Effects of PPE in Different Environments, Essay Example

Abstract

Personal protective equipment (PPE) offers a higher level of protection from the elements and occupational hazards. This equipment is widely used in many industries to protect workers from risk or harm as best as possible, but it is not a guaranteed measure of safety. Work-related hazards are commonplace in many organizations; therefore, it is expected that employers will provide the equipment and clothing that are necessary to maximize protection. Many different types of materials are considered in the manufacture of protective clothing and equipment, and comfort as well as safety must be considered at all times. When PPE is required, many employers cover the cost of this equipment; however, others might place the cost burden on employees. It is important to recognize the cost and availability of this equipment in order to determine whether or not employees should be responsible. PPE is an essential component of many industries to promote safety and effective hazard management.

The Effects of PPE in Different Environments

Personal protective equipment, PPE refers to equipment’s that a worker must wear in order to reduce the extent of danger of exposing the workers body to particular occupational hazards. The best examples of equipment’s are aprons, respirators, gloves, fall protection, full body suits, in addition to head, eye and foot protection. The use of PPE is a solitary element in a complete program of safety applying a wide selection of strategies that are responsible for the maintenance of a safe as well as healthy working environment. The use of PPE is not a guarantee to total and permanent protection. The role of PPE is only prevention and reduction of exposure of the worker to the potential safety as well as health hazards (Antonio, Duarte & Jose, 2012).   

Different types of hazards are evident in almost all places of work and therefore it is important that any employer has implemented strategies for workers protection. The employer should prioritize on controlling as well as eliminating the hazards using the most appropriate approach possible. The control of potential hazards at the source is most preferred strategy since the hazard is totally eliminated or isolated entirely and therefore, the worker is protected (Clagg, 2012). However, if it is impossible to remove or control the hazard entirely from the source, or even at the path between the source and the employee, then it becomes imperative to apply the services of PPE. Therefore, the application of PPE is the last level in worker protection if the other options are impossible to implement or they are unavailable.

The Effects of PPE in Different Environments

Review of Literature

Andrew Child, PH.D., is the director of technology for the Specialty Fabric Division of Milliken & Company. In his article “Don’t Guess at Comfort” he explores the need to find an acceptable balance between flame resistant garments and thermal comfort. Garment comfort is typically determined by wear trials, but this method has limitations. Professionals recommend instead measuring characteristics of fabric properties to determine whether they will be comfortable and protective. The primary factors that should be considered in this analysis are heat loss and moisture management. heat loss can be used to define thermal comfort because it will reduce the amount of heat that is trapped inside of the garment. In addition, moisture must be able to reach the surface of the garment so it can evaporate and allow for cooling. For example, flannel or denim would not be ideal because, for this material, the sweat rate exceeds the evaporation rate. A simple test to use to determine this for other garments is the calculation of the percent evaporation. To do so, it is necessary to determine the ratio of the amount of moisture evaporated to the amount of moisture absorbed over 1000 seconds (Child, 2012).

In a similar article, Bill Reith the Director of Industrial Safety for Salisbury address the challenges electrical workers are faced with when choosing PPE. In his article “Comfort Follows Safety in Cold Weather” he discusses the garment need of employees who work in cold weather. Three hazards that personal protective equipment typically needs to address in the workforce includes protection against shock, flash, and blast, which are always risks when working near electricity. To protect against shock, proper voltage-rated gloves are required when working with 50 volts or greater. Leather glove protectors supplement this protection and could also be used in severe weather to keep hands warm. It is preferable for the worker to wear a jacket that covers the end of the glove to ensure proper insulation of body heat. Electrical workers also need to be protected against flash of light. In both regular and extreme weather, insulated jacket and bib overall or insulated coverall in a flame-resistant fabric is recommended. Face and head protection is also required depending on the job. It is essential to remember that although protective gear should strive for comfort in cold weather, safety is the first priority (Reith, 2008).

