Every business and employee recognizes the paramount importance of workplace safety. A pivotal aspect in ensuring a secure work environment lies in the proper use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). But what exactly do PPEs include and how can a worker select the appropriate protective equipment?

This article explores the wide-ranging world of PPEs, covering everything from regulatory guidelines to the various categories and options available. PPEs protect workers by reducing the risks of injuries and occupational illnesses.

Given that PPEs are tailored to safeguard the wearer alone, their effectiveness hinges greatly on selecting suitable equipment and adhering to proper usage protocols.

Among the widely-utilized items are safety footwear, which safeguards against accidental foot injuries; as well as goggles and gloves, crucial for shielding the eyes and hands during the handling of certain materials. Additionally, protective overalls or work coat offer an extra layer of defense over clothing, alongside masks, helmets, ear protection, and fall arrest devices, among others.

How do you choose a PPE?

PPEs are selected by employers, managers, and supervisors. To identify the suitable PPE, the first step is to conduct a risk analysis to determine:

– the required level of protection
– the suitability of the device for the situation

Each Personal Protective Equipment is designed according to specific legal standards, must be CE-marked and must also be accompanied by the manufacturer’s technical documentation specifying the suitable applications.

How many categories of PPE are there?

PPEs are divided into three categories: first, second, and third. This classification ensures an appropriate level of protection based on the type of work and professional context.

Category I PPE

First category PPEs are intended to protect against minimal risks. These devices safeguard against low-level risks, and manufacturers are authorized to test and self-certify their products.

Category II PPE

Second category PPEs provide protection against intermediate risks, not included in categories I and III. These devices require specific testing and certification by an authorized body issuing the CE mark. Without this marking, second category PPEs cannot be marketed or used.

Category III PPE

Third category PPEs are designed to protect against risks that can lead to very serious consequences, such as death or irreversible health damage. They are essential for those working with chemicals, biological agents, electrical shocks, and live working situations.

Our PPE comply with the highest safety standards,

By choosing Rossini, you can have a complete solution for your protection from head to toe:

FOOT PROTECTION DEVICES

PPE for foot protection are safety footwear specifically designed to protect against impact or crushing. There are different types: low and high shoes, metatarsal shoes, clogs and sabots, boots…

– EN ISO 20344:2021 This is the general Standard specifying the requirements for PPE footwear.

Specific Standards:

– EN ISO 20345:2022 General purpose safety footwear whose toe cap must withstand impacts of up to 200 J and crushing of up to 15 kN.

– EN ISO 20346:2022 General-purpose protective footwear whose toe cap must withstand impact up to 100 J and crushing up to 10 kN.

– EN ISO 20347:2022 Professional footwear for general use.

– IEC/EN 61340-5-1:2016 Footwear with electrical resistance. Items ESD certified for use in ATEX environments and made of materials that prevent the build-up of electrostatic charges, allowing them to dissipate to ground.

HAND PROTECTION DEVICES

Hand protection PPE includes gloves and sleeves that provide maximum protection for the hand or part of the hand against various risks such as mechanical, chemical, thermal, low temperatures, radiation, cutting, and welding. They fall into two categories:
– REUSABLE
– DISPOSABLE

– EN ISO 21420:2020 is the general Standard specifying the requirements that hand, arm and forearm protective equipment must have.

Specific Standards:

– EN 388:2016+A1:2018 Protection against mechanical risks.

– EN 407:2020 Protection against thermal risks.

– EN 511:2006 Protection against cold.

– EN ISO 374-1:2016 Protection against chemicals.

– EN ISO 374-5:2016 Protection against microorganisms.

– ISO 18889:2019 Protection against pesticides.

For more information on how to choose gloves, please check our guide “Choosing the ideal glove”.

FACE AND EYE PROTECTION DEVICES

Face and eye protection PPE comply with European regulations, which stipulate that eye protectors must provide defense against various types of impacts, optical radiation, splashes and dust, electric arcs, molten metals, and glowing particles. They fall into three categories:
– GLASSES: Protect the eyes and offer limited protection to the eyeball;
– GOGGLES: Protect eyes and eye sockets;
– FACE SHIELDS: Protect both the eyes and the face.

– EN 166:2001 is the general Standard specifying the requirements that eye protection equipment must have.

Specific Standards:

– EN 169:2002 Filters for welding and related techniques.

– EN 175:1997 Equipment for welding and related techniques.

– EN 170:2002 Ultraviolet filters for welding and related techniques. Unlike EN 169 welding filters, EN 170 UV filters are not suitable for observing electric arcs.

