Civil and Construction Engineering PPE

Personal Protective Equipment Fit in the Construction Sector

The construction sector includes a diverse population of workers exposed to many different types of hazards. An important way to prevent occupational illness and injury related to these hazards is by implementing the hierarchy of controls. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is the last control in the hierarchy, but PPE is particularly important when the other controls cannot sufficiently reduce or eliminate hazards.

Construction workers rely on various types of PPE in the course of usual work including fall harnesses, safety shoes, safety glasses, hardhats or helmets, ear plugs or muffs, and respirators. Their PPE must fit properly to provide the expected level of protection and allow them to safely perform their jobs.

Continue reading to learn about NIOSH efforts to improve PPE fit for all workers, including workers in the construction industry.

Equitable Civil and Construction Engineering PPE Protections

Equitable PPE considers workers’ gender, race, age, shape, and size. Workers with different disabilities and job functions, characteristics of occupational settings (e.g., rural), and size of employers (e.g., small versus large employers) are other important factors. In November 2022, NIOSH’s National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) organized the Equitable PPE Protections Workshop to confirm and identify the needs and challenges of diverse PPE user groups and facilitate partnerships. Government agencies, unions, non-profits, manufacturers, institutes, and universities joined the workshop to discuss this crucial topic. By inviting speakers and attendees from multiple disciplines to participate, NIOSH gained insight on: (1) manufacturers’ perspectives towards equitable PPE; (2) current gaps in equitable PPE design; (3) perceptions and beliefs held by workers that influence PPE use; and (4) factors that should be considered when designing PPE such as size, ethnicity, and facial structure. The workshop also provided NIOSH an opportunity to facilitate new partnerships that will help address the issues facing diverse PPE user groups.

NIOSH is also using crowdsourcing challenges to address PPE equity and fit issues:

• The NIOSH Protective Clothing Challenge sought solutions that consider the range of U.S. workers and factors such as body size, shape, gender, race, ethnicity, religious and cultural practices, or specific work tasks that may influence fit. After receiving more than 35 submissions, NIOSH awarded a total of $55,000 distributed to five winning teams, with one first place, one second place, and three third place prizes.
• The Respirator Fit Evaluation Challenge aims to account for varying shapes and sizes by crowdsourcing novel technologies and innovative approaches that deliver immediate evaluation and feedback to end users about the fit of filtering facepiece respirators during use. The first phase of this competition involves submissions which are due by May 1, 2023.

Other NIOSH Civil and Construction Engineering PPE Fit Efforts

NIOSH continues to study PPE in relation to the physical measures of a person’s size, form, and functional capacity—this science is called anthropometry.

Examples of anthropometric measures used to design PPE include facial dimensions to design respirators and eye protection, chest circumference to design protective coats or coveralls, and foot length and breadth to design protective footwear. It is important that anthropometry databases and other information used to develop PPE are based on measurements that are representative of current working populations [1]. In construction for example, the demographics of the U.S. construction industry are changing rapidly and currently consist of approximately 11 million workers with increasing percentages of Latinx workers and female workers.

Past NIOSH research studied the fall protection harness fit of male and female construction workers. In a series of studies NIOSH researchers advanced the science behind provision of fall protection harnesses designed to fit the increasingly diverse workforce in the construction industry [2]. These researchers also extended their study to evaluate human-harness interfaces and their effect on the development of suspension trauma (injury from restricted blood circulation) after a worker falls and the harness successfully arrests the fall [3]. This research helped harness manufacturers develop improved harness configurations to fit construction workers.

On-the-job Injuries from Inadequate-Fitting PPE

Sometimes, inadequate-fitting PPE may not protect an employee at all, and in other cases it may create additional hazards to the worker and those near them. For example, poorly fitting PPE is particularly relevant for smaller-framed construction workers who may not be able to use standard size PPE. Safety glasses slipping off, loose gloves getting caught on machines or exposing skin, or blisters from inadequate-fitting safety boots all make working more difficult. Fit problems can also affect larger workers. The PPE might be too tight and uncomfortable discouraging the worker from wearing it.

