PPE

What is Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)?

• AOnly helmets
• BOptional clothing that a worker may choose to wear if they feel it would make the job more comfortable
• COrdinary work clothing only, such as a pair of overalls and a branded company jacket
• DEquipment worn to minimize health and safety risks not controlled by other means✓

Answer: PPE is equipment worn or held to protect against health and safety hazards (gloves, hard hats, safety glasses, respirators, high-visibility clothing, footwear).

What is the hierarchy of controls regarding PPE?

• AAll controls rank equally
• BPPE is only issued during training courses, and is not needed once a worker is qualified
• CPPE is the last resort; engineering and administrative controls should be used first✓
• DPPE first, always

Answer: PPE is the lowest level of control. Priority is: eliminate hazard, substitute for safer method, engineer controls, administrative controls, then PPE as a last resort.

Who is responsible for providing PPE?

• AThe employer, but only if the worker asks for it first
• BThe site safety manager, out of the site welfare budget
• CWorkers must buy their own from the site shop at cost
• DThe employer must provide appropriate PPE at no cost✓

Answer: The employer must provide appropriate PPE free of charge. Workers are responsible for using it correctly and reporting defects. Cost cannot be passed to employees.

What does a hard hat protect against?

• ARain and other kinds of bad weather while working outdoors on site
• BImpacts from falling objects and bumps against fixed structures✓
• CIt protects against nothing; it is worn only to identify the wearer's trade
• DAll injuries to the head, face and neck of the person wearing it

Answer: A hard hat protects the head from impacts of falling objects (tools, materials) and collision with fixed structures. Different types are for different industries/hazards.

What protection do safety glasses provide?

• AProtection against splinters, dust, and minor impacts to the eyes✓
• BComplete eye protection against every hazard, including chemical splash
• CThey give no real protection; they are worn only to satisfy the site rules
• DEye wear only

Answer: Safety glasses protect eyes from flying particles, dust, and splinters. For chemical or thermal hazards, chemical splash goggles or face shields are needed.

What is a respiratory protective device used for?

• ATo look the part on site and to keep the dust off the wearer's face and beard
• BTo protect against inhalation of hazardous substances (dust, fumes, gases)✓
• CTo keep warm
• DThey are only used in hospitals and laboratories, not on construction sites at all

Answer: Respiratory protection (masks, respirators) protects against inhalation hazards: dust, chemical fumes, oxygen-deficient atmospheres. Type depends on specific hazard.

What is 'fit-testing' for respirators?

• AProcedure verifying a specific respirator fits properly on an individual's face✓
• BSimply putting on the mask and checking that it feels comfortable enough to wear
• CIt is only needed by full-time users such as asbestos removal contractors and sprayers
• DAdvisory only

Answer: Fit-testing ensures the respirator creates a proper seal on the wearer's face, preventing hazardous air from leaking in. Must be done before first use and periodically.

What hazards do safety footwear protect against?

• AImpact from dropped objects, crushing, penetration from nails/sharp objects✓
• BJust comfort, giving the feet some extra cushioning during a long day on site
• CIt only prevents slipping on wet floors and gives no other protection to the foot at all
• DOnly mud

Answer: Safety footwear protects against: impact from dropped objects (steel toe), crushing hazards (metatarsal protection), puncture hazards (steel insole), and electrical hazards.

What is the purpose of high-visibility clothing?

• ATo look bright
• BIt is worn only for decoration on the company uniform and the work jacket
• CIt serves no purpose, beyond making the site look organised to visitors
• DTo make the wearer visible to moving vehicles and equipment operators✓

Answer: High-visibility clothing (safety vests) increases visibility of workers to vehicle/equipment operators, reducing risk of being struck or run over on sites.

What protection do insulating gloves provide in electrical work?

• AThey are just to keep the hands clean while working on the site
• BProtection is absent; they are the same as ordinary work gloves
• CProtection against electric shock when working with live parts✓
• DThey are only for cold weather when working outdoors in the winter

Answer: Insulating (electrical) gloves prevent electric shock by creating a non-conductive barrier between hands and live parts. Must be tested and certified annually.

What is the purpose of a safety harness with lanyard?

• AJust to hold tools and a bag on the worker's waist while climbing a ladder or scaffold
• BTo restrict movement
• COnly for show
• DTo protect against falls when working at height by restraining or catching a fall✓

Answer: A harness with lanyard protects workers at height by either restricting movement (restraint) or slowing/stopping a fall (arrest harness), when connected to secure anchor.

How should PPE be maintained?

• ARegular inspection, cleaning, and replacement when damaged✓
• BLeave it dirty, as cleaning damages the protective materials
• CJust store it anywhere in the back of the van between jobs on site
• DMaintenance is unnecessary at any point during its working life

Answer: PPE maintenance includes: regular inspection before use, cleaning according to manufacturer instructions, repair of minor damage, and replacement if damaged beyond repair.

What is 'competency' regarding PPE?

• AJust wearing it
• BImmaterial
• CUnderstanding which PPE is needed, how to use it correctly, limitations, and care/maintenance✓
• DHolding any certificate at all, since one card is treated the same as another on most UK sites

Answer: PPE competency requires: understanding hazards and appropriate protection, correct donning/doffing, recognizing when PPE is needed, and awareness of limitations.

In electrical installations, what PPE is essential?

• AInsulating gloves, safety glasses, hard hat, safety footwear, high-visibility, and appropriate clothing✓
• BOnly gloves
• CDepends on the day
• DPPE may be omitted, because the installation is always isolated before work starts and there is nothing left live to touch

Answer: Electrical work PPE: insulating gloves (tested annually), safety glasses, hard hat, non-conductive footwear, high-visibility wear, and appropriate clothing (long sleeves).

What should be done if PPE becomes damaged?

• ARemove from service immediately, replace with undamaged PPE✓
• BJust patch it
• CKeep using it
• DUse only when needed

Answer: Damaged PPE must be immediately removed from service and replaced. Damaged protection can fail to protect the wearer and creates hazards.