What Are Personal Protective Equipment? Why Are They Needed In The Workplace?

Why do personal protective equipment need to be worn in the workplace

A workplace can consist of many dangers and hazards and personal protective equipment helps protect the worker to avoid injury. Workers are often exposed to sharp tools, dangerous chemicals and can even be harmed by objects that fall onto them while working with machinery overhead. There is also a risk of getting hurt when something falls on you if you're not wearing PPE like proper footwear that protects your feet, not only because these kinds of accidents could cause serious injuries that would take time away from work, but also due to the fact they may result in lawsuits against employers who didn't do everything possible to keep their workers safe from such hazards and dangers.

PPE can also protect you in other ways, like when it comes to your hearing. Loud noises in the workplace not only raise sound levels way beyond safe limits for humans, they can seriously damage people's ability to hear over time and cause permanent hearing loss if workers are exposed to these high decibel sounds all day long, every workday of their lives. With this type of personal protective equipment that protects against noise exposure hazards, employers need not worry about their staff suffering from such severe safety concerns because they simply failed to put PPE into place at their worksites. Employers in these industries should also consider getting regular noise monitoring services so that they can know if any employees are in danger due to exposure to loud noise levels.

Different types of PPE, including hard hats, goggles, gloves, and ear plugs

There are many different types of PPE which are needed for different uses. These include:

• Hard hats: a hard hat is not going to protect an office worker from getting hit in the head with a falling object. It is used when there are hazardous working conditions that could lead to injury or death without them being worn by workers on site.
• Goggles: Goggles help keep dust out of eyes when using power tools such as sanders or grinders so they don't get bits of metal into their eyes which can cause blindness.
• Gloves: Gloves allow people who do work where they need dexterity like electricians and auto mechanics so hands are not burned while performing tasks around hot machinery.
• Ear plugs: These prevent hearing loss in places where there are loud noises like airports, construction sites and factories.
• Respirators: Respirators are important in instances where there are dusty, mouldy or chemical fumes in the air. They prevent inhalation of dangerous substances which can cause respiratory illness.
• Face mask/surgical masks: Face masks protect against contagious viruses that people may be exposed to at work such as colds, flu etc. Surgical masks also help do this but they are slightly different because they cover nose and mouth completely instead of just face area around nose and mouth.
• Heavy duty safety boots: Safety footwear is important for protecting feet from injury on slippery surfaces caused by spills or wet floors due to leakage in pipelines, or even from falling heavy objects.

Why these pieces of equipment are necessary for workers

Without these specific types of equipment, workers will not be protected from the many different risks that exist in the workplace. These risks include bodily fluids, chemicals and sharp objects. Especially in the current context with the Covid-19 pandemic, it is very important that all workers are provided with the best protection they need, and that they follow strict guidelines in order to stay safe.

The importance of wearing a respirator when working with chemicals or hazardous materials

Chemicals and other hazardous materials can cause severe respiratory illness if workers are not wearing the proper equipment, and these illnesses can have life-long effects on their health. If respirators are being used, it is essential that the employer conducts respirator fit testing so that they can ensure that the respirator is fitted properly to each worker's face.

Respirator fit testing is conducted by having each worker wear a respirator for several minutes. Then, an individual does not wear the mask at all and are asked to take deep breaths in order to determine if they can detect any leakage. If there is no leakage detected, it means that the mask fits appropriately on their face.

One thing employers need to be cautious about when conducting respirator fit testing is making sure that workers do not have facial hair, because this makes it very difficult for them to properly seal around the nose of the mask. This could result in hazardous materials entering into their respiratory system which would cause further health issues down the road.

While giving workers the right protective gear is important, it is also important that these items are replaced with new ones no sooner wear and tear is detected. Otherwise, if workers continue to use damaged personal protective equipment, they risk further injury and health issues.