An essential safety requirement of working with potentially hazardous materials is choosing the type of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that will provide a sufficient reduction to the risk of exposure to those hazards.
There are a number of general types of PPE, including those that deal with the protection of the face and eyes, those that deal with the protection of hands and those that deal with the protection of hearing.
Face and eye protection
Protecting the eyes is achieved with the use of eyewear that has been designed for the specific purpose of cutting down on the chances of being exposed to the likes of chemical splashes, flying debris and laser radiation.
Eye protection includes different types such as general safety glasses, chemical splash goggles, impact goggles and laser safety glasses, all of which have their own limitations. Face shields are the best method of face protection.
Protecting the hands
It is necessary to choose an appropriate type of gloves to properly protect the hands. Different types of gloves include disposable latex gloves which are suitable for working for biological hazards such as human blood, tissues, and body fluids.
There are also natural rubber latex gloves that are resistant to corrosive liquids, flammable compounds and organic solvents and wire mesh gloves to protect against cuts.
Hearing protection
Earplugs and headphones are used as personal protective equipment to protect hearing in a number of environments that regularly feature loud noises, such as the construction industry.
Most forms of such equipment are available from PPE suppliers.
