The importance of PPE - Are you well equipped at work?

What is PPE? 

PPE stands for personal protective equipment. It is any type of safety equipment that helps protect the person wearing it from potential dangers when they work. It acts as an extra form of protection in addition to other safety measures. 

The dangers PPE protects you from can include:

• physical dangers
• chemical hazards
• airborne agents
• biological dangers 

Many work industries have a legal duty to provide their workers with PPE, for example:

• construction 
• agriculture 
• engineering

Why is PPE important?

The law states that your employer must do what they reasonably can to ensure their workers stay safe and healthy at work. Therefore, PPE is very important in  the workplace as this is one way that can help this.

PPE is also important as it makes staff feel safe and reduces risk while working. Additionally, it can help with morale and ultimately increase productivity in the workplace. 

When should PPE be used in the workplace?

PPE should be used in the workplace where there are risks of harm to employees such as in particularly hazardous industries. For example, manufacturing or construction. 

Examples of PPE:

• eye protection, such as goggles or a face shield
• gloves
• hard hats
• bump hats
• hearing protection, such as earplugs
• hi vis clothing, such as vests and jackets
• respiratory equipment, such as a mask
• safety footwear
• hand protection, such as gloves to protect from extreme temperatures
• safety harness

Who is responsible for providing PPE?

Your employer is responsible for providing PPE in the workplace. This is their legal duty. They must provide PPE and legally abide by the following:

• not charging you for PPE
• making sure PPE is suitable for the dangers you may be exposed to
• training you to use the PPE
• providing instructions on how to carefully use the PPE

Your employer also has a legal duty to make sure that you responsibly use the PPE they provide too. 

When must PPE be disposed of?

One of your employer's legal duties is to ensure that PPE is maintained and replaced when it should be. Therefore, when it needs to be disposed of they must ensure that it is. 

What are the injuries due to poor or no PPE? 

It is vital to use PPE where necessary as the risks of poor or no PPE can be severe. For example, poor or no PPE can mean an injury to the:

• lungs due to contaminated air
• head where items have fallen
• eyes due to power tools or the air containing debris or waste
• skin through corrosive substances 

Failure to use PPE or using poor quality PPE can even result in something as serious as getting cancer in the long term.

What should an employee do if injured at work?

If an employee is injured at work and has a workplace injury, the first thing they should do is seek medical attention.  If you suffer a workplace injury, let your manager or supervisor know immediately. You should be asked to assist them in completing an accident report form. 

In case you want to make a compensation claim for your accident at work, it is important that you:

• note down the incident in detail while fresh in your memory
• try to take a picture of the injury
• take a picture or video of where the injury took place

Does Employers Liability cover workplace accidents?

If you suffer an injury due to a workplace accident and this was not your fault, it is likely the fault of your employer. If so, where you rightly make a compensation claim, the employer's liability will cover the costs of the claim. This will include the payment you are due.

Could an employee claim for an accident at work? 

If an employee has an accident in the workplace, they can claim an accident at work if the accident was not their fault. If you are owed compensation for your workplace injury, it is only fair that you claim what you deserve. When you go to work you should feel safe and not worried about suffering an accident. This is why it is essential that your employer provides you with the correct PPE to do your job.  

Unfortunately, workplace accidents do happen and particularly in jobs that are hazardous and require the use of PPE. At National Accident Helpline, we know just how terrible the consequences of an accident in the workplace are. You can be forced to make massive life changes so it is crucial you get any compensation you are rightly owed.

Let National Accident Helpline help you by calling us today on . Or, you can request a call back here and even begin your claim online. 

How do you make an accident at work claim?

You can make a compensation claim, with the National Accident Helpline, if you have had an accident at work. Experiencing an accident at work can have a significant impact on your daily life and even keep you away from work and potentially lose earnings. Us at National Accident Helpline will not add any more stress to your life. Instead, we ensure that your claim process is made as easy as possible. We even let you calculate your potential compensation online by using our compensation calculator. 

When you make your compensation claim with National Accident Helpline, you will immediately see how our advisors are fully sympathetic towards your accident. They will carefully listen to your situation to help you with the compensation you may be able to claim. Once they have done this, they will pass your details to one of our expert solicitors who will follow through with your claim.

With National Accident Helpline, you can even make your claim on a no-win no no-fee basis. This means that you take no risk when you make a personal injury claim for an injury in the workplace, with us if the workplace accident turns out not to be your employer's fault.

If you have had an accident in the workplace, such as due to no or poor PPE, you may be due personal injury compensation. So call us now on . We may be able to help you in making a compensation claim. You can alternatively expect a call back here or if you prefer, you can begin your claim online.