NEWS
The Role of PPE in Workplace Safety
Keeping your employees safe while working should be at the forefront of your mind at all times. Not only does their safety and well-being affect them, but it can also harm your productivity.
Injured workers won’t be able to complete the daily tasks that keep your business moving forward, costing you significant amounts of money and impacting your profitability. This makes it worthwhile to put the right steps in place to improve safety in your place of work.
Workplace safety is important in the UK with plenty of regulations in place to protect workforces. However, that doesn’t mean accidents won’t happen. A 2022/23 report from the HSE revealed that 135 people died at work, highlighting just how dangerous some industries can be.
Risk assessments, training and regular machine maintenance are all routinely completed to keep this number down, but one of the easiest ways to keep staff safe is with personal protective equipment (PPE).
Our guide will take a look at some of the most important PPE a workplace can have and how it keeps your employees safer. Continue reading to find out more.
Why is PPE so important?
Before looking at the different types, we want to highlight why PPE is so important and the benefits of introducing it in your workplace. Some of the key advantages include:
- Prevents diseases and illnesses from spreading
- Reduces the risk of injury
- Ensures you’re meeting legal requirements in line with the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
- Improves employee satisfaction as they’ll feel safer coming to work
What are the different types of PPE?
Head protection
Damage to the head can lead to brain injuries, which is a big problem in this country. There’s a head injury every three minutes in the UK and PPE could reduce this number. Hard hats, helmets and bump caps are all great options for keeping heads safe from falling objects.
Eye protection
Safety goggles, face shields or welding helmets keep the eyes safe from flying objects or chemical splashes. These issues can lead to loss of sight, which is why eye protection is one of the most important to focus on.
Ear protection
If you work in construction or manufacturing, machinery can damage your ears easily. Ear plugs or defenders are popular choices for protecting ears from loud noises and are relatively inexpensive to buy.
Foot protection
Work boots for men are a must to keep feet safe at work. These tend to have steel caps to prevent damage from heavy objects falling on them. Work boots can be waterproof too, which is a must for those working outdoors – especially in a country as rainy as the UK.
Kenneth is a proud native of sydney, born and raised there. However, he pursued his education abroad and studied in Australia. Kenneth has worked as a journalist for almost a decade, making valuable contributions to prominent publications such as Yahoo News and The Verge. Currently, he serves as a journalist for The Hear Up, where he focuses on covering climate and science news. You can reach Kenneth at [email protected].
