The most important aspect of trade workwear is that it is designed to keep workers safe whilst on-site and protect against the specific dangers that can at times be inherent to a particular work location.
However, because personal protective equipment is so omnipresent and a fundamental part of nearly every job role, there have been some myths that have formed around PPE and safety workwear.
With that in mind, here are some common misconceptions about PPE and the truth behind them.
More Does Not Necessarily Mean Better
The most important part of safety equipment is that it is appropriate, proportionate, and balances the ability to do a job with ensuring the person doing it is as protected as possible.
This sometimes means that a complete protective suit of armour with the restrictions to movement and sight that come with it may not necessarily be the best form of protection for you.
A good example of this is with chainsaw safety equipment, where in some cases the risk of tripping or falling offsets the protection benefits.
This is also true with heavy protective equipment worn in particularly hot areas where there is the potential for heat stroke or heat syncope.
One Piece Of Protective Equipment Is Not Enough
Conversely, if you are not wearing all of the pieces of protective equipment that have been mandated in the risk assessment, you could be putting yourself at serious risk of injury, and this typically means more than wearing a mask or a pair of goggles.
As well as this, the importance is on suitable PPE, which means ensuring that you are wearing the right types of protective equipment that fit well and do not create any new hazards with them.
Focusing On Health And Safety Increases Productivity
There is a mistaken belief that rushing ahead and ignoring protective equipment because it “slows” a person down improves productivity, and the reason why becomes exceptionally clear when someone chooses to ignore protective measures and gets hurt.
Safety should be a core fundamental outcome and integrated into any other work process as opposed to being a separate set of processes, and companies that succeed are ones that ensure that any productivity targets factor in preparation and safety.
You Need To Use PPE For Every Job That Requires It Regardless Of Length
If you have a quick job to do, the temptation can exist to not bother with PPE, but it takes only a tiny mistake and a fraction of a second for an accident to happen, so regardless of the length of the task or whether you are in a hurry, you need to ensure all relevant safety procedures are followed.
A huge proportion of accidents are caused during these quick, last-minute jobs purely because the level of risk is increased.
You May Need To Be Clean Shaven To Wear A Mask
Depending on the particular job role, you may be asked to shave a beard or moustache, as the hair can interfere with the protective seal between the face and the mask, which can in turn make a person more exposed to health dangers than they would be otherwise.