UNTREF

Licenciatura en Higiene y Seguridad

English

Lesson 1
Activity 1

Read the article and answer the questions

1. What does PPE stand for? PPE stands for Personal Protective Equipment.
2. What does PPE mean?
3. Which PPE is mentioned in the article?

What is personal protective equipment?

Personal protective equipment, commonly referred to as "PPE", is equipment worn
to minimize exposure to hazards that cause serious workplace injuries and
illnesses. These injuries and illnesses may result from contact with chemical,
radiological, physical, electrical, mechanical, or other workplace hazards. Personal
protective equipment may include items such as gloves, safety glasses and shoes,
earplugs or muffs, hard hats, respirators, or coveralls, vests and full body suits.
What can be done to ensure proper use of personal protective equipment?
All personal protective equipment should be safely designed and constructed, and
should be maintained in a clean and reliable fashion. It should fit comfortably,
encouraging worker use. If the personal protective equipment does not fit properly,
it can make the difference between being safely covered or dangerously exposed.
When engineering, work practice, and administrative controls are not feasible or do
not provide sufficient protection, employers must provide personal protective
equipment to their workers and ensure its proper use. Employers are also required
to train each worker required to use personal protective equipment to know:

 When it is necessary
 What kind is necessary
 How to properly put it on, adjust, wear and take it off
 The limitations of the equipment
 Proper care, maintenance, useful life, and disposal of the equipment

If PPE is to be used, a PPE program should be implemented. This program should

address the hazards present; the selection, maintenance, and use of PPE; the
training of employees; and monitoring of the program to ensure its ongoing
effectiveness.

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 UNTREF
Licenciatura en Higiene y Seguridad
English

Activity 2

Watch the following video and answer the questions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYcXUtQUN3w

1. What`s the employer`s responsibility as regards PPE?

 Assess the workplace.
 Eliminate or reduce the hazards.
 Select and provide PPE at no cost.
 Train employees on the use of PPE.
 Control the use of the PPE.

2. What`s the employee`s responsibility as regards PPE?

 Be trained on the use of PPE.
 Use/ Wear PPE.
 Take care of the PPE.

Activity 3

Complete the chart

Protection P.P.E
Hard hats
Head Protection Helmets

Earplugs
Hearing Protection Earmuffs
Canal cups
Safety glasses / spectacles / goggles
Eye and face Protection Face shields / welding shields

Respirators
Respiratory Protection Masks

Gloves
Hand and Arm protection Over sleeves

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Licenciatura en Higiene y Seguridad
English

Foot and Leg Protection Safety shoes / safety boots /

Knee pads / pads

Coveralls
Whole Body Protection Body suits

Activity 4

Read the information in the box about modal verbs.

 Expressing external obligation

I must wear gloves to avoid cuts.
 Expressing internal obligation
I have to be organized. I have to drink water.
 Expressing lack of obligation
I don`t have to wear safety shoes inside the office.
 Expressing prohibition
I mustn`t use the phone while driving a forklift.

Use the modal verbs to describe the use of PPE in a construction area.

1. The employee must wear hard hats.

2. The employee has to be careful / be punctual / organized / polite.
3. The employee doesn´t have to pay for the PPE / wear a harness because
he/she is not working at height.
4. The employee mustn´t smoke / run in the workplace / use the phone / eat /
drink.

Activity 5

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 UNTREF
Licenciatura en Higiene y Seguridad
English

Watch the video again and complete the sentences with the appropriate
vocabulary.

1. I must wear helmets to avoid head injuries / falling objects.

2. I must wear earplugs to avoid exposure to (excessive) noise.
3. I must wear safety glasses to avoid flying particles / dust / splashes / intense
light.
4. I must wear a face shield to avoid sparks.
5. I must wear respirators to avoid dust / dangerous gases / chemical
substances.
6. I must wear gloves to avoid cuts / burns / bruises.
7. I must wear over sleeves to avoid burns / cuts / sparks / splashes.
8. I must wear safety shoes to avoid foot injuries / heavy objects / sharp
objects / Slippery surfaces.
9. I must wear knee pads to avoid knee injuries.
10. I must wear coveralls to avoid pollution / radiation / cuts / chemical
substances.