One of the most common questions we hear at SafetyFind is “what does PPE mean?” and once we’ve explained that it stands for personal protective equipment, the immediate follow-up question tends to be “well, why is PPE important?”.
Put simply, PPE is critical to protecting people in the workplace. This is because under the “Hierarchy of Hazard Controls” (see chart below) PPE is the last and final line of defence against workplace injury.
PPE thus takes many forms, including eye and face, head, hand and hearing protection, and is generally used in combination to combat the variety of workplace hazards that people face every day.
What is PPE?
SafeWork Australia defines PPE as anything used or worn to minimise risk to workers’ health and safety. This includes items such as:
- Safety glasses and goggles
- Earmuffs and ear plugs
- Safety boots and shoes
- Face masks and shields
- Hard hats
- Gloves
- Surgical gowns and hazmat suits
- Safety harnesses, and
- Hi-Vis (Hi-Viz) clothing.
In the Workplace
The PPE requirements of every workplace can vary significantly depending on the activities and tasks of the workplace.
For example, most construction or industrial workplaces will mandate that workers wear safety boots or safety shoes (generally with a steel cap) and some form of Hi-Vis clothing. Additionally, safety glasses, ear plugs, and safety gloves may also need to be worn depending on an employee’s specific duties. While in the healthcare industry, PPE will generally include masks or face shields and disposable gowns. Those working at height (for example, on a skyscraper under construction), will typically be required to wear a safety harness.
In most cases an employee can expect that the appropriate PPE to keep them safe at work will be supplied to them by their employer.
Workers should ensure that the supplied PPE fits correctly and is reasonably comfortable enough to wear for long periods of time. Further, it should be suitable for the type of work performed by the employee, the potential hazard involved, and should be clean, hygienic, and fully operational.
Workers should immediately report to their employer, supervisor or manager if the supplied PPE is defective, unhygienic, or not suitable to the task to which they have been assigned.
PPE should never be intentionally damaged or deliberately misused. These things, along with refusal to wear PPE, can (and often will!) result in an employer taking disciplinary action against their employee to make sure that employee can be safe at work.
At Home
While most people are aware of the benefit of wearing effective PPE at work, PPE at home can often be overlooked or deemed not as important as wearing protective items in the workplace. This could not be further from the truth though, and many hospital emergency room visits could have been prevented by simply keeping and using a supply of PPE items at home.
A basic PPE kit for home use might include safety shoes/boots, safety glasses, earmuffs, and multipurpose gloves. Typical ‘at home’ jobs that PPE should be worn for including mowing the lawn (safety shoes, glasses, and earmuffs), chopping firewood with an axe (safety shoes and glasses), or using a chainsaw (earmuffs).
The wearing of safety boots when carrying heavy loads by hand (for example, when friends ask you to help them move) can protect feet and toes from anything that may accidently drop on them. While gloves can protect hands from abrasive or harsh cleaning products or from cuts and abrasions when tending to roses in your garden.
Where to Buy PPE
PPE can be purchased from many different stores, both online and in person, with a wide range of styles, brands, and quality available.
While some PPE items are stock standard and generally available from any quality retailer, other speciality items may require some extra research to find the most suitable item, style, or brand of PPE for the specific job requirements.
SafetyFind merchants stock a massive range of PPE items, suitable for use in all kinds of workplaces and home environments. SafetyFind merchants can deliver across Australia, including Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, Hobart, the Gold Coast and all other major cities and regions. You can browse the selection of PPE products on SafetyFind here.
PPE Signs
PPE signage is an essential requirement for the workplace. PPE safety signs should provide clear and concise visual direction to all employees and on-site visitors as to the PPE requirements of the area or workplace.
PPE signs can often simply be pictorial symbols of the equipment that should be worn in that designated area of the workplace. The signs will generally provide specific instruction and must typically be adhered to by workers and visitors. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action, or worse, avoidable injuries.
SafetyFind merchants have many varieties of PPE signage on offer and suitable to many different industries and workplaces. Custom signs can also be created to specifically suit unique requirements.
How to Use and Wear PPE
If PPE is not worn correctly it has the potential to become the hazard rather than protect from the hazard. It may seem self-evident, but if you have not previously worn PPE (for example, when starting a new job), or you have a new item of PPE that you are not familiar with, there may be questions about the purpose of the item and how it should be correctly worn and used to keep you safe.
Safety Glasses and Goggles:
Safety glasses should fully cover both eyes, the sides of each eye and overlap your temple. The arms of the glasses should sit comfortably over both ears and not slip-off when you bend over. Safety goggles should cover both eyes and the strap should sit tight but comfortably around the head to secure the goggles in place.
Earmuffs and Ear Plugs:
Earmuffs should cover both ears and not place unnecessary pressure on the outer ear or ear lobe. The adjustable band should sit securely over the middle of your head and have minimal movement, even when you might be walking around or bending over.
Disposable ear plugs are generally made from a soft foam that is squeezed prior to insertion to allow for easy placement into the ear canal, and then expands as it settles into the ear cavity to fill the space and muffle loud noises.
Reusable ear plugs are generally made from silicone rubber and often have a cord or band joining them together. The cord or band sits around the neck for easier access when taking the plugs in and out. As you might guess, reusable ear plugs require regular and thorough cleaning to keep them hygienic.
