If you work in any industry that creates a risk of injury or illness to the people that work there, you are legally obliged to ensure that the right Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is provided to the staff who work there.
If you are new to a business, or are just starting out, you might not know what you should be offering as part of this responsibility. The team at Protec Direct have created the ultimate list of personal protective equipment to help you; a standard personal protective equipment list that ensures you are meeting the needs of your staff, and the legal requirements expected of you as an employer. Read on to find out more.
What is PPE?
Personal protective equipment is the first level of protection against injury or illness in the workplace.
What are the laws on personal protective equipment?
The expectation set for employers about PPE is dictated by Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, a law responsible for ensuring the workplace health and safety for employees.
This act prompted the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992, which states that employers must provide PPE to staff if their health and safety could be at risk while at work.
Appropriate training in the use of the equipment should be given, and employees should have free and easy access to the products they need. Read the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 in full here.
List of personal protective equipment
Personal protective equipment refers to products that will protect the user (or wearer) from the health and safety risks posed in the workplace.
Based on this, the PPE you need to introduce into your workplace depends on the hazards posed there. Here we have listed some the most common types of PPE, and the hazards that they can be used to combat.
Head protection
Products include: Safety helmets and hard hats and bump hats
Types of health and safety risk they combat:
- Falling objects
- Head injury when working in close confines
- Electric shock during electrical work
Eye protection
Products include: Safety goggles, overglasses, clear protective safety glasses and tinted protective safety glasses.
Types of health and safety risk they combat:
- Airborne dust and debris
- Chemical splashes
- Impact hazards
Face protection
Products include: Browguards and visors
Types of health and safety risk they combat:
- Chemical splashes
- Splashes from molten metal
- Impact hazards
Hearing protection
Products include: Corded and banded ear plugs, ear defenders and disposable ear plugs
Types of health and safety risk they combat:
- Damage to hearing from noise exposure of all types, including:
- Machinery
- Equipment
Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE)
Products include: Disposable respirators, half masks and full face masks and respiratory helmets
Types of health and safety risk they combat:
- Airborne dust and debris
- Airborne solvents
- Exposure to areas of low oxygen levels
Hand protection
Products include: Gloves to suit different hazards, including gloves and heat-resistant gloves
Types of health and safety risk they combat:
- Contact with chemical hazards
- Heat and burns
- Injury through manual handling
- Injury from machinery vibrations
Safety footwear
Products include: Work boots, rigger boots, anti-slip footwear and wellington boots
Types of health and safety risk they combat:
- Heavy objects
- Sharp objects
- Corrosive or irritating substances
- Electric shock during electrical work
Questions to ask when creating your PPE list
Before making your final decisions on the best PPE for your workplace, make sure to ask the following questions:
- Is it fully-adjustable to fit the wearer correctly?
- Does the PPE create any other health and safe issues that need to be accounted for?
- Is it compatible with the other types of PPE that should be worn?
- Does the PPE allow the wearer or user to do their job safely and effectively?
- Is the PPE also suitable for the working environment, whilst also dealing with the health and safety issues?
We hope you have found our PPE list useful, and that it guides you towards making the best decision for your workplace. If you have any further queries about choosing the correct PPE for your employees, please don’t hesitate to contact our team who will be happy to advise.
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