What is PPE?
Personal Protective Equipment, also known as “PPE”. It is also referred to protective clothing for your head, eyes, hands, ears, hands, feet, body, and your respiratory system.
PPE serves as a last resort to protect you from injuries when other engineering and administrative controls have failed, and is used to protect you and people around you from severe and minor injuries in the workplace.
What is PPE Safety?
PPE Safety is a practice of ensuring the proper use of PPE to minimise the risk exposure to workplace hazards and prevent injuries. Safety is one of the most important aspect to any business across industries. Using proper PPE and following the safety protocols is essential if you want to protect employees from risks and injuries.
5 Most Common Types of PPE and Their Examples
Hard Hat – Hard hat is designed to protect you from objects falling from above and hitting your head – it is a must have piece of PPE as it can save your life.
Safety Glasses – Safety glasses are there to protect your eyes from sharp object getting into your eye and damaging your vision. Safety glasses are often used when working with abrasive wheels or similar.
High vis Jacket – High vis jacket is most common piece of protective clothing, it is used everywhere – construction, warehouses, factories, you name it. High vis jackets are designed to make you more visible.
Safety Gloves – safety gloves are designed to protect your hands and skin from burns, cuts, abrasion, and chemical exposure.
Safety Boots – Safety boots are there to prevent injuries to your toes. All safety boots should have a steal toe, which prevents falling objects from causing harm to your feet.
Why is PPE Safety Important?
According to HSA (Health & Safety Authority Ireland) Hierarchy of Control Measures, PPE serves as a last line of protection. PPE is there to protect you from workplace hazards that may include chemical exposure, physical impacts, biohazards, noise, extreme temperatures, and others in case when other preventative measures fail.
Who is responsible to provide PPE
It is your employers duty to provide necessary Personal Protective Equipment for the job. This was outlined in Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. It is your employers responsibility assess all the risks and hazards, train their employees on how to use PPE, and put necessary controls in place. However, on the other hand, it is employees responsibility to ensure they are using provided PPE as intended, take proper care of said PPE, report any issues, and follow procedures if something goes wrong.
Our professional team of Safety Consultants can help you with risk assessments.
What Are The Benefits of Wearing PPE
There are multiple benefits to wearing PPE in the workplace, one of the most important of them being is that it protects you from injuries and illnesses. Safety gloves can protect you from cuts and blisters, hard hat can save your life if a heavy objects falls on your head, safety boots can prevent slips and protect you from falling objects, respirators can eliminate toxic gases and vapour.
Another major benefit of wearing PPE is that it makes business law compliant. Laws such as the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 state that employees must wear appropriate PPE. Wearing PPE shows that everyone is complying with the law.
Conclusion
In any workplace, safety should never be left to chance—and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) plays a critical role in safeguarding employees from harm. As the last line of defence against a wide range of hazards, PPE can prevent everything from minor cuts and bruises to life-threatening injuries. Understanding what PPE is, knowing how to use it correctly, and ensuring it is worn consistently can make all the difference in maintaining a safe and compliant work environment.
Employers have a legal responsibility under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 to provide the appropriate PPE and ensure staff are trained to use it properly. In turn, employees must take ownership of their safety by wearing PPE as required. Whether it’s a hard hat, safety boots, or a high-vis jacket, each piece of PPE serves a purpose and contributes to a culture of safety. By making PPE use a priority, businesses protect their most valuable asset—their people.
