The importance of PPE

We all know that people always go on and on about PPE; stories of the WorkSafe boogeyman turning up and fining people for not putting on sunscreen or something ridiculous like that. But how important IS PPE, actually? You might be surprised.

To begin, let's figure out what exactly PPE is. As you'll find out, it's not just some buzzword that the people in-charge like to repeat when they're looking for reasons to write you up.

What is PPE?

PPE, or Personal Protective Equipment, is the term used for any form of protective equipment used to protect yourself from potential hazards and incidents. This can range between simple disposable ear plugs, to a full-body "hazmat" suit. Every job has some form of PPE, and each job is different. Different hazards require different protection, so you wouldn't really bring a hard hat to do cleaning, but you'd definitely wear gloves.

Personal Protective Equipment is used around the world, and it's very often compulsory. We've all heard the WorkSafe horror stories, but they exist for a reason. It's even more important in these tough times!

PPE is considered a "Level 3" protection under the WH&S regulations we all follow like the Bible. Level 3 protection does not control the hazard at the source, instead relying on human behaviour. A workplace cannot rely 100% on PPE, instead using it to supplement other safety measures, but that doesn't make PPE any less important.

Types of PPE

PPE comes in many shapes and forms, from the multi-purposed to the super-duper-specific. Gloves, boots, goggles, helmets and more - we'll cover the most common forms of PPE here!

Physical safety gear

Physical safety gear can come in many different forms such as helmets, boots, and anything else to protect yourself from physical harm. These are used in situations where physical harm is a very real and serious danger.

Physical safety gear can include:

• Helmets - one of the most common and well-known forms of PPE, helmets are used in almost any job that has the risk of physical harm. Brain injuries are one of the most lethal and damaging forms of workplace injury, and so, most helmets are designed to minimise physical damage to your head and brain. Helmets nowadays are made of a lightweight plastic to reduce neck strain and make it easier to wear for extended periods of time, without sacrificing protection.
• Safety boots - often made from thick leather with a steel-toe, these boots are crucial in many workplaces such as construction and manufacturing, where protection from compression or falling objects is crucial. Safety boots are important to avoid foot injuries, which are extremely dangerous in many workplaces. As well as boots, safety sneakers and dress shoes are available, for casual work to formal meetings where safety is still mandatory.
• Padded clothing - is important for situations and occupations where additional layers of physical protection is needed, such as loggers/chainsaw users. These additional forms of protection can come in the form of padded jackets, kevlar chaps, and ballistic vests.

 

Eye Protection

Next up, we've got one of the most important forms of PPE, eye protection. I don't need to tell you how important it is to keep your eyes safe, but in-case you're unsure...

You've only got two. Your eyes are how you perceive the world around you, and they're extremely vulnerable. If you're in a workplace with ANY risk of eye injury, it's incredibly important to wear eye protection!

This includes:

• Safety glasses - these may look like regular glasses, but they're often made of highly-safe and impact-resistant plastic. It'll stop a metal shard or piece of shrapnel taking out your eye, and often look good doing it! Safety glasses are offered in all shapes and sizes, including UV-resistant polarized glasses.
• Safety goggles - are the next step-up from safety glasses, often featuring much thicker plastic and a wrap-around design with a tough strap. It covers more than regular safety glasses, to protect debris coming from the sides or top/below. Crucial in workplaces that have a high-risk of debris, such as metalworking or woodworking.
• Welding goggles - similarly to the last two, are important for protecting your eyes. However, instead of the primary purpose being keeping debris out of your eyes, the #1 reason to wear welding goggles is to protect your eyes from the extremely dangerous light given off while welding. The UV light that you are exposed to while welding can cause permanent blindness, but with a pair of UV-filtering welding goggles you'll be protected from an eye-related catastrophe.
• Face shields - are often used in situations where you'd want to keep things away from your eyes and face, but are often used in a medical or chemical scenario. A plastic face shield is more for keeping blood-borne and chemical hazards away than solid shrapnel and debris, however a thicker shield can also be used for more physical threats. These are often worn over the top of other PPE, such as safety glasses and/or a mask.

