What is PPE?
PPE means for personal protective equipment. Personal protective equipment is standing for the clothing or equipment which is used to protect workers from serious injuries or illnesses in some special workplace . According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), PPE is “equipment designed to protect workers from serious workplace injuries or illnesses resulting from contact with chemical, radiological, physical, electrical, mechanical, or other workplace hazards.” It includes items like safety shoes, safety clothing, safety helmet, masks, respirators, gloves, gowns, face shields, and other protective clothing.
Different types of personal protective equipment
Why is PPE important?
Making the workplace safe includes providing instructions, procedures, training and supervision to encourage people to work safely and responsibly.
Even where engineering controls and safe systems of work have been applied, some hazards might remain. These include injuries to:
PPE is needed in these cases to reduce the risk.
How to choose and use the PPE?
PPE must be properly looked after and stored when not in use, eg in a dry, clean cupboard. If it is reusable it must be cleaned and kept in good condition.
Think about:
Employees must make proper use of PPE and report its loss or destruction or any fault in it.