According to the Health and Safety Executive, personal protective equipment (PPE) is mandatory for a person who is at any health or safety risks

According to the Health and Safety Executive, personal protective equipment (PPE) is mandatory for a person who is at any health or safety risks at work. Protective equipment includes items such as safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, high-visibility clothing, safety footwear and safety jackets. Protective clothing is designed to protect a worker from airborne matter, chemicals, electricals, heat and biohazards. They are worn to protect the health of the user and for job-related occupational safety.

Protective workwear reduces the risk of injury or harm to the users caused by hazards present in the workplace. Most people who work in large chemical industries and manufacturing units are prone to all kinds of hazards. To prevent this, protective clothing must be worn. Those working in chemical units are at the risk of chemical agents through contaminated surfaces, aerosols, splashes or immersion. Coming in direct contact with these chemicals can cause skin cancer or contact dermatitis. Also, ultra-violet, high temperature and solar radiation can damage the skin.

Protective clothing is also important in the agriculture and construction industry. In the agriculture industry, parasites, plants, animals and microorganisms can affect the skin. Hence, protective clothing used in different areas and workplace is very important.

It is very important that the workplace or industry takes complete measures to give their workforce protective clothing and instructions related to it. They must be trained on working safely and responsibly. However, thought these measures are applied, a worker is still at the risk of a hazard, but the risk is minimised to a high level. The risk at a workplace can range from injuries to the lungs (breathing contaminated air), the head and feet (from falling materials), the eyes (from flying particles or splashes of corrosive liquids), the skin (contact with corrosive and heavy metals) and body (extreme temperatures such as too hot or too cold).

Regular risk assessments in a workplace are important to determine the nature of the available hazard and the risk involved. Few things that should be checked periodically are the work given to the worker, the level of movement, the equipment and nature of the environment. Each kind of environment requires its own type of protective clothing. Some industries where protective workwear is mandatory are agriculture, chemical, construction, manufacturing units, fire brigade and catering.

If you run an industry and are looking to buy protective clothing for your workers, always contact genuine protective clothing suppliers.