Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety and well-being of workers in various industries. In the UK, the use of PPE is regulated to protect workers from potential hazards in the workplace.
What is PPE?
PPE refers to equipment designed to protect the wearer from health and safety risks at work. This can include items such as helmets, gloves, goggles, high-visibility clothing, and respiratory protective equipment. The specific type of PPE required will depend on the nature of the work being performed and the potential risks involved.
PPE can be broken down into seven main categories:
- Head & Neck
- Eye & Face
- Ears
- Hands & Arms
- Feet & Legs
- Lungs
- Whole Body
What are your responsibilities as an employer?
As an employer you have a legal obligation under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to provide a safe working environment for your employees, efforts should be made to remove hazards in the workplace. Where removal of a hazard is not possible, Suitable and correctly fitting PPE should be implemented as set out in the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992.
“Every employer shall ensure that suitable personal protective equipment is provided to his employees who may be exposed to a risk to their health or safety while at work except where and to the extent that such risk has been adequately controlled by other means which are equally or more effective.”
The regulations set out the following responsibilities that employers must adhere to when providing their employees with PPE:
- The PPE provided must be suitable for the risks involved and the conditions in the risk’s environment.
- The ergonomic requirements and health of the person wearing it must be considered.
- The PPE must fit the wearer correctly and be capable of adequately controlling the risk, without increasing overall risk.
- The PPE Provided must conform to the appropriate health and safety standard.
- The PPE must be maintained and kept in efficient working order or replaced.
- Appropriate accommodation must be provided for the employee’s PPE when not in use.
- The employee must understand the risks that the PPE is in place to limit or avoid.
- The employee should be informed how to use the PPE as well as keep it in efficient working order.
- The employer must take the necessary steps to ensure that any PPE provided is properly used.
Is PPE always Necessary?
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) state that PPE should be a last resort to protect against risks, they set out a ‘Hierarchy of Controls’ for dealing with risks in the workplace where elimination is the most effective, and PPE is the least effective.
Hierarchy of Controls
- Elimination – physically remove the hazard
- Substitution – replace the hazard
- Engineering controls – isolate people from the hazard
- Administrative controls – change the way people work
- PPE – protect the worker with equipment
It is extremely important to make sure employees are provided with the correct PPE for the job they are performing. The HSE will prosecute and fine employers who put their workers at risk.
How to select the right PPE?
Once all efforts have been made to reduce risks in the workplace using the hierarchy of controls, PPE should be selected with the wearer and the job in mind. There are many different factors that should be considered when selecting the correct PPE, it is usually best to consult with a trusted, dedicated supplier of PPE who can discuss your requirements with you and help you to find the correct PPE.
At Safe ‘n’ Sound we have over 35 years of experience as a dedicated PPE supplier, and a network of industry experts from the UK’s largest PPE manufacturers, ready to help you select the correct PPE for your workplace.
If you would like to find out more about how we can help you select the correct PPE for your employees, please contact us using the form below.