To delve further, Antonio Luiz Meirelles, Veiga Marcelo Motta, and Francisco José de Castro Moura Duarte examine the use and availability of PPE in general and for agricultural purposes in Brazil. In the article,” Efficiency of Personal Protective Equipment Used in Agriculture” they examine the use and availability of PPE in general and for agricultural purposes in Brazil. One of the primary concerns that the authors have with the use of PPE in this country concerns the balance between state of the art and the state of prevailing practices in the design of PPEs. For PPE to be truly effective, it is necessary to ensure that the development of new equipment is regularly performed and that its efficacy is reviewed. Furthermore, it is essential to understand when PPE should be replaced with new equipment when it is no longer able to perform adequately. The literature review found that, in some cases, it is the employee rather than the employer that pays for the PPE. This is true in both Brazil and the United States. Furthermore, there is a disparity between PPE developed for industrial use and PPE developed for agricultural use since most PPE is developed for the industry but is being used for agriculture. Therefore, more research must be done to improve the current PPE in the field of agriculture to ensure that it could protect the health and safety of workers.

In a similar article, “The Use of Pesticides in French Viticulture: a badly controlled technology transfer”, authors Alain Garrigou, Baldib Isabelle, and Marçalc Jackson address the risks associated to the use of pesticides in French vineyards. Although the use of pesticides is a common practice in modern agriculture, they have been shown to have a negative impact on worker health. The major issue with the use of pesticides is that particular chemicals that were made for one unique situation have been applied to others, demonstrating a transfer of technology between different countries and different contexts. This study combined different data sources in an attempt to show that the use of pesticides in France is a consequence of a badly controlled technology transfer. Conditions that would control the exposure of farm workers to harmful chemicals include the managing the limitation of the pesticide marketing authorization process, managing the limitations in the effectiveness of filtering cabs, discussion of the effectiveness of PPE, and implementation of effective training programs. The authors also developed several perspectives that would assist in the development of safe practices for farm workers. These include modeling real life situations of toxicological models, taking into account the safety of the machinery used in agriculture, and developing training processes that will allow farm workers to understand how to remain safe.

Beth Clagg in “Release the Heat: PPE worn in hot environments can raise heat-related risk” explores the “purpose” and “problem” with PPE worn in hot environments. This article explains that PPE could pose a problem in high temperatures, such as in extreme summer weather and fire. Risks include dangerously high heart rates and body temperatures. It is necessary to take certain precautions to protect against heat-related illness. Heat exhaustion is typically due to dehydration, so it is necessary for workers to regularly consume water to compensate for the amounts that are released. In addition, workers should follow well-balanced diets, become acclimated to the heat before performing intense jobs, and monitoring health status. In some cases, it may necessary to take breaks away from the heat to ensure proper health. While some careers may allow for altered PPE that decreases retained heat, this is often not possible because safety is the first priority. Therefore, the worker must take the aforementioned steps to ensure his or her health. There is a need to either avoid exposing workers to extreme conditions or to compensate for these dangers through use of PPE. Many different forms of PPE are tailored to different job environments, and it is essential for employers to understand what types of PPE are necessary in different temperature conditions. As previously discussed in the article “Don’t Guess at Comfort”, there is a need to find an acceptable balance between flame resistant garments and thermal comfort. While the primary concern of the employer in this instance should be employee safety, this case is unique because the employee must be protected from flames in addition to the severe heat that these flames generate. This is difficult because there are few materials that are considered breathable and flame resistance. However, a compromise between the two must be made to ensure flame protection and prevention against worker dehydration. It is interesting to point out that controlling for different safety variables is essential in cold working conditions as well as hot.

While “Don’t Guess at Comfort” focuses on PPE in hot working conditions, Bill Reith the Director of Industrial Safety for Salisbury address the challenges electrical workers are faced with when choosing PPE. In his article “Comfort Follows Safety in Cold Weather”, he discusses the garment need of employees who work in cold weather. It is essential to stress that employers be able to define the hazards of the position to their employees and based on these standards provide suitable PPE. Even though this article defines useful ways to implement PPE in cold environments and those with electrical hazards, it is equally important to ensure that the PPE is being used correctly. As a consequence, employees should be constantly reminded of these hazards and how they could be avoided even without PPE. When employees are properly trained to understand hazards, PPE in a variety of environments will become even more effective. Ultimately PPE is a useful tool but its utility is limited if it is not used properly. An example of when proper PPE use is relevant is in the field of agriculture.