HEARING PROTECTION DEVICES

Hearing protection PPE is divided into two categories:
– EARMUFFS
– EARPLUGS (can be disposable or reusable)

They should be selected based on the degree of attenuation required: by octave band, with the H, M, L method – expressing the average attenuation at high, medium, and low frequencies – with the SNR method – average attenuation of the protector across the entire frequency spectrum.

– EN 352-1:2020 is the Standard specifying the requirements for earmuffs.

– EN 352-2:2020 is the Standard specifying the requirements for earplugs.

– EN 352-3:2020 is the Standard specifying the requirements for earmuffs attached to industrial safety helmets.

RESPIRATORY PROTECTIVE DEVICES

Respiratory protection PPE reduces airborne pollutants reaching the respiratory system by filtering polluted air or providing breathable air from an alternative source. They are divided into 3 categories:

– FFP RESPIRATORS (short for Filtering FacePiece): protect the respiratory tract with or without an exhalation valve, are disposable and are subdivided into FFP1, FFP2 and FFP3 according to filter efficiency;
– HALF MASKS: protect the respiratory tract and part of the face, are reusable and can be maintenance-free or have interchangeable filters;
– FULL FACE MASKS: protect the whole face and are reusable, they have interchangeable filters.

Disposable masks are used to protect against dust, particles and diseases.
Half or full masks are used to protect against gases and vapours.

– EN 149:2001+A1:2009 is the Standard specifying the requirements for respirators FFP1, FFP2 and FFP3.

– EN 405:2001+A1:2009 specifies requirements for filtering half masks.

– EN 140:1998 specifies the requirements forfiltering half masks with gas filter valves.

– EN 136:1998 specifies the requirements for full face masks.

– EN 148-1specifies the requirements forthreads for face masks.

The surgical masks are not a PPE but are medical devices and comply with the European standard EN 14683:2019+AC:2019, which provides for product characteristics and testing methods.

HEAD PROTECTION DEVICES

Head protection PPE are industrial safety helmets designed to provide protection to the wearer against falling objects and consequent brain injuries and skull fractures.

– EN 397:2012+A1:2012 is the general standard specifying the requirements that head protection equipment must have.

– EN 50365:2002 This European standard specifies both the physical and performance requirements as well as the test methods for insulating hard hats to be used on Category 0 and I installations which are operated in environments where it may be possible to come into contact with high potential electrical voltage (up to 1,000 V ac and 1,500 V dc).

FALL ARREST

The fall arrest PPE includes a complete range of solutions designed with the utmost consideration for ergonomics, for easy and intuitive use and to guarantee flexible, precise and rapid adjustment for maximun freedom while using it. It includes various types: harnesses, restraint kit, positioning belts, temporary lifelines, fall arrests, carabiners, lanyards and anchoring straps.

– EN 354:2010 Lanyards.

– EN 355:2002 Energy absorbers.

– EN 358:2018 Belts and lanyards for positioning or restraint at work.

– EN 360:2002 Retractable fall arrest devises.

– EN 361:2002 Full body harnesses.

– EN 362:2004 Connectors.

– EN 795:2012 Class A and B anchor devices for which the braking force decreases from an average of approximately 15 kN to 9 kN.

– CEN/TS 16415:2013 Anchor devices intended for use by more than one person simultaneously.

TNT PROTECTIONS

Non-woven (TNT) PPE protects clothing and skin from exposure to blood, bacteria, dirt or other potentially dangerous substances in the air.

They are all disposable and come in various types: overalls, coats, jackets and trousers.

– EN ISO 13688:2013+A1:2021 is the general standard specifying the requirements that protective clothing must have.

Specific Standards:

– EN ISO 13982-1:2004+A1:2010 Protection against dust and solid particles.

– EN 1073-2:2002 Protection against radioactive contamination.

– EN 13034:2005+A1:2009 Protection of limited duration against liquid chemicals.

– EN 1149-5:2018 Electrostatic properties.

– EN 14126:2003+AC:2004 Protection against infectious agents.

– EN 14605:2005+A1:2009 Protection against chemicals with liquid-tight (Type 3) and splash-tight (Type 4) connections.

ALUMINISED PROTECTIONS

ALUMINISED PPE protects clothing, shoes and skin from exposure to heat, brief contact with flames and for the following types of heat: convective, radiant, aluminium splash, molten iron splash, welding and similar tasks with equivalent risks.

There are various types: overalls, coats, jackets, trousers, aprons, gaiters, footwear, hoods with face shields.

– EN ISO 13688:2013+A1:2021 is the general standard specifying the requirements that protective clothing must have.

Specific Standards:

– EN ISO 11611:2015 Protection during welding and similar tasks.

– EN ISO 11612:2015 Protection against heat and flame.

Do you still have doubts?