Types of PPE - Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) - Safety

Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE)

RPE is designed to protect the individual wearer from various hazardous substances in their workplace. There are 2 types of respiratory equipment.

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1. Filters contaminated air or cleans it before it is breathed in.
2. Supplies clean air from an independent source.

RPE may be required for working with large amounts of:

• gases, vapours
• dusts, powders
• welding
• grinders, cutter and saw use

Face masks rely on a good seal against the face, if there are gaps in the face mask then contaminated air, dust, gases and vapors may be breathed into the lungs. For this reason, it is very important your mask fits properly and is used correctly every time you use it.

Facial hair, stubble and beards make it impossible to get a good seal on the face.

For this reason, you need to be clean-shaven to allow a good seal around the face and prevent any leaks of contaminated air into the lungs.

There are reasons that employees may have a beard, for example for religious reasons. If that is the case, there are alternative options that could be introduced, such as a full hood covering the head and the face.

Face fit-testing of RPE

The RPE should have a tight-fitting facepiece, you need to ensure the user has the correct device. For this reason, the initial selection of RPE should include fit-testing. A competent face fit tester should carry out these assessments.

You will need to repeat the face fit testing if there are changes. For example, if the model or size of the facepiece changes or if there are significant changes to the user&#;s facial characteristics. There are 2 forms of face fit testing.

• Qualitative fit testing is suitable for disposable filter facepieces and half masks. This can be done as a simple pass/fail based on the user&#;s subjective assessment of the fit and leakage and this method is not suitable for full face masks.
• Quantitative fit testing provides a numerical measure of the fit known as a fit factor. This test requires special equipment, and it is more complicated to carry out. This method is recommended for full-face masks. Quantitative risk assessment is a more in-depth assessment of the risk.

Hearing protection

There are 3 types of hearing protection.

• Earmuffs/defenders that completely cover the ear.
• Earplugs that are inserted into the ear canal.
• Semi inserts (also called canal caps) which cover the entrance of the ear canal.

Hearing protection must be worn by anyone who is likely to be exposed to noise at or above the Exposure Action Level set by the Control of Noise at Work Regulations (external site).

Head protection

There are 3 widely used types of head protection.

• Industrial safety helmets (hard hats) which are designed to protect against materials falling from a height or swinging objects.
• Industrial scalp protectors (bump caps) which are designed to protect from knocking against stationary objects.
• Caps/hairnets which protect against entanglement.

Tasks where head protection may be required include:

• construction
• building repair
• work in excavations or tunnels
• work with bolt driving tools
• driving motorcycles

Turban-wearing Sikhs are exempt from wearing head protection on construction sites by virtue of the Employment Act as amended by Section 6 of the Deregulation Act (external site).

Eye protection

There are several types of eye protection.

• Safety spectacles: these are similar to regular glasses but have a tougher lens, they can include side shields for additional protection.
• Eye shield: a frame-less one-piece molded lens often worn over prescription glasses.
• Safety goggles: these are made of flexible plastic frames and an elastic headband.
• Face shields: heavier and bulkier than other types of eye protection, face shields protect the face, but do not fully enclose the eye so do not protect against dust, gases, fumes and mists.

Tasks where eye protection may be used include:

• handling hazardous substances where there is a risk of splashes
• working with power-driven tools where materials are likely to be propelled
• welding operations
• working with lasers
• using gas or vapour under pressure

Foot protection

There are a number of types of safety footwear.

• Safety boots or shoes, normally have steel toe caps but can have other safety features (e.g. steel mid soles, slip-resistant soles, insulation against the heat and cold.
• Wellington boot can also have steel toe caps.
• Anti-static and conductive footwear, these protect against static electricity.

Tasks where foot protection may be required include:

• construction
• demolition
• building repair
• manual handling where the risk of heavy objects falling on the feet
• working in extremely hot or cold environments
• working with chemicals and forestry

Where there is a risk of slipping that cannot be avoided or controlled by other measures, attention must be given to slip-resistant soles and replaced before the tread pattern is worn.

Hand and arm protection

Hand and arm protection comes in a variety of forms.

• Gloves or gauntlets (leather, latex, nitrile, plastic coated, chain mail, etc).
• Wrist cuff armlets (e.g. used in glass cutting and handling).

Tasks where hand and arm protection may be required include:

• manual handling of abrasive, sharp or pointed objects
• working with vibrating equipment such as pneumatic drills and chainsaws
• construction and outdoor work
• working with chemicals and hazardous substances such as body fluids
• working in hot or cold materials or temperatures

In order to eliminate the risk of ill health through exposure to latex a number of organisations have phased out the use of latex gloves and replaced them with nitrile.

