Personal Protective Equipment pages 37 to 40 Barry Spick

Definition Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is defined as all equipment designed to be worn or held to protect against a risk to health or safety. It includes most types Eye and Face Hand and arm Foot and Leg Head Respiratory Hearing Skin Trunk and abdomen Whole body Barry Spick

Employers duties Employers should ensure:- All PPE is provided free of charge PPE is suitable for its purpose Information on procedures to maintain the PPE is freely available Storage is available Is maintained and in good repair Is properly used Barry Spick

Eyes Every year thousands of workers suffer eye injuries. Discomfort Pain Can cause blindness When working follow any safety procedures set down by your employer Barry Spick

Examples of Eye Protection Spectacles: used for general/light eye protection Goggles: used for heavier jobs e.g. Drilling/chopping large holes. Full face mask:- used for grinding/preventing splashes when working with chemicals etc. Barry Spick

Here are a few of them A bog standard black eye when the brick he was cutting flew up and gave him a whack Barry Spick

Here are a few of them The caustic soda he was using to clear a blocked drain splashed into his eyes. Barry Spick

Foot Protection Toe and foot injuries account for 15% of reported accidents Can result in pain Disability Loss of work Loss of income Using correct footwear in different working environments can save your life e.g. when working with electricity use rubber soled boots Barry Spick

Footwear Examples Safety Trainer: used by workers in light work situations Safety Boot: used by workers for heavy work situations Safety Shoe: Barry Spick

And this is all that happened! This is a safety boot worn by a bloke who got his foot caught in a bit of machinery And this is all that happened! Barry Spick

This is the foot of a bloke who caught his foot in a bit of machinery And wasn’t wearing safety boots Barry Spick

Hand Protection Hands are irreplaceable tools Used for almost everything: Working Playing Driving Eating 1 in 4 work related injuries are on hands and fingers One of the most common problems is a skin disease called dermatitis. Barry Spick

Hand Protection General Purpose Gloves: prevention of cuts Heavy Duty Rubber: working with hazardous substances e.g. clearing toilets Specialists Gloves: these are rated to 1000 volts electrician gloves Barry Spick

The owner of this hand was wearing fabric ‘gardening’ gloves which became soaked with petrol And caught fire! Barry Spick

No little throbbing finger here. In fact.. No fingers! Barry Spick

Head Protection That rule is gravity, on building sites that can mean Sir Issac Newton tells us why an apple falls from the sky And every working tool is governed by the self same rule That rule is gravity, on building sites that can mean Falling masonry Falling scaffolding materials Falling tools Also walking into objects that are head height. Barry Spick

Head Protection Bump Caps: used where there is a chance of walking into something at head height Hard Hats: used for all types of work industrial, building work Barry Spick

Walking into the end of a scaffold pole certainly hurt Barry Spick

This is what happens when a hard hat is hit by a falling object. Barry Spick

This is what happens when a head is hit by a falling object. Barry Spick

And this. Barry Spick

Safety Hat Guidelines Adjust the fit so it is comfortable Straps should be snug not too tight Don’t wear your hat back to front, tilted Do not carry anything in the clearance space of your helmet. Never wear an ordinary hat under your helmet Do not paint your safety helmet, why? Do not throw or drop the hat Inspect for cracks, dents and signs of wear Check strap for looseness worn stitching Barry Spick

Ear Protection You may have to wear ear protection for certain jobs Using a large hammer drill Drilling a core drill through brickwork Using a ‘Kango’ type of drill to chase pipes into floors etc When others are using large or noisy machinery Barry Spick

Ear Protection Ear plugs: fit inside the ear and are disposable Ear muff: used for noise in excess of 90 Db Barry Spick

Respiratory Protection Breathing in: Dusts Mists Fibre particles Soot, this could require a respirator with filters Dangerous gases: Lead welding indoors Entering a sewer system, full breathing apparatus would be required; but only after specialist training Death can occur if not undertaken Barry Spick

Respiratory Protection Dust mask: low level dust/mists Filtered mask: High level dust/soot Respirator: High level of gases/sewer gases Special Training required Barry Spick

Look after your lungs A nice healthy lung A very unhealthy lung Barry Spick

LESSON COMPLETE Barry Spick