PPE Types from Head-to-Toe

So you’ve implemented engineering, work practices and administrative controls in the workplace, but it still doesn’t make the safety cut? It looks like it’s time to call on your last line of defence – PPE.

PPE Fit for the Hazard

Different workplaces come with their own sets of hazards – some are more harmful than others and, thus, requiring PPE that suits that task. These hazards include, but are not limited to, contaminated air, falling objects, corrosive liquids and materials, and extreme temperatures.

Just like workplaces, not all PPE is equal. Some are better able to protect from falling objects, while others burns. Understanding each type could be the difference between safety and injury – life and death. That’s why it’s important to know the different kinds of PPE available for the kind of work you do.

The Types of PPE

We base PPE categories on the parts of the body it protects, namely…

Head and Neck – Includes equipment that reduces the impact from falling or flying objects, getting hair tangled in machines, chemical drips and knocking one’s head – helmets and hairnets, for instance.

Eyes and Face – These generally protect the face from harmful splashes, dust, gas and vapour, and include the likes of safety spectacles, visors, face shields, goggles and even scarves.

Ears – Equipment that reduces very loud sounds, like drilling. Includes earmuffs and earplugs.

Hands and Arms – Probably the most vulnerable of body parts with hazards to the tune of abrasion, extreme hot and cold, cuts and punctures, blunt force, chemicals, electric shock, radiation, vibration, bio hazards, and prolonged immersion in water.

Feet and Legs – Cuts and punctures, extreme hot and cold, static electricity, slips, falling objects, vehicles, and prolonged immersion in water. Avoid these sorts of injuries at work with safety shoes and boots.

Lungs – Dust, gases, vapours, and oxygen-deficient air. Respirators like face masks can filter the air.

Whole Body – Protect from the entanglement of clothing, extreme temperatures, splashes and sprays, blunt force, penetration, and prolonged immersion in water. Such as, boiler suits, overalls, and aprons.

As an employer, sometimes it’s simply not possible to eliminate all workplace hazards. Let PPE be your last line of defence.