PPE

Health & Safety - PPE

Mr BILLINGTON

PPE, or Personal ProtectiveEquipment, is a regulation that requires employers to ensure their employees are protected when using equipment and machinery

PPE is equipment that will protect the user against health or safety risks at work. It can include items such as safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, high-visibility clothing, safety footwear and safety harnesses. It also includes respiratory protective equipment (RPE)

The use of PPE reduces the risk of a number of potential hazards to health that may result in injury. These include injuries to:

the lungs, eg from breathing in contaminated air
the head and feet, eg from falling materials
the eyes, eg from flying particles or splashes of corrosive liquids
the skin, eg from contact with corrosive materials
the body, eg from extremes of heat or cold

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In a workshop environment it is expected that students wear goggles at all times regardless of the task due to the risk of airborne particles and material, along with an apron and 'suitable' (leather, enclosed) footwear. When working with metal, it is recommended that safety boots be used due to the increased risk from falling objects. Further PPE is specific to the task and can include; leather gauntlets, leather apron, protective visor, respiratory face mask, UV filtered helmet etc. Each piece of PPE relates to a specific potential hazard associated to the task.