If you’re an employer in any industry, whether in construction, manufacturing, health, and other sectors, you must establish safety measures for your employees.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) prevents people from direct contact with hazardous and dangerous substances or viruses that compromise safety. Aside from protection, your employees must also feel comfortable while wearing the PPEs to do their duties.
Importance Of The Type Of Industry You’re In
The standard for a PPE may vary from one industry to another. These are the essential things to consider when purchasing PPE that’s best for your organization’s industry.
Your company’s needs may differ from other industries. Thus, the PPE must conform to the requirements and needs of a specific industry. Procuring PPEs that don’t abide by the specific industry standards can harm you or your employees.
That’s because PPE manufacturers know what materials to use for every kind of PPE according to what industry will use it. For instance, electric-related industries don’t use PPEs with certain materials like wires or any metals. For those industries in emergency services like fire-fighting, the PPEs must not be made of HPPE to avoid the risks of burning.
For those in the defense field, like the police, army, and other allied forces, their PPEs must not be easily ripped. There are also features with extra padding or bullet-proof clothes that consider the nature of the operations in this field.
As for the healthcare industry, you need PPEs that can protect your workers from being exposed to highly infectious diseases or body fluids. Not only that, but you also need to protect your patients from contaminating themselves with such fluids. For instance, you may need a dental bib for your patients when they need to undergo dental procedures. Or you can use it to wipe their mouth and face after a procedure. You can find many dental bibs from Primo Dental Products and other online manufacturers.
With such, you must check if your industry sets rules on the suitable PPE needed. By doing so, you can evaluate each detail of the PPE based on your organization’s industry standards. And before you let employees use them, you can simulate scenarios to check the viability of the PPEs.
1. Garment Design
Also, it’s not enough to give your employees uncomfortable PPEs that will not allow them to work safely and efficiently. The PPE design, if possible, must fit your employees’ needs and comfort.
You should consider this because you may have to close your company or pay fines if the Department of Labour finds out that your company is not observing proper PPE measures.
2. Durability
Aside from garment design, you should also know the durability of the PPE. The useful life of PPE will vary due to the differences of the following:
- Material used
- Frequency of using the PPE
- The environment where employees do their jobs
You can refer to other companies in the industry on the PPEs that they use. Other companies can help you identify if a manufacturer provides long-lasting PPEs.
Or you can also check the manufacturer’s warranty if you want to know the duration of use for your PPEs. You can also find tags that tell you how long the PPE lasts.
Usually, the warranty period offered by PPE manufacturers is at least 12 months. The warranty also covers any product failures and returns.
For instance, hard hats have an expected life ranging from 3-5 years. The life of the protective gear is explicitly stated in the tags when buying the PPE.
Don’t buy PPE that will cost your company more in the long run. That’s why you must invest in high-quality PPE to give the best protection to your employees.
3. Suitability Based On Workplace Hazards
Besides, it would be best to buy PPEs that keep your employees safe from usual work hazards and risks. Before buying, your company must conduct risk assessments for each hazard, for each working location, and each type of employee.
Always take note of possible scenarios that may happen during operations to prevent harming or injuring your employees. Here are some types of PPEs that you can buy to protect your employees from their daily operation:
PPE For Eyes And Face
There are varieties of protective equipment for the eyes and face. Any impairment or disability in these areas can make you or your employees no longer fit for work.
- Eye goggles or visors: These protect any splinters or splashes of solid and liquid substances from entering the eyes
- Earplugs and earmuffs: These are ear protection from loud noises when using equipment or machine.
- Face Shields: These will prevent the face from catching any particles or substances that may harm or injure a person.
PPE For The Head
Most importantly, the head needs protection at all times. Your head protects your brain that allows you to do bodily functions. Risks of falling debris in a work location can cause head injuries that may result in severe ailments.
For instance, a hard hat can minimize the impact of falling debris or any hard object hitting the head. However, you must use the appropriate straps to adjust and fit the hard hat on your head correctly. In areas where hard hats are required to be worn all the time, anyone who enters that area must follow it for safety.
PPE For Feet And Hands
Likewise, the hands and feet also need protection as these are vital for employees to perform their work efficiently. There can be dangerous substances, sharp objects, or boiling materials that you or your employees might touch. The feet are also important as there might be difficulties in mobilization like slippery or dusty floors.
For the hands, use gloves to protect you from any dangerous exposure. You can use rubber or synthetic gloves when working with chemicals.
For the feet, the footwears should be free from any metal materials. These should also be non-conducting, especially in high voltage areas.
4. Fitting
No matter how durable the PPE is, if not fit for each employee, the exposed body parts can contact hazardous substances or injuries like cuts, bruises, and burns if not properly worn.
On the other hand, if the PPEs can also be too tight, it can hinder you or your employees from doing tasks. For instance, you could have difficulty breathing or seeing if the PPE is not correctly used.
Thus, you may have to buy PPEs in various sizes so your employees can wear the ones that fit them. Or you may need to tell your employees to follow the correct ways of using the designated PPEs to prevent any mishaps.
When you don’t give your employees appropriate sizes and they incur injuries while at work, you’ll be held liable.
Conclusion
Although various industries differ in PPE requirements, you still need to have PPE at hand. You must choose the ones that will protect you and your employees from possible dangers that your work has.
Thus, it may help you when you use the qualities above when looking for PPE supplies. That way, you can ensure that your employees are safe to work because of the added protection that the PPE provides.
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