Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is an important tool in any organization. The equipment protects workers from serious injuries or illnesses that may arise due to exposure to hazards at the work site. Without proper PPE, you are putting your life at risk. There are various types of PPE and this article will discuss them in detail.
Eye and face protection
Eye and face protection must be worn whenever there is a risk of eye injury. Eye injuries can occur in many ways, including flying particles, chemical splashes or sprays, dust, and UV rays. Eye protection can be a safety glasses, goggles or a face shield.
Eye protection should be used whenever there is risk of dust or dirt entering the eyes. Airborne particles such as sawdust may cause irritation or abrasions to the cornea of the eye which could lead to temporary vision loss if left untreated.
Safety glasses are recommended when grinding metals (especially steel), working with chemicals that could splash onto your face, welding/cutting metal and other high-heat processes where hot sparks might fly towards your eyes. Safety glasses will also protect you from UV rays during daylight hours when you’re working outside on sunny days!
Hearing protection
If you have ever been to a concert, you know how loud it can get. The music is so loud that your ears are ringing after the show. You should always wear ear protection when you are in a loud environment. There are two types of ear protection: ear plugs and earmuffs.
Ear plugs should be worn whenever you want to block out sound like when working on an airplane or riding on public transportation with annoying people around (honestly, why do people talk so loudly on trains?). They’re cheap and small so they’re easy to carry around with you everywhere! However, some sounds will still reach your eardrums even if there’s something blocking them out completely (like when someone is talking right next to me but doesn’t have anything covering their mouth). This means there will be some loss in quality while wearing these types of earplugs because sounds can still get through even though they won’t hurt my ears as much as without them on.”
Respiratory protection
Respirators are devices that cover the nose and mouth, or in some cases both, to protect the wearer from inhaling certain harmful substances. Respirators can be classified by their filtering efficiency, measured by the size of particles they remove from air being breathed into the respirator (the number in parentheses is the minimum efficiency level required by OSHA’s respiratory protection standard):
Particulate respirators: These filters remove dusts and other solid particulates. They’re used for outdoor work where you may encounter dusts or fumes such as asbestos, lead paint or fly ash from coal-fired power plants. The particle filters should be replaced after five years’ use or when damaged — whichever comes first.
Disposable dust masks: These masks seal around your nostrils and across your mouth like a surgical mask but have no filter medium to trap particles inside them; instead they rely on creating an effective barrier between your face and airborne contaminants at point of contact with skin surfaces on either side of it (this type of mask is not considered a respirator).
Foot protection
Foot protection is an important part of any safety gear. Foot protection should be worn where there is a chance of falling, slipping or tripping on uneven surfaces, or where there are sharp objects (such as nails) that could cause cuts and lacerations to the foot.
Foot protection may also be used in areas where there are electrical hazards present and safety footwear is necessary to prevent electrical shock.
If you work with hot products such as molten metal or hot liquids, you should wear heat-resistant boots that can withstand temperatures above 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93 degrees Celsius).
Hand protection
Safety Gloves are one of the most important types of personal protective equipment, protecting hands against cuts, abrasions, puncture wounds, and chemical splash. Gloves are made from a variety of materials such as leather, PVC (polyvinyl chloride), nitrile rubber and neoprene.
Gloves also provide an additional layer of protection when handling hazardous substances. Nitrile rubber gloves can withstand temperatures up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit while still providing an excellent grip on tools or other equipment. Neoprene gloves offer flexibility and comfort while preventing exposure to certain chemicals like hydrochloric acid or sodium hydroxide by absorbing the chemical into its pores.
The type of glove you choose should depend on your work environment as well as any hazards present in your workplace. For example:
Safety takes priority over everything else.
Safety is the priority. It comes first, before everything else. Safety is a mindset, not a one-time thing; you need to be proactive about it and make it part of your daily routine.
Safety is not a luxury, but rather an integral part of our lives and the way we interact with others.
Safety improves productivity by saving time and resources spent on repairs or replacements due to injuries or accidents at work sites (workplace).
Conclusion
Safety always takes priority over anything else. Organizations that prioritize safety and make sure to use PPEs and safety clothing will see the benefits in how many accidents they prevent, how much money they save on medical bills, and how much work is accomplished when employees are free from worry about themselves or their coworkers.