Wednesday 30 May 2012

Personal Protective Equipment

PPE is defined as “Personal protective equipment”  which would include ‘all equipment (including clothing affording protection against the weather) which is intended to be worn or held by a person at work and which protects him against one or more risks to his health or safety’ e g safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, high-visibility clothing and safety footwear.

The main requirement of the PPE at Work Regulations is that personal protective equipment is to be supplied and used at work wherever there are risks to health and safety that cannot be adequately controlled in other ways.

Here are some potential hazards and ways to protect yourself against possible harm.

The hazards and types of PPE:

Eyes

Hazards: chemical or metal splash, dust, projectiles, gas and vapour, radiation.
Options: safety spectacles, goggles, face shields, visitors.
Our Solution: Safety Glasses, shields and visors

Head


Hazards: impact from falling or flying objects, risk of head bumping, hair entanglement.
Options: a range of helmets and bump caps.
Our Solution: Safety Helmets, headsets and chinstraps

Breathing


Hazards: dust, vapour, gas, oxygen-deficient atmospheres.
Options: disposable filtering face piece or respirator, half- or full-face respirators, air-fed helmets, breathing apparatus.
Our solution: Facemasks and respirators

Protecting the body


Hazards: temperature extremes, adverse weather, chemical or metal splash, spray from pressure leaks or spray guns, impact or penetration, contaminated dust, excessive wear or entanglement of own clothing.
Options: conventional or disposable overalls, boiler suits, specialist protective clothing, eg chain-mail aprons, high-visibility clothing.
Our solutions: Flame retardant overalls, shirts, vests, pants, socks, sweat shirts and jackets

Hands and arms


Hazards: abrasion, temperature extremes, cuts and punctures, impact, chemicals, electric shock, skin infection, disease or contamination.
Options: gloves, gauntlets, mitts, wrist cuffs, armlets.
Our Solution:  WeldersGauntlet, rigger gloves, high vis, gripper gloves, Nitrile gloves, foam gloves,chemical gloves and safety gloves

Feet and legs


Hazards: wet, electrostatic build-up, slipping, cuts and punctures, falling objects, metal and chemical splash, abrasion.
Options: safety boots and shoes with protective toe caps and penetration-resistant mid-sole, gaiters, leggings, spats.
Our solutions:  Safety boot, shoes, trainers toe caps and wellingtons