Body protection

Types of body protection include:

• overalls, aprons and coveralls (protection against hazardous substances)
• clothing for hot, cold or bad weather
• clothing to protect against machinery
• high visibility (jackets, trousers and vests)
• harnesses
• life jackets

Tasks where body protection may be required include:

• working with hazardous substances
• working next to the highway or areas with moving transport and vehicles (e.g. construction sites)
• outdoor, forestry and ground maintenance work

If you require any further advice, you can call the Healthy Working Lives free advice line number on 019 and speak to one of our safety advisers.

Gloves, aprons, and face shields are all examples of essential PPE used in healthcare settings, such as hospitals, doctors and clinics. PPE is designed to not only protect staff from harmful substances while carrying out a task, but to also stop the transmission of infection between workers and patients. 

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The 4 main types of PPE used in healthcare include:

1. Eye protection 
2. Body protection 
3. Respiratory protection 
4. Hand protection 

1. Eye Protection

Eye protection essentially protects the worker when there is risk of splashing body fluids onto mucous membranes e.g. the eyes/nose. Eye protection is available in a number of different forms, for example goggles and visors/face shields, and must be removed using the ear-pieces / head-band to avoid touching potentially contaminated surfaces. 

Goggles

Safety goggles sit directly on the face, sealing the wearer&#;s eyes and protecting them from splashes and particles.

Personal glasses are not a suitable substitute, however many styles of goggles fit adequately over prescription glasses with minimal to no gaps. To be 100% effective, goggles must fit snugly, particularly from the corners of the eye across the brow. 

While highly effective as eye protection, goggles do not provide splash or spray protection to other parts of the face. In instances where there is risk of splashing to the whole face, visors are necessary. 

Visors/Face Shields

This type of protection protects the entire face and can provide protection against spraying or chemical splashes, but are not stand-alone eye protection. For this reason they are frequently used in conjunction with other forms of eye protection, such as glasses.

Learn more about the different types of eye protection here. 

2. Body Protection 

Body protection is designed to protect clothing from bodily fluids and includes items such as aprons and gowns. 

In most cases, plastic aprons are appropriate for standard precautions. In instances where extensive contamination of blood / body fluids is expected (for example maternity units), or when the patient receives a significant amount of direct care with close skin-to-skin contact, a long sleeved gown is more appropriate. Gowns do not need to be sterile unless used for an aseptic procedure such as in an operating theatre.

Gowns/aprons should always be changed after each patient, and may even need to be changed between different procedures on the same patient. Once finished with, they should be discarded immediately after use to reduce the risk of contamination. 

3. Respiratory Protection

Respirators are respiratory protective equipment (RPE) which protects the wearer from inhaling hazardous microorganisms and other particles via the nose and mouth. 

Mouth protection can also be achieved through the use of surgical masks, which provides protection between potential splashes and droplets to the area of the wearer&#;s nose, mouth and respiratory tract. However, surgical masks are not are not classified as respiratory protective equipment because they don&#;t provide protection against aerosolised particles. 

4. Hand Protection

Last but certainly not least, gloves are used to protect the workers hands and should be put on immediately before any task where there may be contact with body fluid. Likewise, they should be removed and disposed of as soon as the task has been completed. 

There are a number of different types of gloves available, however latex gloves are most common in healthcare settings as they offer the most effective protection against body fluids, viruses and bacteria.

Learn more about the difference between nitrile, latex and vinyl gloves here. 

The Importance of PPE in Healthcare

The use of PPE is incredibly important in healthcare settings as it creates a barrier between the wearer and infectious agents from the patient. It also prevents the transmission of microorganisms from healthcare workers to the patient. 

It is a legal requirement that employers provide the appropriate PPE to protect employees against infection risks associated with their work. As well as supplying the equipment, employers must also provide, and maintain accurate records of, training on the appropriate use of PPE. 

It is absolutely essential that employers are clear about PPE requirements and never deviate from the rules, for example telling a nurse that she needn&#;t wear gloves because the procedure &#;won&#;t take long&#;. 

When Should PPE Be Used in Healthcare?

PPE should be used in healthcare settings whenever there is any form of risk to an employee&#;s safety. 

Some examples of when PPE should be used in healthcare include:

• Carrying out personal care tasks
• When handling sharp objects or contaminated devices
• When there is a risk of blood/bodily fluids splashing into the face
• When carrying out activities that risk infection transmission e.g. injecting or moving a patient 

Here at Morsafe, we stock an extensive range of PPE equipment for your workplace. To find out more, visit our website or contact us at 611 377.

Written by Kate, for Morsafe Supplies.

The company is the world’s best Medical Ppe Kit(ko,nl,pt) supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.