PPE

PPE, or personal protective equipment, consists of protective clothing and equipment designed to protect wearers from injury or illness arising from workplace hazards. Common items include gloves, eye and face protection (safety glasses, goggles, face shields), hard hats, respiratory protection, hearing protection, high-visibility clothing, protective footwear, and fall protection equipment.

PPE is the last line of defense after engineering and administrative controls have been attempted. Its effectiveness depends on selecting the right equipment for the hazard, ensuring proper fit and comfort, and verifying compatibility with other PPE and activities.

Typical PPE categories include eye and face protection; respiratory protection; hearing protection; hand protection; foot protection; head protection; body protection; and fall protection. The choice of materials and design depends on the hazard, such as chemicals, cuts, impact, heat, or biological agents.

Standards and certification programs regulate PPE. In the United States, agencies such as OSHA and NIOSH establish requirements for performance and fit testing of respirators, while many items bear marks that indicate conformity with national or international standards (for example EN, CE in the EU).

Care and use involve proper selection, fit testing for tight-fitting respirators, regular inspection, cleaning or disposal, maintenance, storage, and training. PPE has limitations: it reduces risk but does not eliminate it, and it must be used with other controls.

Organizations are generally responsible for providing PPE and training employees, while workers are responsible for using, caring for, and reporting damage or faults.