Far from being merely advisable, it is of course a legal obligation for employers to provide suitable PPE equipment for all employees, including permanent staff, temporary staff, contractors and even visitors in many cases. But when it comes to selecting the right PPE equipment it isn't always clear what employers need to do. PPE suppliers have a growing range of products, but a growing range means a growing problem for employers under increasing pressure to choose the right combination of solutions for the right situation.
One of the best ways employers can find help with selecting the best PPE Equipment for their particular circumstances is to talk to one of the many UK PPE suppliers, who can often provide helpful advice and recommendations. Another possible source of information, especially in more difficult cases, is the British Safety Industry Federation.
4 Angle Grinder
But for any employer trying to choose from the massive range of PPE equipment available, and faced with a growing choice, there are five important questions which should be asked about each and every selection. It's easy to overlook these five points, but they could make all the difference between making the right choice, and placing someone's life in danger.
1. Is it fully appropriate for the risks involved, as well as the conditions? It's easy to assume that PPE equipment designed to offer protection to certain parts of the body will provide adequate protection about risks which may be considered similar. For example, safety goggles provided to workers who may be using agricultural pesticides will be designed to offer the right kind of protection against such chemicals.
However, just because the equipment is referred to as either safety goggles or eye protection it should not be assumed that they will always offer protection to the eyes. An employee using an angle grinder to cut steel or to cut stone will be experiencing quite different levels and types of dangers. The eye protection may not be either flame proof, heat proof or shatter proof. In addition it may be the case that extra face protection is required, beyond simply eye protection.
2. Does it lower the specific risk without increasing overall risk levels? An easy mistake to make is to assume that any protection against a specific risk is a good thing. But this may not always be the case. For example, hand protection which offers protection against heat may be so bulky and cumbersome that dexterity is reduced, increasing the chance of dropping scalding liquids, which could increase the overall risk.
3. Can it be suitably adjusted? One of the most common causes of accidents in the workplace which can be attributed to incorrect PPE equipment is as a direct result of equipment not fitting correctly. It's important to choose PPE equipment which can be adjusted so that it is comfortable, secure, doesn't slip, decrease movement or dexterity or become restrictive.
4. Have the needs of the wearer been taken into consideration? Simply wrapping employees in layer upon layer of protection isn't necessarily a good thing, and it's important to consider their needs. For example, expecting workers to wear thick high visibility jackets throughout both the winter and the summer is inadvisable, and it may be necessary to reduce the high visibility clothing to just tabards or vests during the summer. If workers have to move around a lot then PPE equipment which is very restrictive can become uncomfortable and inconvenient. Wearing safety gloves for long periods of time can cause a number of problems if the gloves don't allow the hands to breathe properly, including loss of feeling.
5. Has the compatibility of the PPE equipment been considered? This is something which PPE suppliers can often advise upon, because where workers are required to wear more than one item of safety equipment it will be important to make sure that they are compatible. For example, if a worker is exposed to toxic chemicals they may need to wear a respirator, but if they also need to wear eye protection, will this fit correctly over the respirator? If in any doubt, talk to one of the many PPE suppliers with experience in advising businesses in such cases.