Page 10 - PPE GUIDELINE

Guidelines on the Use of PPE Against Chemical Hazards

Chapter 3

RISK REDUCTION THROUGH

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE

EQUIPMENT

The principle utilised by personal protective equipment in prevention of injuries is to
prevent contact between the hazards and the external or internal parts of the body that
is to be protected. This includes the protection for the head, which include the eye,
face, and the ear; the auditory and respiratory system; and the body and the limbs.
There are also appliances which do not act as a barrier between the hazard and the
part of the body to be protected, but are regarded as personal protective equipment.
These are life jackets, buoyancy aids, safety harness and high visibility clothing
(HSE, 1992)

Since other methods of controlling risk are generally preferred, personal protective
equipment is only to be used:

1. When such equipment is necessary to protect the safety and health of the
worker where risk have not been adequately controlled by any other means
such as engineering controls and safe system of work;

2. Where its use could not be substituted by any other means, such as:
• In an emergency situation or rescue work
• During fire-fighting activities
• Where close or direct contact is necessary to carry out work e.g. in
welding operations and manual handling of chemicals
• In situation where there is a possibility of heavy or sharp object falling or
knocking against hard objects
• In situation where there is a possibility of stepping onto sharp objects
• During cleaning or maintenance operations
• For certain intermittent or short term operations where installing
engineering controls would be economically impractical

3. As a temporary measure while other control measure, such as engineering
control, is being introduced;

4. As a backup or to complement other measures.

Department of Occupational Safety & Health, Ministry of Human Resources, Malaysia ™October 2005 10