Selecting Personal Protective Equipment

According to the Personal Protective Equipment Enforcement Regulations (2018), all employer-provided PPE must include the following:

• Training on using it safely
• Assessment of its suitability for the individual
• Protection against the identified hazards
• Verification of its proper use
• Maintenance and replacement

Selecting PPE considers hazard exposure types, duration, and amounts. Workers operating hazardous equipment every day will need extensive PPE that can stand up to frequent use while remaining comfortable. Visitors to a shop floor, however, could wear less extensive PPE (such as just hard hats and safety glasses) if they will just be viewing equipment at a safe distance from designated walking zones—which are a form of administrative control.

Along with providing PPE for workplace hazards, employers must also provide training for them to comply with personal protective equipment at work regulations.

Explain PPE and health and safety during all employees’ training when they join the company, as well as when their roles and hazard exposures change. Be clear that you value their safety and will provide the PPE, but also that it will take commitment from them to fully realise PPE benefits.

Maintain your PPE system with ongoing PPE training, such as prominent signage explaining different hazardous zones’ required PPE and yearly refresher courses on the importance and benefits of wearing PPE. Keep an eye on this training’s effectiveness by monitoring whether staff are wearing PPE correctly in all required situations.

For each part of the body to protect, consider which of the various types of PPE is most appropriate for the hazard.

Head: Beyond their various colours, which play an important health and safety role by designating responsibility level, hard hats have different functional options. RS carries straps and cradles for customising fit and comfort, liners for staying safe in cold environments, and adapters for affixing safety visors to allow combined head and face protection.

Safety goggles form a complete envelope around the eyes, while safety glasses allow airflow around the eyes. This means they have less protection against high-velocity objects, unlike safety goggles which offer a higher level of protection. RS also carries welding masks and full-face shields. Safety glasses are often acceptable for visitors touring or observing an industrial facility but consider eye and face protection more carefully for personnel working close to hazards: debris, metal and wood shavings, chemical splashing, ultraviolet light, infrared radiation, or electrical arcing. Many of these hazards have certain safety standards that safety glasses must meet.

Hands: Hand protection generally falls into disposable gloves or work gloves, though RS carries finger cots as well for more focused protection. There are disposable gloves for working with industrial machinery fluids, medical gloves to prevent passing infections, and food-safe gloves for working in food preparation. For people with latex sensitivity, nitrile or vinyl options exist.

Lungs: Respiratory protection is vital PPE for jobs like industrial sanding and painting or work near hazardous fumes. RS respirators can cover either the mouth and nose or the entire face. Select the right filters for them based on the hazards present and ensure that all operators have their respirators fit and sealed properly.

The PPE provided and available must provide its intended protection. This requires consideration of the task involved and any interaction between multiple types of PPE being used simultaneously.

Enjoying the benefits of wearing PPE requires wearing and using them correctly.

• Coveralls must be sized to the wearer correctly to prevent loose sleeves from getting caught in spinning equipment and to avoid ergonomic stress from prolonged work in ill-fitting heavy clothing
• Safety glasses can leave large gaps open on their sides or bottom when worn over regular glasses. Offer an assortment of safety glasses to ensure comfortable, fully protective eye protection to workers requiring it constantly
• For the various disposable gloves you need to supply, keep easy access to their boxes (and to garbage cans), and provide clear training and signage explaining what each type is for
• Disposable earplugs have a specific insertion method into the ear. Ensure all staff are trained on this technique
• Respirators require careful fitting to the user to maintain sealing against airborne hazards. RS carries face-fittesting kits for this. This PPE must also fit functionally and comfortably with other required types of PPE, such as hard hats and safety goggles.
• Face masks must tightly cover both the nose and the mouth to provide respiratory protection

Given the wide selection for all types of PPE, be aware of the hazards your PPE selections do and do not protect against. Familiarise yourself with the various industry standards for PPE types (safety footwear, goggles, etc.) and examine which ones different PPE products meet.

Maintain PPE inventories since many PPE products must be immediately replaced after a safety incident, such as a heavy object falling on a hard hat.

Remember that PPE is used for hazards that cannot be mitigated with reasonably practicable engineering or administrative controls.

All types of PPE need proper care and attention, lest they become workplace hazards themselves.

Coveralls, for example, require regular cleaning, both for sanitation reasons (as with all clothing) but also to keep built-in high-visibility stripes clean and reflective. Many industrial laundry services exist for this, and some offer mending as well. Any fraying threads or dangling fabric is a serious safety hazard since it can become entangled in spinning equipment, leading to serious injury.

Establish regular respirator filter replacement, such as after a set number of operating hours (similar to filters in your equipment maintenance program).

As part of your safety incident protocols, assess the PPE of the personnel involved in an accident. If a hard hat protected a worker from a falling object but cracked in the process, it likely needs immediate replacement. This also applies to safety glasses that crack upon blocking a flying object.

Finally, provide suitable storage for any PPE that’s not in use. Ensure PPE storage areas are clean, well-ventilated, and protected from UV exposure to ensure the longevity of the equipment.