ppe selection

8/6/2019 PPE Selection

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PE selection

Departm

Enginee

Saf

Pa

rsona l Pro tec t ive Equ ipment Selec t ion

of PPE can be recommended or compulsory. When and where it should be used can also be stipulated. The decisions on this will

made in the Risk Assessment.

e PPE is only recommended it should be available on request and maintained. Wearing it would not need to be enforced and,

ess disposable, would need to be returned after use in a clean state. If it is compulsory the employer has a duty to provide it and

ntain it without cost to the employee and must also enforce its use for the tasks specified. The employee also must take reasonable

e of the equipment. The employer could stipulate what happened to the equipment out of working hours.

E requires items of PPE to be inspected for suitability after a period of time to ensure they are still fit for the purpose. The

nufacturer has no control over the use of the equipment and does not specify a service life. They offer a guarantee which indicatesw long the equipment would be free from manufacturing defects. It could imply it also marks the point where reasonable wear and

could begin to show but is not a measure of the frequency of replacing equipment. The employer would gain knowledge of the

expectancy of rescuable equipment by experience.

s guide is to assist in choosing appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). It is not exhaustive and does not imply that using

E alone will be an adequate control measure.

E should be considered a last resort used only to protect individuals who are directly involved with the work where no other

ective measures will do. Where PPE is required it should be identified in the Risk Assessment for a process and specific types suggested.

E must be chosen to be appropriate to the hazards and worst risks expected.

nd Pro tec t ion

nd protection is best classified by the duty required of it.

emica l Pro tec t ion

ex gloves allow a good sense of 'feel' and are useful against oil and less aggressive chemicals and are kept in the stores for

eral issue. They are no protection against more aggressive chemicals such as fuels and many solvents. They are also easily

maged and should not be used for protection against any chemical where there is a risk of them tearing. Some people are allergic to them

k here for more information on latex gloves.

avier gloves, such as nitrile rubber, are more suitable against more aggressive chemicals, but should be checked for their resistanceuch chemicals. They also less easy to tear but are not suitable for work requiring high levels of dexterity. Types are available that

end to protect the wrist and lower arm. None of these types are kept in the stores. You should purchase suitable gloves of your own

ed to the work being done.

chan ica l And Thermal Pro tec t ion

protection against abrasion from handling rough objects - swarf, concrete or wood - a thick rubber or fabric (rigger's gloves) are

able. None of these are kept for general use in the Department but many laboratories have at least one pair for use when such work

equired

ives saws or cutting sheet metal are involved leather or metal mesh gloves are most appropriate.

ves for thermal protection guard against extremely low and high temperatures. No glove will protect against these for long but they

useful where intermittent contact (handling cryogenic materials or hot metals, etc.) can be expected.

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ec t r i ca l Pro tec t ion

ves should not normally be used for protection against electrical supplies except in the case of an emergency. There are gloves

boots kept in cabinets in some laboratories. These are intended to be worn only when rescuing someone receiving an electric shock

should not be used for any other purpose. They have been tested for protection against known levels of voltage.

ot Pro tec t ion

t protection is best classified by its type. When a type of footwear is deemed necessary it should be purchased from a specialist

strial supplier to ensure it has been designed for the purpose intended. Workers personal footwear they arrive at work in should not

elied on to meet the requirements of hazards covered in a Risk Assessment although it should be suitable for other work duties.

fe ty Boot or Shoe

s is the most common type of safety footwear. It has a steel toe-cap and most types have a protected mid-sole. They provide

ection for the foot against heavy objects being dropped on them and also from penetration from below by sharp objects. They also

y provide some protection against chemical hazards but this should not be relied on without ascertaining the materials they are

de from. They are not much different to wear than ordinary shoes. Boots provide better support for ankles.

fe ty Tra iners

ed as an alternative to the safety shoe they are constructed in much the same way but provide greater flexibility and better grip. They

not quite as robust as safety shoes but the extra flexibility and grip is an advantage when working at height where ladders have to

climbed and the foot has to be bent more often.

e ll ing ton Boot s

d to protect the foot and lower leg against water and corrosive materials. They are usually made from rubber but are available

olyurethane and PVC which are warmer and more resistant to chemicals, oils, petrol, greases and sunlight. Wellington boots can

obtained with corrosion resistant toe-caps, rot-proof insoles, ankle bone padding and cotton linings. They have a range of boot length

m ankle through below the knee to chest-high waders.

e Protec t ion

three type of eye protection are visor, glasses and goggles.

