7 Things To Look For When Choosing The Right PPE

When it comes to staying safe on the job, you need to be properly equipped. PPEs (personal protective equipment) can protect you from a number of dangerous substances and conditions, both in the workplace and out.

 There are a variety of factors to consider when choosing the right PPE for your needs:

• What type of work will I be doing?
• What are the potential hazards?
• What is my exposure level?
• -What are the risks associated with not wearing PPE?
• How comfortable is the PPE?
• How often will I need to wear it?
• Is it affordable?
• Will it meet my specific needs?

It's important to note that while PPE can protect you from injuries, it's not always enough. In some cases, even full body armour may not be enough to save your life if you're shot by a sniper or attacked with a chemical weapon. That's why it's important to choose PPE that is specifically designed to protect you from the risks you face in your line of work.

 Workplace Climate-

 When picking out the appropriate PPE, one of the first things to consider is the environment in which individuals will be working. Your employees may get tired and accidents are more probable if you acquire PPE that is too heavy for a hot workplace. Workers may get uncomfortable and interrupt coordination when you acquire PPE that is too light for a cold environment. This affects productivity and might lead to accidents and production delays.

 Because the climate can be controlled to some degree to ensure comfort, you have plenty of options if you're working indoors in a climate-controlled environment. Since there are no dangling zippers or loose ends to interfere with work, pullovers are generally recommended for climate-controlled spaces.

 You'll want to consider PPE that can be zipped open or closed if you work outdoors or move between indoors and outdoors throughout the day. In this manner, you can ensure your safety while individually adjusted to whatever environment you're in.

Threat Level

Another factor to consider is the threat level of the job being done by the person who will be wearing the PPE.

 You'll need high-level PPE if your employees are exposed to high-annealed glass that is moved about frequently. Half-inch annealed glass, if broken, might be used as a scalpel and pose a serious danger to employees.

 To avoid a tragedy in this scenario, they would need PPE with greater cut protection. Serious or fatal accidents are less likely to happen if your employees are handling quarter-inch tempered glass. In this scenario, they can be adequately protected with level 4 or 5 gear.

 Simply put: the higher the threat level, the higher the cut protection level should be.

Balancing Between Comfort & Safety

When it comes to PPE, balancing comfort and safety with wearable devices is a major source of conflict. Individuals appreciate being comfortable while working. Work morale drops when everyone on the staff is dissatisfied, and the risk of reckless mistakes multiplies dramatically. Finding a balance is crucial to avoid this.

 It's vital not to overcompensate when selecting equipment with a greater safety rating than you really require. The weight of a higher-rated piece of PPE increases. Not only will this tiredness exhaust employees, but they may find themselves too rigid and uncomfortable to accomplish their tasks.

 The threat level of each job must be assessed before optimal equipment can be selected to protect the worker doing it. Just make sure you don't overdo it!

Presence of Vehicles & Forklifts

 Employees with poor spatial awareness at work may encounter accidents. Injuries from forklifts, trucks and other vehicles are all prevalent in industrial and warehouse settings across the nation, and they should be considered when choosing PPE for employees.

 Workers need PPE that includes Class 3 Hi-Visibility tape if they are likely to be around vehicles of any kind or working in low-light conditions. PPE needs more than 300 square inches of hi-visibility reflective tape. 

 This reflective material ensures people are visible at all times and may help to save lives and injuries by reflecting light back at headlights.

Proper Sizing &  Fit

Ensuring that the equipment is properly sized for each person when selecting PPE is possibly the most overlooked aspect. Loose clothing aids in the comfort of employees in a variety of occupations that include manual labour. Baggy attire, on the other hand, is prone to get caught in machines or on moving automobiles, with devastating consequences.

 Take the time to find out what size clothing your employees wear in order to avoid this. Their PPE should not be baggy, but it should fit perfectly. Also, when working with glass and other dangerous objects, consider the length of a worker's neck. In these fields, collars should completely cover a person's neck. It is possible to save lives through that coverage.

Industry/ Workplace

What industry you serve has an effect on the PPE you should choose as well. There is no one tool that can do it all, and you need to be sure that you choose protection equipment for your workers carefully.

For example, if employees are exposed to electricity or work in an environment where there is an electrical danger, some PPE apparel includes wire in the yarn, which could be deadly. Similarly, since HPPE (high-performance polyethylene) can melt into the skin and cause serious harm, your PPE shouldn't be made of it if there's a fire danger.

Because they are most prone to stabbing or slashing in that vital area, people working in the police or defence sectors should also have higher-level material near the neck. Furthermore, to withstand potential assaults that may happen while working, their PPE should have included more padding on arms and sides.

If your industry has special requirements that must be met, chances are that PPE exists to meet them. It is crucial that you take the time to assess the possible dangers or unique situations that your industry presents and find the right PPE to protect workers who encounter them.

Cost of PPE

Cost is a big consideration for choosing PPE, especially the larger a company gets.

How much PPE costs is determined by several factors. The most prevailing cost-determining factor is the level of resistance, whether it be cut resistance, electrical resistance, or flame resistance.

 Because they all safeguard against different threats, the three types of PPE have significant differences in cost.  As the degree of resistance in each piece of equipment increases, the price steadily rises. A level 4 cut-resistant garment, for example, will cost less than a level 8 garment.

 Additional cost consideration is the type of material used. PPE made from natural fibres, such as cotton or wool, are typically less expensive than those made from synthetic fabrics, such as polyester. However, these materials do not provide the same level of protection against cutting and other physical threats.

 Size also plays a factor in pricing: larger companies will pay more for higher-quality PPE than smaller companies will. And finally, there is always an added charge for customization work on any type of garment or equipment needed to meet specific safety requirements.

It's always important to be safe when working, and PPEs (personal protective equipment) play an important role in safety. This blog was all about highlighting the different things that you should consider when purchasing PPEs, in order to make sure that you're making the right decision for your safety.

We hope that this blog was helpful and that it helped you choose the right PPE for the job! If there is anything else that you want to add, please feel free to leave a comment below!