Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Personal Protective Equipment is any device or appliance designed to protect against health and safety hazards in your daily activities.
Personal protective equipment covers a broad range of items from simple devices like sunglasses, bicycle helmets and reflective jackets to chemical hazard suits and safety harnesses.
A specific law (S.I. No 272 of 1993 EC (Personal Protective Equipment) Regulations, 1993) covers these items. The law states that all personal protective equipment must preserve health and ensure the safety of users. Personal protective equipment must not harm other people, domestic animals or property. All of these items should be properly maintained by the user and used for their intended purposes. Attached warnings and instructions should always be followed.
The law covers all personal protective equipment whether it is used in the home, for leisure purposes or at work. The National Consumer Agency has the responsibility to check that personal protective equipment used in leisure pursuits or in the home complies with the law. The Health and Safety Authority Monitors all personal protective equipment used in business and industry.
Personal protective equipment is associated with risks such as head injuries, skin irritants, eye injuries, hearing, and respiratory issues. These risks should be identified in a workplace, and appropriately protected against through personal protective equipment. An example of this would be ear plugs or ear muffs when operating noisy equipment, or a hard hat in construction. An employer should be aware of the risks encountered by their employees, and supply them with the proper protective gear necessary to ensure safety in the workplace.
The employer is obligated to inform employees (...) Read more
The employer is obligated to inform employees about any risks that require wearing protective equipment; the employer should also supply the necessary equipment as well as training on how to properly utilize it. Read more
Here is a list of common personal protection equipment:
Helmets (safety or crash); Safety spectacles; Eyeshields; Goggles; Bump caps; Safety boots/shoes; Safety Wellingtons; Gloves; Arm protectors; Overalls; Aprons; Thermal outfits; Life jackets; Ear muffs/plugs; Gas or dust masks and Non-slip shoes.
The type of work and the dangers attached to the it will determine what personal protective equipment is required.
© European Union, 2010 Reproduction of DOLCETA is authorised provided the source is acknowledged (...) Read more
