subject: PPE Equipment - A Last Resort, Not A First Defence [print this page] PPE Equipment - A Last Resort, Not A First Defence
For many people the idea of PPE equipment is to reduce the risk of accident or injury, and to protect the worker, employee or visitor from potential risks and harm. This view has led to a great deal of attention being given to the many ways in which PPE equipment can help achieve this, offering different types of protection and to a range of degrees.
However, it is important to not just think about how PPE equipment can help to protect people, and its many advantages, but to think about the reasons why PPE equipment should be considered as a last resort, not a first defence.
The trouble with safety equipment is that it can often give the wrong impression to both businesses and to those wearing the equipment. The impression people sometimes get when wearing safety clothing or protective equipment is that they are virtually invulnerable whilst wearing it, and the feeling is often one of being over protected, or at least adequately protected, against almost any risk. This can in turn lead to an over dependence on the safety equipment or clothing, at the risk of losing sight of the many other ways in which injuries, accidents and risks can be reduced.
In all working environments there will inevitably be times when PPE equipment is necessary, both from the point of view of protecting against the potential risks, and from the point of view of the law which requires businesses to provide employees with suitable PPE clothing and equipment. But simply providing someone with a pair of safety gloves for example is not the be all and end all of safety.
The gloves may offer protection, but it should always be considered as the very last resort, the last line of defence, and both the business and the worker need to think carefully about the many other ways in which safety can be increased and improved, and the potential risks significantly minimised.
Many accidents at work are the result of over reliance or over dependence on safety gear that should have offered the last line of defence, but which was being used as either the first or the only form of protection. In some cases, such as with the safety gloves, it may be that additional protection could be provided by having safety screens preventing fingers or hands from inadvertently being placed in a position of danger once the equipment is active.
It could also mean introducing safety measures such as beams of light and sensors which cut the machine off once broken, so that should a hand, arm or head be moved too close to the dangerous parts of the machine whilst it is active, the machine is immediately cut off. These are just two simple examples of how safety at work can be increased without relying on PPE equipment as the only form of safety.
The other trouble with safety equipment is that it is only ever as good as the state in which it is kept. High visibility jackets which are used in dusty, dirty environments will provide very little or no visible protection if not washed regularly and kept in good condition. Safety gloves which have become worn, or which have broken seams may not merely provide an inadequate level of safety, but may actually represent an additional risk themselves.
There always needs to be a sound understanding of how to analyse PPE equipment for faults, wear and tear, and an understanding of how to report this, and what to do if no suitable equipment is available. There is no doubt at all that modern PPE equipment offers an outstanding level of protection and makes a significant difference to overall safety levels at work. But it should always been considered to be what it is - the last level of defence.