 

Skin Protection

Skin protection has many forms - from medical gloves and cut-resistant gloves, to full-body suits and lab coats. Did you know that skin diseases are the second-most common type of occupational disease? Skin protection is crucial in many occupations like heavy-duty cleaning and chemical handling, as well as anything with sharp objects!

Skin hazards come in four groups - Chemical agents, Biological agents, Physical agents, and Mechanical trauma. Make sure to pick the PPE that corresponds to the correct hazard!

Skin protection PPE includes:

• Gloves - starting off with the basics! Gloves might be the first thing people may think of when they think of skin protection, and they may be used in all sorts of occupations - but this doesn't make gloves any less crucial for staying safe in the workplace! Gloves can range between nitrile and latex for medical and cleaning, to impact and cut resistant gloves for more physical, hands-on work. But don't get them mixed up! Wear the right gloves for your job, and your hands will thank you
• Lab coats - not just for show! Lab coats were made to protect your body from hazardous chemicals in a lab environment, for chemists and doctors working with dangerous chemical and biological agents or anything related to disease.
• Coveralls - similar to the lab coat, but for scenarios where you need a higher-level of protection. Uses are very similar, however coveralls are especially important for situations where you need zero contact between a chemical or material and yourself. These are also used, albeit a much thicker, padded version, for welding.
• Sunscreen - yes, sunscreen! It may seem trivial, but if you're standing in the sun all day, you need to protect yourself from the UV rays! Skin cancer is a very real danger, so make sure to Slip, Slop, Slap!

 

Hearing Protection

I'm sure many of us have overlooked hearing as a serious risk in the workplace. Industrial noise is very commonly ignored as an occupational hazard, but it's just as serious as the rest! Over 22 million workers in the US are exposed to damaging noise levels every year, accounting for 14% of all occupational illnesses.

So, what can we do about it? Luckily, there are only two main forms of hearing protection:

• Earplugs - the first form of hearing protection, are a simple and easy way to eliminate some of the harmful noises and stop them from damaging your ears. Simple, disposable foam earplugs are available in most workplaces, and even though they can be unpleasant to wear for some people, it's a very simple solution to a dangerous situation!
• Earmuffs - very similar to earplugs and used in the same situation, but are a longer lasting form of PPE. Many workplaces around the world require ear protection to be worn, so if you're there a while, you should wear earmuffs over earplugs.

 

Respirators

Respirators are used to protect the users lungs and throat from inhaling potentially dangerous contaminants in the air, and are crucial for various occupations. There are a large number of potential health risks from breathing hazardous airborne contaminants, so make sure to wear a respirator if your workplace requires it!

Respirators come in different forms, including:

• Gas masks - are a form of air-purifying respirator, and are used in environments where the air needs to be filtered before being breathable, due to airborne particles and chemicals. These come in various shapes and sizes, from half-face masks to full-face masks that offer a greater seal and additional eye protection.
• Particulate respirators - are often a more basic, disposable mask that fill the gap between a regular cloth mask and a fully-fledged gas mask. These include N95 masks, made from polymer fibers to filter 95% of all airborne particles.
• Breathing apparatuses - are used when air filtration isn't all you need! A self-contained breathing apparatus, or SCBA (yes, this is where scuba diving gets it's name!), consists of a high-pressure tank of oxygen, pressure regulator, and mouthpiece or mask. These are used when direct oxygen airflow is needed, such as working underwater. Also used by firefighters in high-risk situations where smoke inhalation and dangerous fumes and gases are a factor.
• Surgical masks - while not particularly a respirator, surgical masks are crucial for protecting the wearer from transmission of most forms of disease and illness. Very important in society today!

 

Unfortunately, PPE is incredibly important due to the number of dangerous jobs out there. Nobody wants to think about their own mortality, but you only get one body, so you need to take care of it before it's too late. However, by using the correct PPE and following the necessary safety procedures, you'll greatly reduce the chances of an incident, and even further reduce the chance of serious injury.