A closer look at the need for PPE

The fifth article in our Business Toolbox series takes a look at Personal Protective Equipment. As businesses, we’re all responsible for protecting our employees – and visitors to our place of work – from hazards and risks associated with doing our jobs.

Having identified the risks and hazards associated with your workplace and done your best to adequately get rid of or reduce them, it’s then important to provide Protective Equipment to keep people as safe as possible.

We’ve taken some time to review the different hazards that drive a need for protective equipment. Read on to find out more, or visit the WorkSafe website to explore PPE and your role in protecting your staff in more detail.

How to choose the right PPE for your business

Choosing the right PPE is a matter of matching equipment to the activities your business carries out, the people using the PPE, and the hazards you need to provide protection from.

Making sure PPE fits is an important part of ensuring its effectiveness. Remember to consider how your staff will wear multiple pieces of PPE at once if they need to protect from a range of hazards. Watch out for any piece of PPE that might cause hazards in its own right – i.e. hearing protection making it hard to hear approaching vehicles.

PPE: a worthwhile investment

Personal protective equipment is not just a worthwhile investment because it protects your staff. It’s your duty as an employer to invest in it, maintain it and check that it still works on a regular basis. That means it could be worth taking a long term approach and spending a little more on quality upfront to save yourself money in the long run.

Examples of different types of PPE

PPE for the head and neck

PPE for the head and neck protects against chemical, biological or metal splash. It can include protection against radiation/UV radiation – for example sun protection in an outdoor job. Head PPE can insulate and protect against very hot or very cold conditions or it can provide a protective shell that protects from objects falling or flying or from a bump or bash. Or you can use head wear to prevent long hair getting tangled in machinery or getting in the way of safe working.

PPE for the eyes

Eyes must be protected if you identify any hazards that could harm them. That includes objects or particles that could fly or travel into eyes. It also includes any harmful substances that could damage eyes if they come into contact with them – such as chemical, biological or metal splash or gas, vapour and fumes.

PPE for the ears

Most ear protection is used to provide protection from noise. It can also be used to protect ears where there are extremes of temperature, or you may need to provide protection to cover the ears if your staff are outdoors and need protection from the sun.

PPE for hands and arms

When you work in physical labour your hands and arms are often exposed to hazards. Protective clothing and equipment can protect your hands and arms from chemical, biological or metal splash hazards, from radiation and sunburn, and from extreme temperatures of hot and cold.

For employees working with machines or in physical work it’s important to protect them from hazards in the form of abrasions, cuts and punctures. If you’re working with electricity then special PPE may be required to protect from the risk of electric shock.

PPE for feet and legs

PPE for feet and legs doesn’t just need to protect from extremely hot or cold temperatures. The right footwear is essential – particularly in areas like construction – where it can protect feet from slipping on wet surfaces or damage caused from falling objects.

Feet and legs may also need to be protected with PPE to avoid the risk of chemical, biological or metal splash; cuts, abrasions or puncture wounds; or in some cases a build up of electrostatic charge.

PPE for the whole body

As an employer, your aim will be to protect your employees from any risks in the workplace with the right PPE. In some cases this may require you to provide full PPE for the whole body.

Examples of this could be employees working in all weather conditions such as road crews. In these situations it’s important to consider protecting the whole body from elements like wet weather, impact or penetration, dust, or excessive wear or entanglement of your employee’s own clothing.

Want to learn more?

We’ve explored the hazards and risks that you need to protect against. Finding the right PPE solution for your business depends on the level and duration of exposure to hazards that your employees will experience.

Visit the WorkSafe website and explore the full range of PPE options available from hard hats and gloves to steel capped boots and ear protectors. There are also tips and tools to help you choose the right equipment to protect your people and links to Workplace Health and Safety Experts who you can contact to help you assess your needs.

If you’re hiring with Allways Hire, don’t forget to check out the Safety Equipment section on each of our machine and equipment pages. Our team has provided helpful advice on the PPE you may need to safely operate your hire.

Did you find this article helpful? You might also like to read these articles in our Business Toolkit Health and Safety at Work Series.

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