NEBOSH

Diploma Part 1

Unit 1E4
Personal protective equipment
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Personal Protective Equipment at
Work Regulations 1992

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Regulation 3: Disapplication of
the Regulations
Does not cover PPE included in:
• The Control of Lead at Work Regulations 1980
• The Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985
• The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations
1987 (and subsequent amendments)
• COSHH 1999
• The Noise at Work Regulations 1989
• The Construction (Head Protection)
Regulations 1989

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The Regulations also exclude:
• Uniforms, ordinary working clothes
• Clothing in the food industry for hygiene
purposes
• Waterproof or insulating clothing
• Motor cycle helmets used on the public
highway
• Professional sports equipment
• Self defence alarms
• Personal gas/radiation detectors

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The Regulations also exclude:
• Crew on sea going ships but not
sub-contractors working on board
• Aircraft unless on the ground or in
UK airspace
• Non-workers such as children at
school or voluntary workers

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Regulation 4: Provision of PPE

• Risk assessment under MHSWR

1999
• Use hierarchy of controls
• Only use PPE as ‘last resort’
• PPE regulations may then apply

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 PPE as last resort

• Only protects the wearer

• Maximum theoretical levels of
protection rarely reached
• Only effective if a good fit and
worn correctly
• Can limit mobility, visibility etc.

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 Provision of PPE

• Supply free of charge (HASAWA 9)

• Must be readily available
• Best available
• Must not increase the overall level of
risk

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 Suitability
The following must be taken into account:

• Nature of the job

• Demands put on worker
• Ease of cleaning
• Physical characteristics of workers
• Health of workers e.g. asthma
• Supply by third party allowed

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 Quality of PPE
• Must comply with European PPE
product directives
• From 1 July 1995 all PPE must be
CE marked
• Usually made to confirm to EN/BS
standards

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Regulation 5: Compatibility of
PPE

• When more than one type of PPE is

worn
• Applies to both employers & self
employed

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Regulation 6: Assessment of PPE

• Risk assessment when choosing

PPE
• Record assessment in most cases
• Review if reason to believe no
longer valid

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Regulation 7: Maintenance &
replacement of PPE
Maintenance programme including:
• Cleaning
• Disinfecting
• Examination
• Replacement
• Repair and testing

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• Examine before issue

• Examine each time before use

• Keep spares

• Follow manufacturers instructions

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Regulation 8: Accommodation
for PPE
• Prevention of damage
• Pegs for clothing
• Cases for spectacles
• Shelving for hard hats
• Protection from UV, damp, loss
etc.
• Keep faulty PPE separately
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Regulation 9: Information,
instruction & training
• Systematic management approach
needed
• Required by managers/supervisors
and wearers
• Additional training required by
maintenance workers

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A training programme should include:

• Risks
• Fitting
• Availability
• Limitations
• Storage
• Checking/reporting damage
• Maintenance requirements
• Change intervals for disposable

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 Frequency of training
• Depends on equipment type, needs
of people, frequency of use
• Check understanding
• Keep records
• Refresher training

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Regulation 10: Use of PPE
• Must be used in accordance with
employers instructions
• Adequate levels of supervision of
use required
• Regulation applies to both
employees and self-employed

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Regulation 11: Reporting loss or
theft

• Every employee has duty to report

• Employers should ensure that a
recognised system for reporting
exists

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Types of PPE

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 Head Protection
There are four main categories:
• Crash helmets, cycling helmets etc.
• Industrial safety helmets
• Scalp protectors
• Caps, hairnets etc.

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 Selection
• Head size of wearer
• Adjustability
• Comfort
• Flexibility of head band
• Replaceable sweat band
• Chin straps

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 Maintenance
• Store away from sunlight, UV, hot
or humid atmospheres
• Regularly inspect for damage or
deterioration
• Repair following manufacturers
instructions

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 Damage
This can occur following:

• Being struck by a falling object

• Striking against a fixed object
• Exposure to chemicals
• Exposure to heat, sunlight etc.

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Eye Protection

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 Eye Protection
Can protect against:
• Impact • Gases
• Molten metal splashes • Welding arcs
• Chemical splashes • Non-ionising radiation
• Liquid droplets • Laser light
• Dust

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Types of eye protection

• Safety spectacles
• Eye shields
• Goggles
• Welding filters
• Face-shields
• Hoods

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Activities/processes requiring eye
protection
• Handling of corrosive substances
• Working with power tools
• Working with molten metal
• Welding
• Processes using light e.g. lasers
• Gases or vapours under pressure

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Selection of eye protection

• Various British and European

Standards

• Consider comfort, style and

durability as well as specific
criteria

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 Safety Spectacles

• Similar to prescription spectacles

• Can have side shields
• Lenses made from tough plastic
e.g. polycarbonate

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 Eye Shields

• Heavier than spectacles

• One-piece moulded lens
• Vision correction not possible
• Some can be worn over
prescription spectacles

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 Safety Goggles
• Heavier than spectacles or eye shields
• Flexible plastic frame with one piece
lens and elastic headband
• Total eye protection from all angles
• Can have toughened lenses
• Lenses can be replaceable
• More prone to misting than spectacles
• Limited protection against gases etc. if
fitted with ventilation
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 Face Shields
• Can be heavy and bulky
• Protect the face but not the eyes
completely
• Do not protect against dust, mists
etc.
• Can protect against heat if fitted
with metal screens

