Personal Protective Equipment – do your teams have the right kit for the job?

As a busy Operations Director, the sheer range of work scenarios your teams face on a day-to-day basis can make it hard to get your PPE decisions right.

While it can be overwhelming trying to get it right, getting it wrong could lead to a whole host of problems ranging from staff illness and injury to legal action.

Back in 2010, a Bristol-based company was fined £100,000 for exposing their staff to hazardous chemicals over a 4 year period through inadequate risk assessments, lack of protective clothing and little understanding of the harmful effects of the chemicals they were using.

A little time spent now, could save a lot of hassle in the future.

We’ve created a handy list of questions and things to consider before making any concrete decisions and we’ve given you some basic PPE equipment ideas to get started with.

Questions you need to ask

• Risk assessments – Have you thought about the situations that your cleaning operatives might find themselves in? What are the hazards? Have you evidenced whether they can be reduced via other means?
• What are your clients’ sites like? Have you walked around it? Have you noted what substances your operatives will be in contact with?
• Have you set up training on PPE to help your operatives understand its importance?
• Who is exposed to what, how long for and how much of it?

Other things to consider when choosing your PPE

• Choose equipment that your operatives are going to be happy wearing; consider the size, fit and weight. They’re more likely to wear PPE if it’s comfortable and convenient.
• Make sure two items of PPE can be used together, for example wearing safety glasses could interfere with the seal of a respirator and cause air leaks. Is there an alternative?
• Would you benefit from receiving training around certain equipment? We provide demonstrations, COSHH training and give free technical advice on all our products.

Essential PPE to start with

Gloves: Cotton gloves protect against abrasions; synthetic gloves should be used when cleaning or working with oils, solvents or other chemicals.

Masks and headwear: Single-use nuisance dust protectors are very useful for many cleaning jobs where there’s a lot of dust, respirators should be used to guard airways from gases, fumes and microorganisms. Headwear, mob caps and even beard nets, needs to protect from contact with chemicals and prevent hair from contaminating surfaces.

Disposables: From aprons and coveralls, to gloves and shoe protectors, disposable equipment can stop contamination, limit flammability and the mixing of hazardous chemicals.

Eye & Ear Protection: Safety goggles and face shields protect eyes from harmful liquids and gases and ear plugs are best to use in noisy environments.

If you’re unsure about anything to do with PPE contact us on 023 9920 7788 or email [email protected] to receive professional and knowledgeable guidance on choosing the best personal protective kit.