Recommendations for Using PPE Properly in the Construction Industry

Recent work by the Lawrence Technological University’s Construction Safety Research Center (CSRC) provided information about current problems and outlined several steps owners, contractors, and supervisors can take to increase the proper use of PPE. The study identified various PPE design factors that influence proper use in the workplace including poor quality and fit and discomfort when wearing PPE. Some recommendations for employers to achieve better PPE compliance were summarized by the CSRC, including:

• Improve PPE’s adaptability to diverse climates,
• Get feedback from workers to improve design of PPE,
• Provide improved, annual training for workers in appropriate languages,
• Improve workers’ risk perception when using PPE incorrectly or not using it at all,
• Investigate how PPE can work better for workers with pre-existing health issues,
• Encourage management to attend safety training and be involved in the development of safety programs.

What You Can Do in Your Workplace

Employers should identify the PPE needs of their workers, provide the appropriate PPE sizes and types, and ensure the PPE fits properly. There is a continuing need to provide regular PPE training for all workers in the construction industry. Language barriers and differing levels of literacy and previous training are among the important challenges that need to be addressed in regular training efforts.

Use the following questions to help assess the Civil and Construction Engineering PPE in your workplace:

• Does your workplace provide a range of PPE sizes and fits to accommodate all workers?
• What challenges do you face?
• What solutions are out there?
• What do you need to do to ensure the appropriate equipment is available for all workers who need the protection offered by PPE?

Please comment on the challenges related to PPE you face in the workplace.  

Civil and Construction Engineering PPE / Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Construction

Civil and Construction Engineering PPE  personnel protection equipment (PPE) must be worn at all times when on construction or renovation sites at Princeton University. At a minimum, each employee is required to wear a hard hat and safety glasses. High visibility safety vests with reflective striping are required when employees are exposed to vehicular traffic. In the absences of vehicular traffic, high visibility shirts should be worn at all times. All workers must wear shirts with sleeves, long work pants, and sturdy work shoes or boots when working on a construction or renovation site. Sleeveless or tank top shirts, short pants, sweatpants, sneakers, sandals, and high-heeled or open-toed shoes are not permitted.

Depending on the circumstances and potential hazards present, additional PPE may be required. This determination will by made by your supervisor based on the preliminary Job Hazard Analysis; EHS may also be consulted. Additional PPE may include:

• • Protective gloves
  • Hearing protection
  • Full face shields when cutting, grinding, or chipping
  • Chemical splash goggles
  • Respiratory protection
  • Fall protection equipment when working above 6 feet

• Specific protective clothing such as welding leathers when welding or FR clothing when working with live electric

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in Construction

In construction, different site personnel has its own responsibilities. These employees are working together to achieve a common goal which is to complete the construction project that they are involved in.  From blue collar to white collar job responsibilities, each had their own contribution to get the project done. Site construction involves a vigorous activity. These activities are often prone to accidents, risks and maybe hazard to the lives of the workers involved in a construction project. Nevertheless, the safety of each individual working in a construction environment is the primary priority to be achieved.

Just like safety in structural design is a must, work environmental protection should also be taken seriously. In doing so, each worker’s PPE or Personal Protective Equipment should be strictly implemented at the site at any cost in any given time. To satisfy PPE standards, each worker should wear proper construction attire to reduce or at least prevent and protect them against the safety risks to be able to achieve Health and Safety Environment throughout the course of the construction.

Here are the lists of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in Construction that every construction personnel should observe:

1. Head Protection/Safety Helmets/Hard Hat

Civil and Construction Engineering PPE In construction worksite, there is a higher chance of possible head injury due to falling debris and other related accidents.  Site Engineers and all construction personnel involved in site activities should wear a safety helmet or hard hat before entering the work site and it should be wear at all times.

The safety helmets/hard hat shall meet the specifications contained in the technical guidelines issued by the Specialize Department in accordance to international standards- OSHA or ANSI z89.1 Safety helmets/hard hats should be inspected by the safety officer to ensure that it is safe and reliable to use. It should be free from cracks and proper shock-absorbing lining of the helmet should be in good condition.