PPE in the field of agriculture is discussed in “Efficiency of Personal Protective Equipment Used in Agriculture”. For PPE to be truly effective, it is necessary to ensure that the development of new equipment is regularly performed and that its efficacy is reviewed. Furthermore, it is essential to understand when PPE should be replaced with new equipment when it is no longer able to perform adequately. The literature review found that, in some cases, it is the employee rather than the employer that pays for the PPE. This is true in both Brazil and the United States. Furthermore, there is a disparity between PPE developed for industrial use and PPE developed for agricultural use since most PPE is developed for the industry but is being used for agriculture. Therefore, more research must be done to improve the current PPE in the field of agriculture to ensure that it could protect the health and safety of workers. It is important to note that the difficulty of knowing when to replace PPE with new equipment when it is unable to perform adequately is relevant in a range of fields, not just in agriculture. The primary purpose of PPE is to ensure safety of the employee and this is not possible unless the PPE is certain to protect against all hazards that are included in its function. For example, if a fire worker’s PPE’s flame retardant capability begins to wear off, the worker may suffer burns. Therefore, it is essential to constantly examine PPE equipment to ensure that it is able to withstand its function. An additional concern in protecting agriculture workers is the specific PPE used. While many farm workers will be issued gloves to protect their hands, there is currently no significant level of protection against the harmful chemicals used in farm work.

Agriculture is discussed again in “The Use of Pesticides in French Viticulture: a badly controlled technology transfer”. This research is useful because it will allow the agriculture field to develop PPE that protects its workers from the harmful fumes of pesticides. While there is currently no standard available, it may be useful to implement “gas mask” like equipment to prevent chemical inhalation. In fact, many PPE that is used in other fields can be applied to agriculture. It is likely that as awareness of the need for PPE in the agricultural field increases, these materials will become more universally implemented. Adequate use of PPE in agriculture is essential because there are many hazards including heat and chemical exposure.

In “Release the Heat: PPE worn in hot environments can raise heat-related risk”, the issue of PPE in hot environments is again discussed. While some careers may allow for altered PPE that decreases retained heat, this is often not possible because safety is the first priority. Therefore, the worker must take the aforementioned steps to ensure his or her health. While many lifestyle decisions can assist employee safety, it is occasionally necessary for PPE to be implemented as well to support these precautions. Ultimately, it is essential for PPE to always be available to employees to prevent emergencies.

Conclusion

Personal protective equipment is a critical resource in many industries where hazards are evident. Employees who come in contact with these hazards must be adequately prepared and dressed for the occasion in order to protect their own safety and the safety of others. Education and training regarding the use of this equipment, including its construction and materials, are essential in order to enable employees to make safe and effective decisions when they are exposed to different hazards, given the equipment that is available to them. PPE provides an additional layer of safety and security between employees and hazards that otherwise could expose them to many potentially serious risks. These factors support the active use of PPE in any organization where employee safety may be compromised.

References

 Antonio, M. L., Duarte, C. M., & Jose, F. (2012). Efficiency of personal protective equipment used in agriculture. Work, 41, 14-18.

Clagg, B. (2012). Release the HEAT: PPE worn in hot environments can raise heat-related risks. Industrial Safety & Hygiene News, 46(4), 48-48. 

Child, A. (2012). Don’t Guess at Comfort. Industrial Safety & Hygiene News, 46(10), 74-75.

Garrigou, A., Isabelle, B., & Jackson, M. (2012). The use of pesticides in French viticulture: a badly controlled technology transfer!

Reith, B. (2008). Comfort follows safety w cold weather. Industrial Safety & Hygiene News, 42(12), 30-31.