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PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) Hazard Assessment

If you are in the construction industry, you know that it can be a very dangerous industry to be in. For this reason, it is important to follow the proper safety procedures and try to mitigate the risks as much as is possible. One way that you can do this is by providing or wearing the necessary protective gear for the job– and another way is to conduct hazard assessments to see where the on site dangers lie. A hazard assessment can also point you towards which PPE equipment will be needed on the job.

Read on to learn more about PPE hazard assessments and how they work.

WHAT IS PPE?

First things first, what is PPE, anyway? PPE stands for personal protective equipment. It can include gear for protecting your eyes and vision from hazards such as flying debris or chemicals, and also gear for protecting your head from falling objects. Welders, for instance, might also wear a protective jacket that could be considered PPE. Commonly seen PPE includes goggles, helmets, or hard hats. PPE usually addresses hazards that are electrical, thermal, chemical, or physical in nature. Biohazards and airborne particulate matter are also hazards that PPE can protect against.

WHAT IS A PPE HAZARD ASSESSMENT?

A PPE hazard assessment is essentially the same as a regular risk or hazard assessment. You will go through and identify any hazards on the job site so that you can figure out the sorts of accidents you are trying to prevent on the job. Doing a hazard assessment will also help you to identify the hazards that your workers will need to be protected from– like excess noise, for instance, that will require headphones or earplugs as PPE. Once you have completed a PPE hazard assessment, you can determine the PPE that you will need to provide for your workers.

HOW DOES A PPE HAZARD ASSESSMENT WORK?

When you are completing a PPE hazard assessment, you typically have a checklist or form to guide you through the process and ensure that nothing is overlooked. After all, you certainly want to be thorough so that you can ensure that your workers are properly equipped for all hazards. It is important to document the entire process and make sure the forms are dated and stored properly so that they can be accessed later.

Once you have completed the assessment itself and done your full walkthrough of the job site, you then want to identify the solution to each of the hazards that you’ve identified. Certain hazards will require you to implement strategies such as fixing equipment, cleaning up an area, or erecting canopies to keep the elements out. Other hazards will not be able to be dealt with in this fashion and are where you will need to consider what PPE will protect your workers best from that particular hazard. Then, you need to make sure that you provide plenty of PPE for these hazards that are good quality, and also make sure that your workers are educated properly on both the hazards and the PPE.

WHEN SHOULD YOU CONDUCT A PPE HAZARD ASSESSMENT?

It’s also important for you to conduct PPE hazard assessments at the right time. You should first conduct a PPE hazard assessment when you are setting up the job and before the work has actually started. Then, if any of the conditions on the site change, or additional tasks are added to the workers’ roster, you should conduct another hazard assessment to make sure any additional hazards have not emerged. If your provided PPE is found to be ineffective, this is another situation that requires you to run another hazard assessment.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is a hazard assessment for PPE?

A hazard assessment of PPE is an evaluation that is done in order to determine what hazards your workers will come into contact with, so that you can figure out what sorts of PPE (personal protective equipment) that you need to provide for them. It is a way to address workplace hazards.

What are the hazards of wearing PPE?

PPE, or personal protective equipment, can be very important in reducing your risk of certain hazards or accidents. On the other hand, though, it can also cause some additional hazards, which you should certainly be aware of if you are going to use this PPE. The hazards involved here are mostly physical. These include impaired movement, impaired vision, and impaired communication. Plus, psychological stress, slips, trips, falls, and heat stress can also be caused by your PPE equipment. That being said, the hazards that you are able to avoid by wearing your PPE are usually a lot more dangerous.

Do you need a risk assessment for PPE?

A risk assessment is defined as the effort of identifying events that may negatively impact individuals or workers, and can typically lead to injury– or even death– in some cases on the job. On a construction site, it can be especially helpful to identify dangers so that you can avoid having accidents. In this vein, yes, it is important to conduct a risk assessment when considering job sites where PPE may be needed. You can conduct a risk or hazard assessment in order to determine what sorts of PPE need to be made available to the workers at this particular location.

What is included in a hazard assessment?

Hazard assessments are the same as risk assessments. They are the process of identifying potential events or hazards that can lead to on the job accidents or injuries. Typically, there is an OSHA regulated form or checklist to follow for these assessments. During a risk assessment, it is important that you first identify the hazards, and then evaluate the risks that these hazards present. Then, you can go on to manage the risks of the hazards by placing hazard controls and setting up other preventative measures. For instance, making the proper PPE available can help to mitigate accidents or other dangers on your construction sites.