Looking for safety helmets/hardhats? Select the images below for the recommended head protections that meet the international standards. Color-coded hard hats are available according to usage.

2. Foot Protection/Safety Shoes

Civil and Construction Engineering PPE Safety shoes should be worn by all of the construction personnel at the worksite to protect their feet for possible injuries. The safety shoes to be used shall be determined according to potential hazards and according to the nature of work. It shall comply with the safety standard and specification.  For worksite safety shoes with steel toe cap covering and steel sole should be considered, although an equivalent material is also acceptable as long as it follows the safety standards. If the personnel is working in electrical installation, non-contractive footwear shall be used.

Refer to the below images for the recommended safety shoes that are approved by safety international standards. Select each photo for the product description

3. Protective Clothing/Reflected Vests

Civil and Construction Engineering PPE Every construction personnel should wear adequate and suitable protective clothing to protect them from possible hazard due to weather changes, electricity, impacts, and other risks. For Site Engineers a reflected vest is recommended to maintain visibility when doing site inspections and other site activities.

Refer to the below images for the recommended reflected vests that are approved by safety international standards. Select the images for the product details.

4. Eyes and Face Protections

Civil and Construction Engineering PPE  in Construction employees shall be provided with eye and face protection equipment when their job had a potential risk of exposing the eyes and face from hazard. They are the machines operators, welder, bar bender and the like. Those workers whose vision requires the use of medical spectacles shall be protected by eyeglasses with protected lenses, goggles that can be worn without disturbing their work activity.

Eyes and face protection equipment shall be free from structural and optical defects. Just like other PPE, it should also pass the required safety standards. Check out the following eyes and face protections available from the market. The detailed description is available when you select the image.

5. Hand Protection

Civil and Construction Engineering PPE in All personnel handling rough, sharp and excessive coarse material such as reinforcement bars, rods, pre-cast concrete, toxic, electric and hot materials shall be protected by safety gloves. The material of these hand protections shall be suitable against the hazard of doing such activities. Site employees shall be protected by the different type of gloves according to their job description. For example, chrome leather gloves should be used when handling sandblasting and other materials. Gloves that are made of fabrics are used for handling rough materials. Insulated rubber gloves should be used by electricians.

The different types of safety gloves are available in the market. Refer to the images below for more.

6. Hearing Protection

Civil and Construction Engineering PPE In the event that noise levels in worksite are too much to handle, ear protected gear are also needed by the site personnel. Ear protected hazard inserted into the ear in the form of a headset, foam earplug and earmuffs shall be in accordance with international safety standards. Plain cotton to be placed in the ear just to block construction noise is prohibited to use.

The following are the hearing protection equipment that is recommended by international standard available to the market. Select each for product details.

7. Safety Belts/Safety Harness

Civil and Construction Engineering PPE in Site employees working at an elevated level to about 2m or more shall be provided by safety harness or belts to protect them from accidental fall. Anchorage point of the safety harness shall be placed above the head of the worker and not less than 5 meters from the ground level. This point should be strong enough to carry a force of not less than 5000 pounds (2275kg). The material should be made of nylon or equivalent to at least 1cm thick. The hooks attached should be fitted with a double locking device that can be open only by pressing the two parts at the same time for safety purposes.

The approved material for safety belts/safety harness is available below. Select the photo for full description.

PPE is a very important aspect to look at in site construction. Observing the above lists of personal protected equipment is a must in the construction site and it should be strictly observed at all times. This is to avoid hazards caused by physical, mechanical and chemical aspects to ensure for the construction team to create a safe and sound construction environment.

The construction industry has extremely high numbers of accidents reported each year, a lot of these could be minimised with the use of correct PPE. Personal protective equipment (PPE) refers to all equipment (e.g. devices, appliances and associated accessories) that is worn by an individual, in order to provide protection against one or more health or safety risks, whilst at work.

