearing protection
Ears
Hazards
Noise – a combination of sound level and duration of exposure, very high-level sounds are a hazard even with
short duration
Options
Note
Provide the right hearing protectors for the type of work, and make sure workers know how to fit them
Choose protectors that reduce noise to an acceptable level, while allowing for safety and
communication
Abrasion, temperature extremes, cuts and punctures, impact, chemicals, electric shock, radiation, vibration,
Options
Gloves, gloves with a cuff, gauntlets and sleeving that covers part or all of the arm
Note
Avoid gloves when operating machines such as bench drills where the gloves might get caught
Some materials are quickly penetrated by chemicals – take care in selection, see HSE’s skin at work
website
Barrier creams are unreliable and are no substitute for proper PPE
Wearing gloves for long periods can make the skin hot and sweaty, leading to skin problems. Using
Wet, hot and cold conditions, electrostatic build-up, slipping, cuts and punctures, falling objects, heavy loads,
Safety boots and shoes with protective toecaps and penetration-resistant, mid-sole wellington boots and
Note
Footwear can have a variety of sole patterns and materials to help prevent slips in different conditions,
including oil- or chemical-resistant soles. It can also be anti-static, electrically conductive or thermally
insulating
Lungs
Hazards
Some respirators rely on filtering contaminants from workplace air. These include simple filtering
Make sure it fits properly, eg for tight-fitting respirators (filtering facepieces, half and full masks)
There are also types of breathing apparatus which give an independent supply of breathable air, eg
Note
The right type of respirator filter must be used as each is effective for only a limited range of
substances
Filters have only a limited life. Where there is a shortage of oxygen or any danger of losing
consciousness due to exposure to high levels of harmful fumes, only use breathing apparatus – never use a
filtering cartridge
You will need to use breathing apparatus in a confined space or if there is a chance of an oxygen
Whole body
Hazards
Heat, chemical or metal splash, spray from pressure leaks or spray guns, contaminated dust, impact or
Options
Note
The choice of materials includes flame-retardant, anti-static, chain mail, chemically impermeable, and
high-visibility
Emergency equipment
Careful selection, maintenance and regular and realistic operator training is needed for equipment for use in
emergencies, like compressed-air escape breathing apparatus, respirators and safety ropes or harnesses.