Personal Protective Equipment and how to choose it

Workplace safety used to be of surprisingly little concern, but today employers have basic duties concerning the provision and use of PPE at work. PPE is defined as 'all equipment (including clothing affording protection against the weather) which is intended to be worn or held by a person at work and which protects him against one or more risks to his health or safety'.

PPE regulations:

The PPE at Work Regulations require that PPE must be supplied and used at work wherever there are risks to health and safety that cannot be adequately controlled in other ways. Moreover, PPE must be assessed for suitability, maintained and stored correctly, instructions provided, and efforts made to ensure that it is properly used.

PPE Regulations don't apply where certain other regulations require the use of PPE against the hazards concerned. For example, where there is risk of contact with dangerous chemicals, gloves are covered by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations.

The others are: The Control of Lead at Work Regulations; The Ionising Radiations Regulations; The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations; The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH); The Noise at Work Regulations; and The Construction (Head Protection) Regulations.

Types of PPE:

The types of PPE vary according to the risks presented:

• Head - Head injuries can result from impact from falling/flying objects and bumping, plus hair entanglement with machinery etc. Protection - Helmets and bump caps.
• Eyes - Eye injuries may result from chemical / metal splash, dust, projectiles, gas and vapour and radiation. Protection - Safety spectacles, goggles, faceshields and visors.
• Breathing - Breathing problems can result from dusts, fibres (especially asbestos and other short, sharp fibres), vapours, gases and oxygen-deficient atmospheres. Protection - Disposable filtering facepiece/respirator, face respirators, air-fed helmets and breathing apparatus.
• Body protection - Injuries can result from temperature and weather extremes, chemical / metal splash, spray from pressure leaks/spray guns, impact or penetration, contaminated dust, excessive wear or clothing entanglement. Protection - Conventional / disposable overalls and specialist protective clothing (chain-mail aprons, high-visibility clothing etc).
• Hands and arms - Injuries may result from abrasion, temperature extremes, cuts and punctures, impact, chemicals, electric shock, skin infection, disease or contamination. Protection - Gloves, gauntlets, mitts, wristcuffs and armlets.
• Feet and legs - Injuries can result from the electrostatic build-up, slipping, cuts and punctures, falling objects, metal / chemical splash and abrasion. Protection - Safety boots / shoes with protective toecaps and penetration-resistant mid-sole, safety shin guards, gaiters and leggings.

   

  Electrical installers often need PPE for the same reasons as construction workers. However, electrical installation work has other dangers - electricity can and does kill and maim through electrocution and the effects of arc blast. Specialist PPE may be required to protect against such risks.

  Choosing and using it:

  A risk assessment will indicate the sort of PPE required. Then research it using the catalogue or website of a reputable electrical wholesaler or specialist PPE supplier. The following points should be considered:

   

• How does the job affect wearers? How long will the PPE need to be worn?
• Will the PPE be suitable? For example, goggles are unsuitable when full-face protection is required.
• Does the PPE fit properly? People wearing glasses may find that ear defenders, for example, may not provide a proper noise seal. A respirator can interfere with eye protection.
• Does the PPE increase risk overall? For example, gloves shouldn't be worn when using a drill because of entanglement risk.

   

  When you have purchased your PPE, remember that it is useless if not used.

  Providing PPE that is not ugly or uncomfortable to wear helps take up. For example, stylish safety glasses are much more likely to be worn than plastic goggles. Hearing protection should be essential for electrical contractors working in noisy environments. Traditional types greatly reduce risk of hearing damage, but make communication difficult. The latest types provide good hearing protection, yet allow wearers to converse more easily - these are more likely to be used.

  PPE designed exclusively for electrical installation work must be marked according to protection class and/or operating voltage, serial numbers and dates of manufacture. Don't touch PPE that doesn't have such markings. Ensure also that PPE you intend to buy is 'CE' marked.

  Some examples:

  Howard Leight, a Sperian Protection brand (now Honeywell), provides its Thunder T2HV Hi-Visibility earmuff. In poor light, workers are exposed to increased risk as well as noise. Incorporating high-visibility earcups and reflective headbands, these earmuffs combine hearing protection with good visibility, and are suitable for electrical environments.

  Also for poor visibility, 3M's Scotchlite retro-reflective materials help workers wearing clothing and other safety equipment made with them be seen more easily.

  For those working high up, Miller Fall Protection, also available through Sperian (Honeywell), provides a new edge-tested fall protection lanyard that provides greater protection. Lanyards attach from a safe part of a building's structure, or access platform etc, to the worker's body harness. The Manyard, suitable for many applications including electrical work, prevents accidents caused by the breakage of fall protection connection elements during on-edge use.

  For eye protection, 3M's 2700, 2800 and 2805 over-spectacles will fit over most prescription spectacles with minimal interference. They offer an excellent field of vision plus good impact protection. The company's goggles provide greater protection against hazards such as liquid droplets, gases and dusts.

  3M's respiratory protective equipment helps protect against dusts, aerosols, gases and fibres etc. The range encompasses maintenance-free disposable dust masks, as well as powered-air and supplied-air respirators. The 9300 Series Respirator, for example, has a foldable design for very high comfort, ease of communication and fit.

  More women work in industry today, so Timberland PRO has responded with the Ladies Trainer S1P, which provides 'exceptional' comfort and a feminine look. The combined soft suede leather / mesh fabric offers more breathability and flexibility, while anti-slip and abrasion features improve safety. These steel toe-capped trainers resist contact temperatures to 300°C and are available from Sperian.

  Looking at hard hats, the Willson Beta Cap (from Honeywell) has a low-profile, high-density polyethylene shell complete with replaceable four-point moulded polyethylene suspension, ajustable suspension with a padded sweatband, and is dielectric.

  Durably waterproof and highly breathable foul weather garments are essential for those working outdoors.

  Injuries resulting from electric arc explosion can be avoided using NFPA 70E-2004 compliant protective face shields, hoods and clothing.

  DuPont's Nomex material offers single- and multi-layer protective clothing against arc hazards, conforming to IEC 61482-2 when tested according to IEC 61482-1 (open arc), and IEC 61482-1-2 (confined arc).

  Training is important:

  Because PPE is the last resort, it is essential that users wear it - there should be NO exemptions, even for 'quickie' jobs. To ensure that everybody who should wear PPE does so properly, good training is key. This should cover the risks and why the PPE is needed, operation and limitations, use, storage and how to wear it, any user maintenance, factors that affect performance, and where to obtain replacements.