1. Personal Protective Equipment

2. Personal Protective Equipment
Your employer should provide you with PPE if risks can’t be controlled in any other way:
PPE only protects the person wearing it
It only protects if worn correctly
Sometimes PPE can make it difficult to move around
PPE should always be considered a last resort.
This is why PPE is the last item in the hierarchy of control measures

3. What sort of PPE can protect you?
Safety headgear – bumps, falling material, hot materials
Safety footwear – falling objects, puncture, slipping, wet, cold, heat
Safety gloves – chemicals, cuts and abrasions, heat, cold.
Ask audience to give examples of items of PPE that can be used and what they protect from.

4. Also… Ear plugs/muffs – noise
Safety goggles/glasses – impact, heat, dust, chemical splashes
Respirators – fumes, vapours, dusts, fibres, asbestos fibres
Harnesses and safety lines – working at height.
Discuss with audience the types of PPE they use for their work

5. What sort of PPE can protect you?
Dust masks
– nuisance dust only
High visibility clothing
– workplace transport.
Discuss with audience their PPE. Eg. Are they provided with PPE, do they wear it, how do they obtain new items etc.

6. What else should your employer do?
Make sure your PPE is well maintained and safe to use
Provide you with somewhere to keep it safe
Make sure you know how to use it properly.
Ask group if their PPE is well maintained and safe to use
Ask group if they have somewhere to keep it safe
Ask group if they know how to use their PPE properly.

7. How you can help Wear your PPE correctly
Check it for signs of damage before you use it
Keep PPE clean and store it correctly.
Remind employees that they have a legal duty to use the PPE that has been provided for their safety.

8. Also… Report damaged or lost PPE to your supervisor
Good personal hygiene will reduce the likelihood of getting infections caused by dirty PPE
Do not use damaged PPE!
Ask group what they think they can do to help in relation to their PPE

9. Checking your PPE for signs of damage
Safety headgear – cracked shell, broken harnesses or straps
Safety footwear – badly worn tread, ripped uppers, leaks
Safety gloves –distorted shape, ripped, contaminated.
Ask group what signs of damage they should be checking for.

10. Checking your PPE for signs of damage
Earplugs/muffs – cracked shell, broken band, contaminated
Safety goggles/glasses – broken/scratched lenses, broken frames/straps
Respirators – broken lenses, damaged canisters, broken straps
Do not use damaged PPE!.
Ask group what they should do if they found any signs of damage to their PPE