The document discusses personal protective equipment (PPE) and its importance in construction. It states that PPE should be used as a last resort to protect against health and safety risks that cannot otherwise be controlled. The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 require that employers provide PPE and ensure it is properly assessed, maintained, stored, used correctly and replaced when necessary. The document provides examples of common types of PPE for different parts of the body and hazards, including safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, respiratory equipment, high-visibility clothing and safety footwear. It emphasizes that the right PPE must be selected based on the hazards present and properly fitted for each individual worker.

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PowerPointpresentation
Know how to use personal protective equipment
(PPE)
Unit 201: Health safety and welfare in construction

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Objectives
By the end of this session you will:
• Know what is PPE
• Understand the personal protective equipment Regulations
• Know how to use personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Understand the different types of PPE

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What is PPE?
PPE is equipment that will protect the user against health or safety
risks at work. It can include items such as:
• safety helmets and hard hats
• gloves
• eye protection
• high-visibility clothing
• safety footwear
• safety harnesses.

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Why is PPE Important?
Making the workplace safe includes providing instructions, procedures,
training and supervision to encourage people to work safely and
responsibly.
Even where engineering controls and safe systems of work have been
applied, some hazards might remain. These include injuries to:
• The lungs, (from breathing in contaminated air)
• The head and feet, (from falling materials)
• The eyes, (from flying particles or splashes of corrosive liquids)
• The skin, (from contact with corrosive materials)
• The body, (from extremes of heat or cold)
PPE is needed in these cases to reduce the risk

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Types of PPE you can use
Part of body Hazards Options
Eyes Chemical or metal splash, dust, projectiles, gas and
vapour, radiation
Safety spectacles, goggles, face screens, face
shields, visors
Head and neck Impact from falling or flying objects, risk of head
bumping, hair getting tangled in machinery, chemical
drips or splash, climate or temperature
Industrial safety helmets, bump caps, hairnets and fire
fighters' helmets
Ears Noise – a combination of sound level and duration of
exposure, very high-level sounds are a hazard even with
short duration
Earplugs, earmuffs, semi-insert/canal caps
Hands and arms Abrasion, temperature extremes, cuts and punctures,
impact, chemicals, electric shock, radiation, vibration,
biological agents and prolonged immersion in water
Gloves, gloves with a cuff, gauntlets and sleeving that
covers part or all of the arm
Feet and legs Wet, hot and cold conditions, electrostatic build-up,
slipping, cuts and punctures, falling objects, heavy loads,
metal and chemical splash, vehicles
Safety boots and shoes with protective toecaps and
penetration-resistant, mid-sole wellington boots and
specific footwear, e.g. foundry boots and chainsaw
boots
Lungs Oxygen-deficient atmospheres, dusts, gases and
vapours
respiratory protective equipment (RPE)
Whole body Heat, chemical or metal splash, spray from pressure
leaks or spray guns, contaminated dust, impact or
penetration, excessive wear or entanglement of own
clothing
Conventional or disposable overalls, boiler suits,
aprons, chemical suits

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The Personal Protective Equipment at Work
Regulations 1992
The Regulations state that:
• PPE should be used as a last resort.
• Used wherever there are risks to health and safety that cannot be adequately
controlled in other ways
The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 require PPE to be
supplied free of charge.
The Regulations also require that PPE is:
• Properly assessed before use to make sure it is fit for purpose
• Maintained and stored properly
• Provided with instructions on how to use it safely
• Used correctly by employees.

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Assessing suitable PPE
To make sure the right type of PPE is chosen, consider the different hazards in
the workplace and identify the PPE that will provide adequate protection
against them; this may be different for each job.
Consider the following when assessing suitability:
• Does the PPE protect the wearer from the risks and take account of the
• environmental conditions where the task is taking place?
• Does using PPE increase the overall level of risk or add new risks, eg by
making communication more difficult?
• Can it be adjusted to fit the wearer correctly?
• What are the needs of the job and the demands it places on the wearer?
• If someone wears more than one item of PPE, are they compatible?

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Activity
In groups list the PPE that should be worn in the picture below compare
findings with the class

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Types of Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE)
Work activities may result in harmful substances contaminating the air
in the form of dust, mist, gas or fume. For example:
• Cutting a material such as stone, concrete or wood
• Using a liquid containing volatile solvents
• Handling a dusty powder
Filtering Face piece Respirator Half-mask Respirator Full-face Respirator

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Types of Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE)
Workers may also need to work in areas where oxygen levels are low,
for example: confined spaces, such as a chamber or tank.
RPE is designed to protect the wearer from these hazards
You will require RPE that is adequate and suitable to ensure the wearer
is protected. This means:
Adequate – It is right for the hazard and reduces exposure to the level
required to protect the wearer’s health.
Suitable – It is right for the wearer, task and environment, such that the
wearer can work freely and without additional risks due to the RPE

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Know how to use personal protective equipment (PPE)
Activity
Using activity sheet 14:
• Name four items of personal protection equipment
• Can a company charge you for PPE
• Name three items of RPE
• Wherever there are risks to health and safety that cannot be
adequately controlled in other ways, when should PPE be used

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Any questions?