4 - Personal Protective Equipment

Abstract

Personal protective equipment is used as the last resort mechanism for the protection of the worker. Other types of controls such as substitution, engineering, and isolation should be instituted before resorting to personal protective equipment. However, there are situations where personal protective equipment can and should be used. Where other methods of control are not adequate or in those special cases where an emergency condition arises, the use of personal protective equipment is justified. Personal protective equipment in the form of respirators can be used to protect the employee from respiration-related hazards. The three major types of respirators that are available are the air-purifying respirator, the air-supplied respirator, and the self-contained breathing unit. Each of these is usable in a particular situation, and certain selection criteria must be utilized when determining which respirator should be used. Other types of personal protective equipment can be utilized to protect the worker from various potential causes of illness and injury. Among these are protective clothing to protect the skin, eyeglasses and face shields to protect the eyes and face, and earplugs to protect the ears from excessive noise.