The definition includes –

• Any equipment that is either worn or held by the individual (e.g. a fall protection rope may be held, whilst a harness is worn).
• A number of devices or appliances, that have been combined by the manufacturer, in order to protect an individual against one or more potential risks occurring at the same time (e.g. an air-fed respirator could have an in-built visor, protecting the eyes against flying objects).
• A protective device or appliance, which has the option to be combined with personal non-protective equipment, that is worn or held by an individual, to carry out a specific activity (e.g. a high visibility waistcoat can be worn over ordinary work clothes, when required, such as when operating in a designated forklift handling area).
• Interchangeable components which are essential for a protective device or appliance to properly function, and which is specifically designed for that equipment (e.g. branded filters fitted to half-mark respirator).

According to the HSE around 9,000 PPE-related accidents are reported each year.

The reasons behind Civil and Construction Engineering PPE

It is important that these areas of the body are protected. Personal protective equipment (PPE) provides protection from health risks, which can enter the body, via these routes of exposure –

• The skin (e.g. contact with corrosive chemicals)
• The respiratory system, such as the lungs (e.g. inhalation of hazardous dust)
• The eyes (e.g. irritating substances).

The respiratory system and eyes are particularly sensitive areas, and serious damage can be caused, particularly when exposed to very hazardous substances e.g.

• If the skin comes into contact with a sensitizer, then the effect could be long-term and re-occurring (dermatitis).
• If a corrosive substance came into contact with the eyes, then an individual could become permanently blind.
• If silica dust is inhales regularly, then an individual could get lung cancer, and the result could be fatal.

All of these incidents would not only influence any work that the individual may be able to carry out, but it would have a major negative effect on other aspects of their life.

Protection against health and safety risks

Personal protective equipment (PPE) protects individual persons, from risks, which they are exposed to.

Persons include –

• Employees, agency workers, trainees and work experience personnel
• Self-employed persons
• Non-employees, such as visitors and contractors.

It provides protection from health risks, which can enter the body, via various routes of exposure –

• The skin (e.g. contact with corrosive chemicals)
• The eyes (e.g. irritating substances)
• The respiratory system, such as the lungs (e.g. inhalation of hazardous dust)
• The hearing canal (e.g. loud noises could cause damage)
• The whole body (e.g. could suffer if exposed to extremes of temperature).

It provides protection, from safety risks coming into contact with the body, and causing a physical injury, e.g.

• Cuts, abrasions and punctures through the skin.
• Flying particles entering the eyes.
• Physical impact or puncture damaging internal organs.
• Falling objects crushing lower limbs.

Although it is seen as a last resort (i.e. to be implemented after other controls), PPE is often necessary in order to reduce the (low and high) risks to health and safety, and it may form a vital part of a health and safety system in the workplace.

Requirements of  Civil and Construction Engineering PPE in construction

In order for equipment to fall within the definition of personal protective equipment (PPE), it must satisfy certain requirements.

The device, appliance or accessory must be worn or held, for the purpose or work, e.g.

• Vehicle helmets (normally covered under other legislation), must be worn, if a vehicle is being operated, for the purpose of work (e.g. farm workers riding motorcycles or All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) should wear crash helmets).
• Sports equipment (not necessarily worn in other circumstances), must be worn, if for the purposes of work (e.g. life jackets must be worn by professional canoeing instructors, riding helmets must be worn by stable staff, and climbing helmets must be worn by steeplejacks who climb and repair chimneys and steeples).

It also includes –

• PPE, which protect against the risk of physical violence (e.g. helmets or body armour).
• Uniforms or clothing, which protects against a specific risk to health and safety (e.g. high visibility clothing worn by the emergency services).
• Weatherproof or insulated clothing, which is necessary to protect employees against risks to their health or safety (e.g. rain, cold).

What are the different types of Civil and Construction Engineering PPE in construction?

There are various types of personal protective equipment (PPE), each designed to protect a particular part of the body, against a particular hazard.

