Personal Protection Equipment

What is PPE?
Personal protective equipment, or PPE, protects workers from serious workplace injuries or
illnesses resulting from physical, electrical, mechanical, chemical, or other workplace
hazards. Examples of PPE include hard hats, face shields, goggles, gloves, vests, respirators,
safety shoes, and coveralls.

PPE is required for many transportation maintenance activities. Both employers and
employees have responsibilities for maintaining a safe work environment.
Employers: What you must do
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that employers
protect their employees from workplace hazards that can cause injury. The Minnesota
Department of Labor and Industry (MDLI) administers and enforces workplace safety and
health rules in the state. Employers must ensure that employees have PPE equipment in
accordance with federal OSHA and Minnesota state standards.

Employees: What you should do

Use PPE for the hazards of your job and set an example for your agency:

 Always use PPE when required.

 Attend PPE training.
 Tell your supervisor about worn or damaged PPE.
 Encourage others to use PPE.

What Does PPE Mean?

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. 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.

The 4 Basic Types of PPE and

Their Examples
However, even the strictest controls will not necessarily eliminate all the risks associated with
most job tasks and this is where the need for PPE must be evaluated. A hazard assessment
can help identify which specialized PPE will be required. There are numerous types
of workplace safety equipment available depending on the hazard exposure and work
conditions. The following are basic PPE that can help protect employees:
 Face and Eye Protection
PPE includes safety goggles and face shields and should be used for tasks that can cause eye
damage or loss of vision, sprays of toxic liquids, splashes, and burns.

Safety Tips:
 Check if safety glasses comply with the ANSI Z87.1 eye protection
standard.
 Ensure that there are no cracks or deformities on the lenses.
 Ensure the strap is in good working condition and is firmly sealed to
the cheek and forehead.
 Clean and disinfect after use.
 Respiratory Protection
PPE includes full-face respirators, self-contained breathing apparatus, gas masks, N95
respirators, and surgical masks are used for a task that can cause inhalation of harmful
materials to enter the body. This includes harmful gas, chemicals, large-particle droplets,
sprays, splashes, or splatter that may contain viruses and bacteria such as COVID-19, viral
infections, and more.

Safety Tips:
 Ensure that the equipment is fit-tested and the employee has
undergone proper training before wearing one.
 Carefully read the instructions to determine if it is designed to help
protect against the hazards you may face.
 Change filters on half-mask or full-mask respirators frequently.
 Replace disposable respirators with every use.
 Surgical masks are not to be shared with anyone.
 Avoid touching the surgical mask after wearing it.
 Change surgical mask timely and should be disposed of after use.
 Replace the mask immediately if it is damaged or soiled.
 Skin and Body Protection
PPE includes the following categories to protect employees from physical hazards:

Head Protection
PPE includes hard hats and headgears and should be required for tasks that can cause any
force or object falling to the head.

Safety Tips:
 Ensure that there are no dents or deformities on the shell and
connections are tightened inside.
 Do not store in direct sunlight as extreme heat can cause damage.
 Choose appropriate cleaning agents as it can weaken the shells of
hard hats and may eliminate electrical resistance.
 Always replace a hard hat if it was used for any kind of impact, even
if the damage is unnoticeable.
Body Protection
PPE includes safety vests and suits that can be used for tasks that can cause body injuries
from extreme temperatures, flames and sparks, toxic chemicals, insect bites and radiation.

Safety Tips:
 Ensure that they are clean and free from cuts and burns.
 Always get a good fit to ensure full body protection.
 Ensure bodysuit is heat-resistant clothing when working with high-
temperature hazards.
Hands Protection
PPE includes safety gloves and should be used for tasks that can cause hand and skin burns,
absorption of harmful substances, cuts, fractures or amputations.

Safety Tips:
 Ensure hand protection fits perfectly with no spaces and is free
from cuts, burns, and chemical residue.
 Always replace them if any sign of contamination was observed.
 Use rubber gloves when working with heat and electricity to reduce
the risk of burn or electrical shock.
Foot Protection
PPE includes knee pads and safety boots and should be used for tasks that can cause serious
foot and leg injuries from falling or rolling objects, hot substances, electrical hazards, and
slippery surfaces.
Safety Tips:
 Ensure boots have slip-resistant soles that can protect against
compression and impact.
 Ensure the sole plate is in good condition to prevent punctures.
Fall Protection
PPE includes safety harnesses and lanyards and should be strictly used for tasks that can
cause falling from heights and serious injury or death.
Safety Tips:
 Ensure that the straps are free from tears, deformities, and burn
marks.
 Check the buckles if connected securely and tightly.
 Dispose of the equipment if used after a falling incident.
 Hearing Protection
PPE includes ear muffs and plugs and should be used for tasks that can cause hearing
problems and loss of hearing.

Safety Tips:
 Ensure the equipment fit the ear canal perfectly.
 It is recommended to use formable earplugs to fit different sizes of
ear canals.
 Use protectors that reduce noise exposure to an acceptable level
to have room for communication.
 Ensure earplugs are clean and in good condition.
 Learn more about hearing protection.
Other examples of PPE include:
 safety glasses or goggles
 safety shoes
 high-visibility clothing or vests
 heat-resistant gloves
 anti-vibration gloves
 welding helmets
 chemical-resistant suits or aprons
 safety harnesses and lanyards
 Ensure that eyewash facilities and quick drench showers are easily
accessible for employees when they are accidentally exposed to
corrosive materials.
 Establish safe work procedures for disposing of or decontaminating
PPE after hazardous exposures.

PPE Safety Examples

 These examples of PPE safety are based on a free PPE checklist provided by SafetyCulture
for anyone to download and use for free.

Nature of work: Laboratory (Chemical Handling)

Potential hazards at work:

1. Eye hazards – Handling/dispensing chemicals and ingredients; working around UV lights; chipping, sanding
grinding, welding, metal working; tasks that generate dust
Risk/s – Chemical exposure, dust particulates, flying debris
Description of hazard – Corrosive chemicals which are harmful when they explode
PPE required – Safety glasses with side shields, chemical splash goggles
Does equipment undergo testing and in a good condition?
Goggles are in good working condition. Lenses are clean without any dirt or debris
Does the equipment fit perfectly?
They fit perfectly on cheeks and forehead.

2. Head/Neck/Face hazards – Handling/dispensing chemicals and ingredients, chipping, sanding or grinding m

or wood; working on energized equipment, working in confined spaces
Risk/s – Chemical exposure, dust particulates, flying debris, UV/IR radiation
Description of hazard – Dispensing chemicals and spills
PPE required – Full face shields
Does equipment undergo testing and in a good condition?
Face shields have no dents and marks.

3. Respiratory hazards – Handling/using highly hazardous chemicals; tasks that generate dust and/or fumes;
cutting, brazing on certain metals (stainless steel)
Risk/s – Chemical exposure, dust particulates, flying debris
Description of hazard – Exposure to dangerous vapors
PPE required – Respirators
Does the equipment fit perfectly?
It fits perfectly. Straps are tight.