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Maintenance of eye protectors
• Keep lenses clean and free from
scratches
• Clean with water and/or anti static
or anti-misting solutions
• Do not dry clean plastic lenses
• Replace scratched or pitted lenses
• Replace face shields when warped,
scratched or embrittled with age
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Foot Protection

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Types of safety footwear
• Safety boots or shoes
• Clogs
• Foundry boots
• Wellington boots
• Anti-static footwear
• Conductive footwear

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Activities/processes involving
risks to the feet
• Construction/demolition work
• Mechanical/manual handling
• Electrical work
• Hot/cold work
• Work with hazardous chemicals
• Working with chain saws
• Working with molten substances

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 Selection of footwear
• Various European & British Standards

• In general footwear should be flexible.

water resistant and capable of absorbing
perspiration

• Also corrosion and abrasion resistant

• Boots required for ankle protection

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 Soles and Toe Caps
• Slip resistant
• Heat oil or shock resistant
• Moulded or bonded soles for oil, solvent
or chemical resistance
• Steel mid soles if danger of piecing
• Steel toe caps to resist falling objects or
crushing

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Other properties

• Heat resistance
• Waterproof
• Anti-static
• Conductive
• Leg protection

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Maintenance of foot protection
Check for:
• soundness of laces
• damage to soles and uppers
• for stitching faults
• loose, worn or cut seams

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Hand and arm protection

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 Gloves

• Cuts and abrasions

• Extremes of temperature
• Skin irritation and dermatitis
• Contact with corrosive or toxic
chemicals
• Barrier creams can also be used

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Activities/processes involving
risks to hands
• Manual handling
• Vibration
• Construction & outdoor work
• Handling hot and cold materials
• Working with electricity
• Working with chemicals
• Working with radioactivity
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Selection of hand protection
The following should be considered:
• Penetration and abrasion - chain mail or
Kevlar
• Thermal protection - leather, glass fibre
or Kevlar
• Fire resistance - chrome leather
• Chemical protection - natural rubber,
neoprene, nitrile, butyl, PVA, PVC,
viton
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Selection of hand protection

• Surgical gloves - beware of

unwashed natural latex

• General use gloves - only suitable

to protect against minimal risks

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 Maintenance
• Check regularly for signs of
damage/abrasion and check for
correct wearing
• Clean according to manufacturers
instructions
• Discard if in doubt

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Protective clothing for the body

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 Protection against
• Chemicals and other hazardous
substances
• Cold, heat and bad weather
• Machinery such as chain saws
• Drowning
• Being struck by vehicles

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 Activities and processes
requiring protective clothing
• Laboratory work • Sheep dipping
• Construction/outdoor • Food processing
work • Welding
• Forestry work • Foundry work
• Highways/road works • Fire fighting
• Pesticide/herbicide
spraying

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Selection of protective clothing
• Low risk chemical protection using
water repellent cotton, nylon or Terylene
• Strong solvent, oil or grease protection
using neoprene, polyurethane coated
nylon, Terylene or rubber aprons
• Potent chemicals required encapsulating
suits fed with breathable air
• Hazardous vapours require vapour suits
made of butyl, PVC, viton or Teflon

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Selection of protective clothing
• Fibres and dust protection with bonded
olefin
• Water requires PVC coated nylon or
cotton or breathable fabrics
• Cold suits for Minus 25 & Minus 50
• Heat proof requires specially treated
fabrics

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Selection of protective clothing
• Food processing - protection
against oil/fat splashes and cuts
using chain mail or lamex
• Chainsaws using loosely woven
long synthetic fibres
• Visibility using fluorescent
pigments
• Life jackets and buoyancy aids
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Respiratory Protection

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Two main categories

• Respirators

• Breathing apparatus

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 Respirators
• Filtering half masks
• Half-mask
• Full-face
• Powered
Do not give any protection in
oxygen-deficient atmospheres

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 Breathing apparatus
• Fresh air hose

• Compressed airline (CABA)

• Self-contained (SCBA)

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Nominal Protection factor (NPF)
• Ratio between concentration of the
contaminant outside the apparatus
and the acceptable concentration
inside the face piece
• Concentration inside the face piece
should be as far below the OES as
can reasonably be achieved

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Hearing Protection

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 Hearing protection

Ear plugs:
• Usually polyurethane or rubber
• Can be used with goggles/helmets
• Do not cut out all noise
• Hygiene problems
• Fit problems

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 Ear Muffs
• Polyurethane or liquid seals
• Can be uncomfortable to use
• Can interfere with other PPE
• Must be fitted properly
Both ear plugs and muffs must be
chosen to reduce the sound energy
being produced at the specific
frequencies identified
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 Hearing protection

• Important to measure noise levels,

frequencies etc. accurately in order
to specify adequate protection

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 Measurement of Noise

• Decibels on scale from 0 to 150

• Common filter is ‘A’ weighted

which takes into account
characteristics of human ear

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Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Does not reduce the hazard at
source
• Failure of PPE increases the risk
• Correct selection essential
• Must be maintained
• Monitoring of use necessary
• Use as last resort

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