Why PPE is the last line of defence, and which hazard each item actually protects against.
Personal protective equipment sits last in the order of controlling a risk. You design the hazard out first, then control it at source, then organise the work around it — and PPE catches what is left. That order is why an exam answer saying PPE removes the hazard, or that PPE is picked before the task is risk-assessed, is always wrong. PPE protects the person, not the job.
The second principle is matching. Each item is selected for a specific hazard, which is why one set of kit does not cover every task.
Head
A safety helmet is normally required as basic protection on an active site, against falling objects and against bumping into structure and plant.
Hearing
Repeated exposure to high noise causes permanent hearing loss and tinnitus. Two things make this exam-worthy: the damage cannot be reversed, and it builds up long before the noise becomes painful. So marked hearing-protection zones are followed on the sign, not on how loud it feels, and protection is not something you start wearing once your ears hurt. Hearing protection also does not replace keeping the machine maintained — that is a source control, and it comes first.
Eyes
Drilling or cutting overhead throws dust, fragments and swarf towards the face, so eye protection is matched to that. It protects the eyes only — it is not a substitute for respiratory protection, and it does not replace checking for hidden services before you drill.
Lungs
Cutting bricks, blocks, stone or concrete releases fine silica dust, which causes serious, irreversible lung disease. Respiratory protection is chosen after considering the dust type, because different filters suit different hazards — and it supports water suppression or on-tool extraction rather than replacing them.
Hands, skin and knees
Gloves are selected per task: cut, chemical, heat, vibration and grip protection are genuinely different things and no single glove covers them all. Wet cement causes chemical burns and dermatitis, sometimes before much pain is felt, so contamination is washed off promptly rather than at the end of the day. For floor-level plumbing work, repeated kneeling injures knees over time, so knee protection is worth considering before symptoms appear.
*Original revision guidance; confirm selection and duties against current HSE guidance.*
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