Protect and survive

A formal risk assessment is critical to ensuring you choose the right personal protective equipment (PPE). However, there is a hierarchy of control – elimination, substitution, engineering controls and administrative controls – before you consider the use of PPE. If employees do face hazards that require PPE, ask your supplier for advice on the types available and their suitability for different tasks. The British Safety Industry Federation (www.bsif.co.uk), manufacturers such as 3M (www.bit.ly/1bdYgK8) and distributors such as Arco (www.arco.co.uk) are also useful information sources. Boots: See 'Footwear'. Counterfeit PPE is increasingly widespread, with fake safety helmets the most common form. In some sectors, over half the products tested were found to be fake. The BSIF has published a free checklist to identify illegal products (www.bit.ly/1jJco09) and has introduced the Registered Safety Supplier Scheme (www.bit.ly/1mQhydb). Make sure the PPE you specify is CE marked in accordance with the Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 2002 which deal with the design, manufacture and supply of PPE (www.bit.ly/1gGmHEw). See also 'J' for Jewsons. Definitions of PPE vary, but HSE defines it as equipment that will protect the user against health or safety risks at work. It can include items such as safety helmets and hard hats, gloves, eye protection, high-visibility clothing, safety footwear and safety harnesses. Ear protection: Sound level and the length of exposure to noise can have a significant impact on hearing. So, for example, very loud noises are hazardous even for a short duration. HSE recommends that, as well as providing the right hearing protectors – ear plugs and mufflers – for the type of work and the usual volume of noise around the work site, you also make sure workers know how to fit them (www.bit.ly/1hhOoQl). Footwear: Examples of the daily hazards that might be encountered in the workplace include wet, hot and cold conditions; electrostatic build-up; slipping; cuts and punctures; falling objects; heavy loads, and metal and chemical splash (www.bit.ly/KDKYfY). Dr. Martens (www.bit.ly/1b6Wt6c) cautions that protection should not come at the expense of comfort: "Ill fitting, uncomfortable footwear causes discomfort, pain and fatigue, setting up the worker for further injuries: They are likely to be less alert and more likely to act unsafely, resulting in an accident." Gloves protect against a range of risks including abrasion, temperature extremes, cuts and punctures, impact, chemicals, electric shock, radiation, vibration, biological agents and prolonged immersion in water. But you no longer have to wear thick leather gauntlets to ensure effective hand protection; modern materials are thinner, lighter and stronger. Gloves are also getting easier to specify thanks to innovations from suppliers. For example, Arco has developed a cut control colour glove system designed to ensure both safety and ease of use (www.bit.ly/1bifrqh) and Polyco offers a hand survey, free to companies with 50+ glove users (www.polyco.co.uk/hpas). HSE offers special advice on selecting protective gloves for work with chemicals (www.bit.ly/1aKlfcp). It also recommends people avoid wearing gloves when operating machines such as bench drills where the gloves might get caught. Headgear: Options include industrial safety helmets, bump caps and hairnets. They are designed to guard against impact from falling or flying objects, risk of head bumping, hair getting tangled in machinery, chemical drips or splash, climate or temperature. Look for dents or cracks in head protection and replace the equipment if these are present. There is a particular approach you should adopt when employing turban-wearing Sikhs (www.bit.ly/KDLBpV). Inspect your PPE regularly and replace it if necessary – don't stint on safety equipment (www.bit.ly/1jmW081). Jewsons, the builders' merchant, was fined £14,000 in October last year for selling unsafe hard hats imported from China that were claimed to comply with EN397, but which failed relevant tests. This highlighted the problem of fake products (www.bit.ly/LHeKBb) – see 'Counterfeits'. Keep your PPE clean and store it in an appropriate location and manner – see Regulation 8 of the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992. Laws governing PPE include the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended) (www.bit.ly/LGieDE), governed by the European PPE Directive (www.bit.ly/1jsvoCx). The regulations, which are due to be updated next year, require PPE to be properly assessed before use to make sure it is fit for purpose; maintained and stored properly; provided