Hygiene & Personal Protection

Hygiene & Personal Protection

What is PPE?

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) refers to protective clothing for the eyes, head, ears, hands, respiratory system, body, and feet. It is utilized to protect individuals from the risks of injury and infection while minimizing exposure to chemical, biological, and physical hazards. PPE serves as the final line of defense when engineering and administrative controls are insufficient in reducing or eliminating risks.

What is PPE Safety?

PPE safety is the practice of ensuring a safe, working environment for employees and visitors through the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Safety is paramount to all businesses across industries, from those present in daily life such as manufacturing to niche ones such as embalming and death care. Using PPEs, paired with inspections such as workplace and restaurant inspections, assessments like health and safety risk assessments, and analysis such as gap analysis—is essential to protect employees from risks and hazards.

Why is it Important?

According to the hierarchy of controls by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), PPE (sometimes also referred to as PPE equipment)—is recommended to be the last level of defense to prevent occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities, but some businesses combined it with other control measures to ensure a safe and healthy environment for their workers. Here are some benefits of using PPEs:

• prevent unnecessary injury in the workplace;
• protect employees from excessive chemical exposure;
• prevent the spread of germs and infectious diseases including COVID-19;
• help businesses comply with regulatory requirements(e.g., The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 that’s recently been extended to limb workers); and
• improve employee productivity and efficiency.