PPE and the hazard each item is chosen for

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. PPE is selected from the assessment of the remaining exposure and used alongside the other controls. Wearing it does not remove the hazard.

The second principle is matching. Check the protection each item is designed to provide, its fit and compatibility with other equipment. An item may cover several hazards, but no set of kit is suitable for 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 and protection levels suit different exposures. Use required RPE alongside water suppression or suitable on-tool extraction from the start of the task. Tight-fitting RPE needs a fit test and a seal check when worn; filtering equipment cannot supply missing oxygen.

Hands, skin and knees

Choose gloves for the contact hazards, such as cuts, chemicals and heat, and check whether they could catch in rotating machinery. Gloves can keep hands warm, but must not be relied on as vibration control. Reduce vibration through the tool, method and exposure time. 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. Dry cement can also irritate skin and contribute to dermatitis. For floor-level plumbing work, repeated kneeling injures knees over time, so knee protection is worth considering before symptoms appear.

More hazards, and who provides what

• Your employer must provide the PPE a risk assessment says you need, free of charge, and keep it maintained.
• Safety boots have toe protection and a protective midsole against crushing and sharp objects underfoot. High-visibility clothing helps the drivers of vehicles and plant see you. Cut-resistant gloves are chosen for handling sharp metal.
• If people have to raise their voices to hold a normal conversation about 2 m apart, the noise is likely high enough to need action.
• For work at height, first ask whether it can be avoided. Mobile access towers are built, altered and dismantled only by trained, competent people, and a mobile elevating work platform such as a scissor lift is operated only by someone trained for that machine.
• Plan handling before choosing a technique: use a suitable aid, split the load or arrange a coordinated team lift where needed. For a manageable two-handed lift, start with slight bending at the back, hips and knees, keep the weight close and move smoothly. Turn with your feet and avoid bending your back further as the load rises.
• The product label and the supplier's safety data sheet give a chemical's hazards and safe use. A product such as a solvent, adhesive or flux is assessed, and its controls set, before it is used.
• Disturbed asbestos releases fibres that, breathed in, can cause serious and often fatal lung disease years later. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it, so if you uncover material you suspect, stop, leave it, keep others clear and report it. Higher-risk asbestos work is only for a licensed contractor.
• Before digging, combine service records, a competent survey and safe exposure of the services. Plans and locators can miss pipes or cables, especially non-metallic services. Use safe trial holes and excavation methods to find the actual positions; hand digging and a clear locator reading are not guarantees against a strike.
• Cordless tools or a suitable 110 V centre-tapped-to-earth supply reduce the risk of electric shock on site. The latter gives 55 V between either live conductor and earth. Equipment still needs its inspections, maintenance and circuit protection; reduced voltage does not make damage safe.