emica l and mechan ica l p ro tec t ion

pros and cons for each type of safety eyewear are shown in the table below

pe Pros Cons

or protect the whole face from splashing by an aggressive

chemical or striking by a projectile

good visibility can be worn over prescription glasses

less prone to misting

not effective against vapours and dust

can feel heavy

not good in confined spaces - freedom of movement res

sses good protection for the eyes against projectiles with toughened

lenses

prescription lenses or worn over prescription glasses

more convenient to wear than visors

not effective against vapours and dust

only protect the eyes

mist up if worn in conjunction with a face mask

ggles only type to protect against vapours and dust can be fitted with toughened lenses as protection against

projectiles

less likely to mist if worn in conjunction with a face mask

peripheral vision can be limited

not as comfortable as glasses

ser and Welding eye Prote ct ion

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EN 136 : Full face masks

EN 140 : Half masks and quarter masks

EN 141 : Gas/vapour filters & combined filters

EN 143 : Particle filters

EN 149 : Filtering half-masks against particles

EN 371 : AX gas filters (against low boiling organic compounds)

EN 372 : SX gas and combined filters (against specific compounds)

EN 405 : Valved filtering half mask respirators for gases and/or particles.

erms of mask type the standards are:

disposable

half mask

full face

powered air respirator

airline fed respirator

EN149

EN141, 143 and 371

EN136, 141, 143 and 371

EN146 and 12941

EN270 and 1835

149 was revised in 2001 and any mask meeting the new standard will be labelled EN149: 2001. Masks from the older standard will

bear EN149

re are different ratings which apply to some or all types of respirator

at ing s

P1 indicates suitability for protection against mechanically generated particles

P2 for protection against mechanically and thermally generated dusts and mists and other airborne pathogens. P3 respirators are intended for use against all particulates including highly toxic materials.

posable masks will usually be only P1 or P2 and probably will not protect against vapours and toxic fumes. The higher the P rating

harder it will be for the wearer to breathe against the increased resistance to flow the filter material has to block the passage

ontaminant.

P rat ings

P stands for Filtering Face Piece and is part of EN149. Older equipment may bear it is of FFP1, FFP2S, FFP2SL, FFP3S or

P3SL standard. From 2001 these were simplified to FFP1, 2 and 3 only.

FFP 1 Disposable particulate respirators are approved for use against solid and liquid aerosols. Suitable for protection from non toxic

harmful materials in concentrations up to 4 x Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL) or 4 x Assigned Protection Factor (APF) FFP 2 Disposable particulate respirators are approved for use against solid and liquid aerosols. Suitable for protection from low to

average toxicity harmful materials in concentrations up to 12 x OEL or 10 x APF FFP 3 Disposable particulate respirators are approved for use against solid and liquid aerosols. Suitable for protection from high

toxicity harmful materials in concentrations up to 50 x OEL or 20 x APF

te r denominat ions

er may be described with one or more letter or chemical symbol as follows:

n om i na t io n c o lo ur c o de d es c ri pt i on

P3

-P3

brown

grey

yellow

green

brown

organic vapours and gases with boiling points >65C

inorganic gases excluding carbon monoxide

sulphur dioxide and acidic gases

ammonia and organic ammonia derivatives

organic vapours and gases with boiling points


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lec t ing resp ira tory p ro tec t ion

must be aware of the contaminants in the air and their concentrations. Knowing this it is possible to reduce the choice of respirators

emoving those which are not adequate and those that provide too high a level of protection. The former are obviously unsuitable but

atter, while providing more than adequate protection, will probably be more uncomfortable to wear and use which will discourage

se that need protecting them from wearing it.

ad Pro tec t ion

choice of safety headwear is between a safety cap or safety helmet.

afety cap is more comfortable to wear for prolonged periods and will adequately protect against minor bumps that can be expected

en working in a confined space with protruding pipework and bulkheads. It will not prevent injury from heavy items falling on the head.

afety hat must be used when there is a risk of heavy items falling on the head or swinging into it. Safety helmets can also have

er safety equipment attached to them - such as ear defenders and visors. If either of these is also a requirement for the process a

met to which they can be fitted may be a better choice than a cap even for circumstances where the bump protection of a cap is adequate.

dy Pro tec t ion

y protection includes overalls, protection against inclement weather, body supports such as knee pads and lumbar supports,

rboots, and high visibility jackets.

coats (smocks) are generally available from the Department and provide suitable body protection for most activities in the

partment. Overalls and boiler suits are less freely available but do provide extra protection to day clothing and personal ones can be

n instead of it for extra comfort.

eralls and aprons are available for particular hazards such as handling molten metal and chemical spray. If more specialist

ective clothing is required to protect individual operators the whole process should be looked at to consider whether there is

quate protection for others not involved in it, both during and after the process occurs if a residue remains. Property may also

damaged by the process as well which, potentially, could create further hazards by malfunctioning.

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