Índice
What is PPE?
PPE is personal protective equipment. PPE is any device or means available to a person in order to protect him/her against certain risks that may threaten his/her health or safety.
In fact, they are essential elements in risk control strategies and must comply with the obligation on the part of the manufacturer of the CE marking established in article 10 of RD 1407/1992 of 20 November.
The CE marking shall be affixed and remain affixed to each PPE manufactured in a visible, legible and indelible manner, for the foreseeable duration or useful life of the PPE.
Types of PPE
Personal protective equipment, depending on the consequences of the risks, is classified into 3 categories:
Category I: This category groups together equipment designed to protect against minimal risks. In this first classification we find PPE designed to protect against:
- Mechanical aggressions whose effects are superficial.
- Maintenance products which are not very harmful and whose effects are easily reversible.
- Risks incurred during the handling of hot products that do not expose the user to temperatures above 50 ºC, such as professional gloves, aprons, etc.
- Atmospheric agents which are neither exceptional nor extreme (hats, seasonal clothing, shoes and boots, etc.)
- Small shocks and vibrations which do not affect the vital parts of the body and which are not likely to cause irreversible injuries (light helmets to protect the scalp, gloves, light footwear, etc.),
- Solar radiation (sunglasses).
Category II: Personal protective equipment intended to protect against medium or high risks but not with fatal or irreversible consequences.
For this reason, a prototype of the PPE must pass an EC type examination, which will confirm and leave its mark if the product complies with the established safety requirements.
Category III: Personal protective equipment intended to protect against risks with lethal or irreversible consequences is considered to be in this category. The following PPE belong to this classification:
- Those intended to protect against solid and liquid aerosols or against irritant, dangerous or toxic gases.
- Respiratory protective equipment insulating against the atmosphere, including those intended for immersion.
- Equipment providing only limited protection against aggression
- Equipment for use in hot or cold environments, the effects of which are comparable to a temperature of 100°C or -50°C or more.
- Those intended to protect against falls from a certain height, electrical risks or for work carried out under dangerous voltages.
- Cases and visors intended for people on motorbikes.
Main characteristics of Personal Protective Equipment
PPE must provide effective protection against the risks that motivate its use and, furthermore, must not pose risks in themselves, cause additional risks or produce unnecessary discomfort.
To this end, they must respond to the conditions of the workplace, take into account the physical conditions of the worker and have the necessary adjustments to suit the user.
What is not considered PPE?
PPE should not be confused with other tools, uniforms or products which, despite being used at work or to carry out certain activities, are not considered as such.
For example, work clothes or uniforms that are not intended to protect the health and integrity of the worker, rescue services equipment or military, police and similar services uniforms are not PPE.
Neither are sports equipment, self-defence equipment or portable devices for detecting and signalling risks.