Safety Boots and Shoes:
Safety boots can be lace up, zip up or slip-on styles. Generally, most steel cap boots will have either lace up or zip up options, or in some cases, both options on the one pair of shoes.
To avoid laces becoming a tripping hazard, they should be securely and firmly tied. While for zip up boots, the Velcro tab should be placed across the top of the zipper to hold it in place.
When choosing your safety boot, it is most important to get the sizing correct. If the boots are too tight, they may cause blisters and unnecessary pain. If they are too loose they may slip when walking and cause you to trip. Generally, most people wear thicker socks in work boots than in “normal” daily life, so when choosing your new boots ensure you allow enough room for thick, heavy duty socks.
Face Masks and Shields:
Face masks and face shields have never been more in demand than in this current environment.
For these items to be the most effective they need to be worn correctly. Both the mouth and nose must be fully covered when wearing a face mask. The mask shouldn’t be too loose or too tight but rather securely snug to your face. If the mask feels too loose, twist each ear cord into a figure 8 shape and reapply the top of the figure 8 to your ear. This will tighten the mask and make it fit more securely.
Face shields should cover the whole face and be worn as close to the face as possible. The foam head band at the top of the shield should sit comfortably across the forehead. If worn too high on the top of the head, the shield will angle away from the face and reduce the desired coverage.
Hard Hats:
Protecting your head and brain is a very important job. Hard hats should fit snugly and not significantly shift or move on the head with normal movement.
Most hard hats will have an adjustable rachet included inside, or at the back of the hat, that can tighten or loosen the internal frame. Some hard hats will also have a chin strap option. This should always be used if supplied with the hat and should comfortably rest under the chin and assist the hard hat staying safely in place.
As per Australian Standard AS/NZ 1800:1998, and noted by OHSREP, hard hats do not last forever and should be checked on a weekly basis for any cracks, dents, or damage due to impact, along with discoloration that may indicate a weakness in material. If any of these found the hard hat must be immediately discarded and replaced.
Gloves:
Aside from putting gloves on the correct left or right hand, there is no real secret to applying or wearing safety gloves. Rather, while very simple to use, the complexity to safety gloves can be found when choosing the correct gloves for the task at hand.
The is a wide range of gloves to choose from in the market and research is recommended to ensure the glove matches the jobs requirements. Glove styles include; rubber gloves, leather gloves, electrical gloves, cut resistant gloves, welding gloves, heat resistant gloves, lab gloves, latex gloves, high voltage gloves, insulated gloves, and waterproof gloves.
Surgical Gowns and Hazmat Suits:
To don a surgical gown, hold both arms outstretched inside the arms of the gown. Let the gown unravel from your outstretched arms, at shoulder height. Manoeuvre the gown with your outstretched arms so that the gown is sitting on your shoulders. Have an assistant tie the back of the gown in place. To ensure the gown remains sterile, only the inside of the gown can be touched.
Step into the legs of the Hazmat Suit one at a time. Pull the suit up to waist level and then insert an arm into each sleeve. Place the hood over your head and zip the suit all the way up. For full protection ensure that other applicable items of PPE, such as a face shield and gloves, are used in conjunction with the Hazmat suit.
Safety Harnesses:
Australia Height Safety states that any work conducted at a height (which is generally considered to be 2 metres or higher) requires the use of fall protection equipment.
Safety harnesses are an integral part of workplace fall protection equipment. The correct harness for the task at hand should be researched prior to use and on-site checks that all clips and tethers are in working order should be conducted before work at a height begins.
Hi-Vis Clothing:
High Visibility (Hi-Vis or Hi-Viz) clothing plays a very important part in most work environments. While most often used in construction or industrial settings, hi-vis clothing also plays a prominent role in the sporting world, and at times can even used in home life. It has become popular for dog walkers to not only wear a Hi-Vis Jacket in dim light but also have a matching Hi-Vis Dog Jacket for their pooch!
The two main components on any piece of Hi-Vis clothing is its colour, in most cases fluorescent yellow, orange or lime green, along with reflective strips for extra visibility at night or in dim light.
There are many styles of Hi-Vis clothing including jackets, vests, t-shirts, jumpers, overalls and pants. All are worn as any standard piece of clothing would be, the only difference is to be mindful of securing the clothing properly (i.e., zipped up) to avoid loose clothing becoming caught in machinery.
Australian Standards for PPE
Australian Standards are published documents that provide specifications and procedures to ensure products and systems across Australia are reliable and consistent. There are an abundance of Australian Standards that relate to the use of PPE and we have listed some of the more general standards below, however it is always advisable to research the exact details you require through platforms such as Standards Australia or Sai Global.
- AS/NZS 4602: 2011 High visibility safety garments – Garments for high-risk applications
- AS/NZS 4501.2:2006 Occupational protective clothing – General requirements
- AS/NZS 2161.2:1998 Occupational protective gloves – General requirements
- AS/NZS 1337:1992 Eye protectors for industrial applications.
- AS/NZS 1337.1-2010 Personal eye protection, Part 1: Eye and face protectors for occupational applications