What Is PPE?

Personal Protective Equipment, commonly known as PPE, is equipment and protective clothing designed to reduce a worker's exposure to hazards that may cause workplace injuries or illnesses.

Workplace hazards can take many forms, including mechanical, chemical, electrical, physical, biological, thermal, and respiratory risks. Depending on the working environment, PPE can include safety helmets, protective gloves, safety footwear, safety glasses, face shields, respirators, hearing protection, high-visibility clothing, and fall protection equipment.

PPE plays an essential role in workplace safety, but choosing the correct equipment is just as important as wearing it.

Why Is PPE Important?

Workers across construction, manufacturing, oil and gas, logistics, electrical work, chemical handling, welding, maintenance, and many other industries are regularly exposed to occupational hazards.

The purpose of PPE is to create a protective barrier between the worker and these hazards.

For example:

• A safety helmet can protect the head against certain impact and falling-object hazards.
• Safety glasses and goggles can protect the eyes against particles, dust, chemical splashes, and other hazards when appropriately selected.
• Protective gloves can help protect the hands against cuts, abrasion, chemicals, heat, impact, or electrical hazards depending on their design and certification.
• Safety footwear can provide protection against hazards such as impact, compression, penetration, slipping, heat, or electrical risks depending on the footwear specification.
• Respiratory protective equipment can help reduce exposure to hazardous airborne contaminants when the correct respirator and filter are selected.
• Hearing protection can reduce workers' exposure to hazardous noise.
• Fall protection equipment can help protect workers when working at height.

PPE should not normally be considered a replacement for eliminating or controlling a hazard. Instead, it forms part of a wider workplace safety system.