Risk assessment should be used to identify the hazards, and determine the different types of PPE that may be required.

The following type of Civil and Construction Engineering PPE for construction is available –

• Skin protection (e.g. protective clothing)
• Respiratory protective equipment (RPE)
• Eye protection (e.g. goggles)
• Head protection (e.g. safety helmets)
• Ear protection (e.g. earplugs)
• Foot protection (e.g. steel toecap boots)
• Hand and arm protection (e.g. gloves)
• Body protection (e.g. high-visibility clothing)
• Fall protection (e.g. safety harnesses).

We will cover in detail the different types of Civil and Construction Engineering PPE. If the risk assessment has deemed the risk to be insignificant, then PPE is not necessary.

If there is no significant risk to be managed, then wearing PPE may be inappropriate (e.g. for the individual, or task being carried out), increasing the overall risk to those involved.

However, in other cases, it may be appropriate to apply a general workplace rule to wear certain types of PPE, e.g.

• Hardhats on a construction site.
• Gloves when working with chemicals.

Skin protection

Protective clothing must offer some specific protection to be regarded as personal protective equipment (PPE). If it doesn’t, it is just workwear.

Skin protection may be required to protect the whole body against contact with substances.

Contact with dangerous substances (e.g. chemicals and contaminated dust) –

• Material must be chemically impermeable.
• The extent of the protection depends on the nature of the chemical-
  – For small quantities of low-risk chemicals; a splash proof apron would be sufficient.
  – For larger quantities, such as sprays or jets; protective coats and trousers, or coveralls would provide more protection.
  – For large quantities of very hazardous substances; gas or liquid tight suits would be required (as well as associated respiratory protective equipment).

Contact with water (e.g. when working outside in the rain, or cleaning) –

• Civil and Construction Engineering PPE would need to be waterproof (e.g. made of use rubber or plastic) or have a water-repellent coating, and be breathable.

Types of skin protection

Skin protection can protect the whole body, as well as just the legs.

There are three main types of whole-body skin protection –

• Separates – These only cover part of the body (e.g. jackets or trousers).
• Aprons – These only cover part of the body.
• Overalls, coveralls, body suits, boiler suits and chemical suits – These cover the whole body, and may be reusable or disposable.

For leg protection (as well as trousers), there is also –

• Knee pads.
• Gaiters – These cover the shins.
• Hard fibre or metal guards, which help to protect against some impact hazards.

For skin protection to be effective –

• Protective clothing must be suitable for the hazard (e.g. chemical resistance and protection against physical hazards can vary widely).
• Manufacturer’s instructions must be followed (e.g. do not use chemical resistance for longer than the recommended breakthrough times, and clean as to not damage its effectiveness).
• Worn or contaminated clothing must be stored separately from clean clothing.
• Check for surface damage, which could reduce its effectiveness.
• Do not wear loose clothing near moving machinery, if there is a chance that it could get caught.

Respiratory protection

The respiratory system consists of internal areas, such as the; Inside of the mouth, throat, oesophagus and lungs.

Respiratory protective equipment (RPE) may be required to protect the respiratory system against these hazards –

• Inhalation of dusts (e.g. nuisance and hazardous dust).
• Inhalation of gases.
• Inhalation of vapours and mists.

It is important to protect the respiratory system, because the lungs are a major organ, required to sustain life.

RPE may also be necessary to protect the user against oxygen-deficient atmospheres.
In this case, the result would definitely be fatal, of a user was not wearing the correct type of RPE (i.e. breathing apparatus) –

It is important to protect the respiratory system, because the lungs are a major organ, required to sustain life.

RPE may also be necessary to protect the user against oxygen-deficient atmospheres.
In this case, the result would definitely be fatal, of a user was not wearing the correct type of RPE (i.e. breathing apparatus) –

• A risk assessment would determine if an atmosphere is potentially oxygen-deficient.
• Testing would confirm any suspicions.
• The atmosphere may be permanently, or temporarily oxygen-deficient.
• Emergency procedures and rescue equipment would be required.
• Rescue personnel would also need suitable RPE.