with instructions on how to use it safely, and used correctly by employees. Maintenance ensures the equipment continues to provide the right level of protection (www.bit.ly/1ckArRG). That's why it makes sense to follow the manufacturer's maintenance schedule. The PPE user might be able conduct simple maintenance such as cleaning, but repairs must only be carried out by competent people. The employer is responsible for the cost of PPE maintenance. Noise protection essentially comprises earplugs which fit into or cover the ear canal to form a seal and earmuffs which normally incorporate hard plastic cups that fit over and surround the ears, sealed to the head by cushion seals filled with plastic foam or a viscous liquid (www.bit.ly/1dAXBid). Overalls, coveralls and body suits are types of protective clothing that cover the entire body. Aprons only cover part of the body. Separates are jackets, trousers etc that cover part of the body. Protective clothing can include anything from disposable work-wear through overalls to chemical suits. Which is worn depends on whether the protection is against heat, chemical or metal splash, spray from pressure leaks or spray guns, contaminated dust, impact or penetration, excessive wear or entanglement of own clothing (www.bit.ly/19MZsFR). Quality equipment or questionable reliability? Choose PPE that is CE marked in accordance with the Personal Protective Equipment Regulations – suppliers and distributors such as Arco (www.arco.co.uk) can advise you. Respiratory protective equipment (RPE) is typically used in oxygen-deficient atmospheres, or where dusts, gases and vapours are present. Some respirators rely on filtering contaminants from workplace air. These include simple filtering face-pieces and respirators and power-assisted respirators There are also types of breathing apparatus which give an independent supply of breathable air, eg fresh-air hose, compressed airline and self-contained breathing apparatus. If you are using RPE, look at HSE's publication Respiratory protective equipment at work: A practical guide (www.bit.ly/1mo0KqU). Selection of appropriate PPE is critically important – to help you choose the right kit, HSE recommends you ask the following questions: Who is exposed and to what? How long are they exposed for? How much are they exposed to? Choose equipment that suits the user, so consider the size, fit and weight of the PPE. Remember, if the users are given the opportunity to help choose the PPE, they will be more likely to use it. If more than one item of PPE is worn at the same time, make sure they can be used together, eg wearing safety glasses may disturb the seal of a respirator, causing air leaks. Instruct and train people how to use PPE and tell them why it is needed, when to use it and what its limitations are. There are several questions you should ask before specifying PPE. HSE suggests that assessing PPE suitability should involve asking: Does the PPE protect the wearer from the risks and take account of the environmental conditions where the task is taking place? Does using PPE increase the overall level of risk or add new risks, for example, by making communication more difficult? Can it be adjusted to fit correctly? What are the needs of the job and the demands it places on the wearer? If someone wears more than one item of PPE, are they compatible? Using PPE: HSE recommends that you instruct and train people how to use it; tell them why it is needed, when to use it and what its limitations are; never allow exemptions for jobs that 'only take a few minutes'; if something changes on the job, check the PPE is still appropriate – explain the job to your supplier. If in doubt, seek further advice from a specialist adviser. Vending machines can be used to supply PPE.?They offer 24/7 visibility, availability and control. However, bear in mind that the 1992 regulations insist that an employer cannot ask for money from an employee for PPE, whether it is returnable or not. Washing – The regulations don't prevent employers asking employees to clean their own PPE, but this should be stipulated in their contracts of employment. X-ray specs (not to be confused with 1970s punk band X-Ray Spex) are one piece of PPE you are unlikely to require on the shopfloor unless you find yourself facing equipment that emits electromagnetic radiation! Year that everything changed for PPE – 1992 when the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations came into force. Zzzzzzz – Don't fall asleep on the job. Take PPE specification, selection and maintenance seriously or you could find yourself landed with a dead or maimed employee, a huge fine and/or severe reputational damage.