08 April
Published on 08th April
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is the first bastion of your protection. It is necessary and obligatory to wear them, maintain them and ask for their replacement when they are worn out.
PPE not worn or not adapted: what findings?
Statistically, accidents at work mainly occur during manual handling work or when using machines and tools. So many manipulated elements that can fall, skid, slide... and ultimately injure you. We must not forget the risks of falls from heights which are still frequent. Although the consequences of such accidents can of course be benign, they are unfortunately also fatal.
If they cannot act on the very appearance of the accident at work, PPE can considerably reduce the consequences by protecting different parts of the body:
- La tête, thanks to a properly sized and well-fitted helmet
- The eyes, thanks to protective glasses
- Hands, thanks to gloves adapted to the work carried out
- The feet, thanks to safety shoes in good condition
Also remember that PPE complements collective protection measures. Their aim is to minimize employee exposure to certain occupational risks (skin exposure, respiratory exposure, noise, cuts, crushing, bruises, etc.). They are thus of all kinds: gloves, glasses, helmets, safety shoes, aprons, safety harnesses, etc.
The upper and lower limbs are the parts of the body most affected by accidents at work. Then comes the head including the eyes. A cut on the hands, a foreign body in the eyes or even a broken foot are all injuries that can be avoided if you wear your protective glasses, helmet or safety shoes.
Unfortunately, today we still register many accidents at work following a failure to wear PPE, or even a lack of PPE! However, it should not be forgotten that not wearing your PPE can lead to disciplinary sanctions which can range from a simple warning to dismissal.
The risks incurred if I do not wear my PPE
If there are many safety equipment, namely for the head, the eyes, the ears, the hands, the feet, or even against the heat, it is because the risks are everywhere! And accidents can occur in totally different contexts:
- Biological risks,
- Chemical risks (inhalation of dust or vapours, contact of hands or eyes with chemical products, etc.),
- Mechanical risks (impacts on the head, hand cuts, splashes in the eyes, etc.),
- Electrical risks (contact with live conductors, etc.),
- Thermal risks (contact with a flame, working in a cold room, etc.),
- Hearing risks (noise, etc.).
The risks being multiple and their consequences just as much, it is imperative to respect the safety instructions and to wear PPE in good condition and correctly.
My PPE, I take care of it
During each use, it is advisable to check the condition of its PPE and in particular its state of deterioration and to check the date or the expiry date. Yes, PPE has a lifespan. It is also important to read the instructions and learn about the right way to wear them. Indeed, it is sometimes just as dangerous to wear PPE incorrectly or to have it poorly maintained, as not to wear it at all!
The frequency of checks must be adapted to the constraints to which the PPE is subjected during its use. It will take into account the information provided by the manufacturer in the instructions for use. It is also necessary to think about maintaining them regularly, this will involve cleaning and storage.
A handy little tip: do not mark your PPE with a marker (harness, helmet, etc.), ink solvents damage them. Prefer to use labels that will not be stuck directly on the PPE but on the label.
Don't forget that even if it's not aesthetic, if it can keep you warm or even if it's itchy, PPE can save your life! So in all circumstances, I wear my PPE!