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Types of respiratory protection

Nuisance dust masks also exist. However, these are not CE marked, are not actually classified as PPE.

They are sold in most Do It Yourself (DIY) shops, and are designed for home use, rather than workplace use (e.g. a home-owner drilling a hole into a wall).

They consist of either a –

• Thin metal plate, which holds a gauze over the nose and mouth (normally attached to a single head strap).
• Lightweight filter (similar to a disposable dust respirator).

The latter could be easily mistaken for a protective respirator. Therefore, the specification must be checked, if RPE is being purchased in this way.

Eye protection

Eye protection may be required to protect the eyes against certain hazards.

Hazards to eye safety and health include –

• Projectiles such as; flying or ejected particles, chippings, debris, material or objects (e.g. due to working with machinery, hand tools or abrasive materials).
• Dust, gas, vapour or liquid mist entering eyes (e.g. from machines, high-pressure cleaning, or using substances under pressure).
• Dangerous substances (e.g. liquid or chemical splashes) entering eyes, as a result of handling them.
• Heat or hot materials entering or damaging eyes (e.g. radiant heat, molten metal, hot solids, sparks or hot liquid splash from working in hot conditions), due to hot work (e.g. welding), or working near hot environments (e.g. ovens, furnaces).
• Radiation (e.g. intense light or other optical radiation emitted at levels that could cause an injury, e.g. arc welding, lasers), damaging eyes.

It is important to protect the eyes because they are required to function in all aspects of life.

Types of eye protection

Eye protection must be managed correctly, in order to ensure that it is effective.

This involves –

• Ensuring that the eye or face protection fits the user (e.g. if it is too big, it could fall off).
• Consider the risk of eyewear steaming up, and where necessary, use; ventilated eye protection, or anti-mist or de-fogging sprays.
• Keep eyewear clean and protect from scratches, which could reduce visibility.
• Use antistatic fluids where required.
• Replace when required (e.g. following damage that can affect the fit or visibility).
• It is vital that eyewear protects against the hazards (e.g. the correct level of protection against; impact, dust or liquid splashes).

Foot protection

Footwear may be required to protect the feet and lower limbs against certain hazards. It is important to protect the feet because users may rely on them to carry out stand-up tasks.

Physical hazards to lower limbs include –

• Falling objects could crushing the feet and toes (e.g. when handling heavy loads, either by hand, or equipment).
• Impact, causing cuts and abrasions.
• Punctures (e.g. standing on pointed or sharp objects on the ground, which pierce the shoe, causing cuts and wounds to the sole of the foot).

Types of foot protection

Safety boots or shoes –

• These are the most common type of safety footwear.
• They may be secured by laces, or by other means (e.g. Velcro straps, or simply elasticated) if the laces could pose a risk.

Wellington boots –

• These are suitable for working in wet conditions.
• Wellington boots are usually made of rubber.
• They are useful in jobs where the footwear needs to be –
  – Washed to reduce risks (e.g. boots worn in quarries need to be washed, to avoid the dirt from becoming dry, and spreading silica dust around internal areas).
  – Disinfected for hygiene reasons (e.g. in the food industry and the chemical industry).

Most safety shoes and boots (waterproof and not) normally have protective toecaps, and may also have other safety features built-in, including, such as –

• Slip-resistant soles.
• Penetration-resistant midsoles.
• Insulation against extremes of heat and cold.
• Metatarsal protection built-in (metatarsal shields covers can be attached to this footwear afterwards, but they are not as effective).

Clogs and specialist footwear

There are two less common types of foot protection, which are suitable for certain applications.

Clogs –

• These can also be used as safety footwear.
• They are commonly used in kitchen environments, for gardening, and in medical surgeries.
• They are traditionally made from beech wood and can be fitted with steel toecaps and thin rubber soles for quieter tread. However, more lightweight materials are now available.

Specialist footwear –

• This is footwear, which has been designed to protect against the hazards associated with specific tasks.
• These protect against hazards such as; boots for working in foundries, and boots for chainsaw use).

