Personal Protective Equipment Safety Sheet
Centerplate University – Personal Protective Equipment
Personal protective equipment, commonly referred to as “PPE”, is equipment worn to minimize exposure to 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.
All personal protective equipment should be of safe design and construction, and should be maintained in a clean and reliable fashion. It should fit well and be comfortable to wear, 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
Contents
Burn Protection
Burns are a hazard in almost every workplace and even at home. Wearing personal protective equipment such as heat-resistant gloves can make the difference in your safety, but only if you put them on.
Chemical Protection
Chemicals can cause severe damage to your eyes and skin. By wearing your personal protective equipment, you can prevent injuries to your eyes and skin. When you are cleaning hot equipment or working with chemicals (cleaners, etc) always wear approved PPE that will guard your hands, face, eyes and body.
Eye Protection
Eye protection equipment is a very important safety tool to use while at work. Where there is potential for eye injury, there must be eye protection available and used. Always wear safety goggles or glasses when working with chemicals, around splattering oils and particularly around fryers. When working with chemicals such as degreasers or bleach, you must wear approved safety glasses or goggles.
Anti-Slip Protection Safety Shoes
Always wear your slip-resistant safety shoes in work areas. Slip-resistant shoes are designed to protect you against slips and falls, chemical spills, equipment and tool drops, molten materials and other hazards. Even with your slip-resistant shoes on, do not run or horseplay. Never climb on counters or shelves and never use a milk crate for a step-ladder. Only use proper ladders to reach high areas.
Hand Injury Prevention
Wear cut-resistant gloves when using knives, utensils, box cutters or any other type of equipment or tools that could cause a cut or laceration. Always use hot pads or heat resistant gloves when handling any hot items and approves safety gloves to handle chemicals. Wearing the correct glove and glove size it critical to ensure protection from workplace injuries.