Other accessories include –

• Gaiters –Which protect the shins.
• Spats –Which cover the ankle.
• Leggings.

Hand and arm

Hand and arm protection are required to protect against certain hazards.

Physical hazards include –

• Cuts and abrasions, from handling sharp objects.
• Impact injuries.
• Punctures, from handling pointed objects.
• Cold environments, due to working in cold workplace, or outside in cold weather (e.g. on a building site). Hands must be kept warm, in order to maintain manual dexterity.
• Hand arm vibration (e.g. when operating pneumatic hand tools). Hands must be kept warm, in order to reduce the risk of vibration white finger, as this can occur more often and more severely when the hands and fingers are cold.
• Electrical hazards.
• Contact with dangerous chemicals or substances, due to handling them.
• Radioactive materials, due to handling them.
• Contact extreme temperatures (e.g. due to handling hot or cold materials).
• Skin infection and disease, due to contamination or biological agents.
• Prolonged immersion in water.

Main types of hand and arm protection

It is important to protect the hands and arms, because users are likely to rely on them to carry out their work, as we as in other aspects of their life.

There are four main types of hand and arm protection –

• Gloves –These protect the hands only.
• Gloves with a cuff –These protect the hands and the wrists.
• Gauntlets, sleeves and long gloves –These are longer, and provide protection for the hands, wrists and part of forearms.
• Sleeves and arm protection –These provide protection for either part of the arms, or the whole of forearms and/or upper arm.

Other types of protection for the upper limbs include –

• Mittens
• Wrist-cuffs

Body protection

High visibility workwear is available in many different colours, and clothing types.

There are three classes of high visibility clothing –

• Class 1 –This is the least conspicuous (e.g. waistcoats and most trousers), and therefore provides the lowest level of protection.
• Class 2 –This is more conspicuous than class 1 (e.g. waistcoats, jackets and some trousers).
• Class 3 –This is the most conspicuous (e.g. jackets and coveralls), and therefore provides the highest level of protection.

For high visibility clothing to be effective –

• The class of high visibility clothing must be suitable for the task, and the level of risk.
• The bright coloured, and the reflective parts must be kept clean, in order to remain clearly visible at all times.
• Choosing dual-purpose clothing is beneficial because it protects against other hazards present (e.g. cold weather), since many types of clothing are also available with a high visibility option.
• Suitable cleaning materials must be used, to avoid damaging the reflective part.

Fall protection

Personal protection systems

Personal protection systems are worn by individuals (e.g. via a harness). They allow a user to fall, but also facilitates their rescue.

The two types of personal protection systems are –

Rescue systems –

• This allows a person to rescue either themselves or others, by pulling, lifting or lowering.

Fall arrest systems –

• These allow a fall to be arrested, preventing the user from colliding with the ground or structure.
• The system absorbs the energy of a fall, whilst minimizing the forces exerted on the human body, to a maximum of than 6 kilonewtons (kN).
• Examples of Fall arrest systems include; energy absorbing lanyards and inertia reel devices secured to an anchor point directly above the user, or lead climbing using dynamic rope.

Selection and safe use

For fall protection and personal protection systems must be suitable and used safely, in order to be effective.

When selecting equipment, the following elements must be considered, in order to ensure that it is suitable –

• The maximum descent height and load required.
• A sufficient number of suitably located anchor point, which are safe and secure.
• A sufficient number of ropes and lanyards, of suitable length and type.
• Ascender/descender devices with suitable specifications.
• A system for recovery after a fall.

Safe use –

• It is vital that the individual is suitably trained and instructed. If they are not, then a fatal or very serious accident could occur.

Safe equipment

For fall protection and personal protection systems must be safe, in order to be effective.

Equipment used for lifting or lowering people must be safe. 

• This is legal requirement under Regulation 5 of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER).

The equipment must be inspected at regular intervals.

• This is legal requirement under Regulation 9 of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER).
• If it is exposed to conditions which could cause it to deteriorate, with the potential to result in a dangerous situation (i.e. is utilised), then it must be examined every six months, by a competent person.
• Special care should be taken when inspecting components made from webbing and rope because these materials deteriorate.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in Construction

Construction sites are notorious for posing far greater safety risks than typical industries. Providing your employees with the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) is important to keeping them safe on the job and moving your project forward.

What is PPE?

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) refers to any equipment worn or utilized by a worker to reduce the danger to his or her health and safety.

The lists of personal protection equipment (PPE) in construction that every construction worker should wear are as follows:

Head Protection /Safety Helmets/Hard Hat

Almost all construction sites require head protection. Construction work should be managed to minimize any dangers to workers; however, hazards are likely to persist, and everyone will be required to wear safety helmets at all times while on site.

Workers should be provided with a safety helmet or hard hat to wear at work; bump caps only provide protection against non-moving dangers and are adequate for construction workers.

Ear Protection

Ear muffs and ear plugs are two types of personal protective equipment (PPE) that protect against hearing dangers. Hearing protection is often overlooked in industrial environments because high levels of noise can be hazardous to the ears.

 Lung Protection

When working on a construction site, employees are frequently exposed to risks such as dust, fumes, and vapours, necessitating the use of respiratory protection. When choosing respiratory PPE, it is important to verify that the chosen piece of equipment adequately fits the intended user. If the wrong respiratory PPE is chosen, an adequate seal may not be formed, leaving workers vulnerable to workplace hazards.

Since every filter is only suited for a restricted spectrum of chemicals, it is essential to use the correct type of respirator filter for the specific threat. Furthermore, filters have a finite lifetime. Workers must only wear breathing equipment and never utilize filtering cartridges if they are exposed to high amounts of dangerous fumes, tight spaces, or atmospheres with a lack of oxygen.

These are some examples of lung protection:

• Filtering face pieces.
• Respirators
• Fresh-air hose.
• Self-contained breathing apparatus.
• Power-assisted respirators

Foot and Leg Protection /Safety Shoes

When working on a construction site, construction workers are required to wear protective footwear. A standard work boot might not be suitable for all working locations. Steel-toed boots can protect workers’ toes from falling items, whereas leather footwear can protect workers’ feet from fire or arc flash.

Eye and Face Protection

When exposed to risks such as chemical or metal spills, dust, projectiles, gas, vapours, and radiation, it is essential to wear eye and facial protection.

When choosing eye and facial protection, make sure it is task-appropriate and that the proper fit is chosen for each worker. Workers will still be at risk if this does not occur.

The following are examples of eye protection:

• Face shields
• Face screens.
• Safety spectacles

Hand Protection

Safety gloves must be worn by all workers who handle rough, sharp, or excessively coarse materials such as reinforcing bars, rods, pre-cast concrete, poisonous, electric, or hot items. The material used for these hand protectors must be suitable for the risks involved with such operations. Employees on the job site must wear gloves that are appropriate for their job description. When dealing with sandblasting and other materials, for example, chrome leather gloves should be worn. Fabricated gloves are used for working with abrasive materials. Electricians should use insulated rubber gloves.

Safety Belts/Safety Harness

Employees on the jobsite who are working at a height of more than 2 meters must be fitted with a safety harness or belt to prevent them from falling. The safety harness’s anchoring point must be at least 5 meters above the ground level and above the worker’s head. This point should be able to sustain at least 5000 pounds of force (2275kg). Nylon or a material with a thickness of at least 1 cm should be used. For safety reasons, the hooks should be equipped with a double locking system that can only be opened by pushing both sections at the same time.

Protective Clothing/Reflected Vests

Construction workers should wear appropriate protective clothing to protect themselves from hazards such as weather changes, electricity, impacts, and other risks. When doing site inspections and other site duties, site engineers should wear reflective vests to maintain visibility.

Why is PPE important in construction?

PPE is important in construction because it limits individual workers’ exposure to site dangers when structural or administrative measures aren’t possible or effective in lowering risks to acceptable levels