Construction OS&H
Personal protective
clothing & equipment
(PPE)
ILO Construction OS&H
Preliminary discussion
What common HAZARDS may a human body be exposed to on a
construction site?
Individually:
Spend a few minutes considering this and make a list of items, giving
brief reasons
As a group:
Be prepared to explain your assessment in a discussion
ILO Construction OS&H
Some common personal physical hazards
• Struck by falling objects
• Eyes endangered by sharp objects, particles, chemicals
• Skin damaged by sharp objects, chemicals
• Limbs or body crushed by heavy objects
• Struck by moving plant and equipment
• Hearing damaged by excessive noise
• Respiration impaired by poor air supply, particles,
chemicals
• Physical damage caused by heat, cold, weather
• Physical damage caused by falls, trips, slips
ILO Construction OS&H
Point to remember
It is safer and in most cases cheaper to eliminate hazards
rather than to provide personal protective equipment.
ILO Construction OS&H
Preliminary discussion
A worker is using a heavy pneumatic breaker to break up a concrete slab on
the pavement beside a city street next to a building under construction.
What protective clothing and equipment should he be wearing?
Individually:
Spend a few minutes considering this and make a list of items, giving brief
reasons
As a group:
Be prepared to explain your assessment in a discussion
ILO Construction OS&H
From the ILO Code of Practice
Where adequate protection against the risk of accident or injury to health,
including exposure to adverse conditions, cannot be ensured by other
means, suitable personal protective equipment and protective clothing,
having regard to the type of work and risks, should be provided and
maintained by the employer, without cost to the workers, as may be
prescribed by national laws or regulations.
Personal protective equipment and protective clothing should comply with
standards set by the competent authority, taking into account, as far as
possible, ergonomic principles.
ILO Construction OS&H
From the ILO Code of Practice
Employers should provide the workers with the appropriate means to
enable them to use the individual protective equipment and should require
and ensure its proper use.
A competent person having a full understanding of the nature of the hazard
and the type, range and performance of the protection required should:
(a) select suitable items of personal protective equipment and protective
clothing;
(b) arrange that they are properly stored, maintained, cleaned and, if
necessary for health reasons, disinfected or sterilised at suitable intervals.
ILO Construction OS&H
From the ILO Code of Practice
Workers should be required to make proper use of and to take good care of the
personal protective equipment and protective clothing provided for their use.
Workers should be instructed in the use of personal protective equipment and
protective clothing.
Workers working alone on construction sites in confined spaces, enclosed
premises or in remote or inaccessible places should be provided with an
appropriate alarm and the means of rapidly summoning assistance in an
emergency.
ILO Construction OS&H
Safety helmets
“Where necessary, workers should be provided with and wear the
following personal protective equipment and protective clothing:
Safety helmets or hard hats to protect the head from injury due to
falling or flying objects, or due to striking against objects or
structures”
ILO Construction OS&H
Falling objects
Falling objects, overhead loads and sharp projections are to be
found everywhere on construction sites.
A small tool or bolt falling from 10 or 20m high can cause
serious injuries or even death if it strikes an unprotected head.
Head injuries often occur when moving and working in a bent
position, or when arising from such a position.
ILO Construction OS&H
“Hard hat areas”
Safety helmets protect the head effectively against most of
these hazards, and should be worn whenever a person is on
site and particularly when in an area where overhead work is
going on.
These areas, known as “hard-hat areas”, should be clearly
marked with safety signs at entrances and other suitable
places.
The rule applies to all: managers, supervisors, workers and
visitors.
ILO Construction OS&H
“Hard hat areas”
ILO Construction OS&H
Safety helmets are easy to obtain and relatively cheap.
This example is a typical design.
It has reinforced ribs on top for
impact strength, a rain gutter
round the side and rear to guide
water away, and can be fitted with
a chin-strap. This helmet also has
a built-in safety visor, which can
be easily pushed up out of the way
if required. The whole helmet is
light and quite comfortable.
ILO Construction OS&H
Safety helmets
There are many different designs available, made for specific
purposes.
For example, many trades - such as scaffolders - find that helmets
with a very short peak are easier to wear because they do not get in
the way.
Some helmets contain Kevlar fibres giving them great resilience and
resistance to impact.
ILO Construction OS&H
Point to remember
Your safety helmet protects
you only if you have it on.
ILO Construction OS&H
Eye & face protection
Point to remember
Ninety per cent of all eye
injuries can be prevented by
suitable eye protection.
ILO Construction OS&H
Eye & face protection
Where necessary, workers should be provided with and wear the
following personal protective equipment and protective clothing:
Clear or coloured goggles, a screen, a face shield or other suitable device
when likely to be exposed to eye or face injury from airborne dust or
flying particles, dangerous substances, harmful heat, light or other
radiation, and in particular during welding, flame cutting, rock drilling,
concrete mixing or other hazardous work.
Eye protection must be suitable, comfortable and available to encourage
workers to wear it.
ILO Construction OS&H
Eye & face protection
Many eye injuries occur as a result of flying material, dust or radiation
when the following jobs are being carried out:
•Breaking, cutting, drilling, dressing or laying of stone, concrete and
brickwork with hand or power tools
•Chipping and dressing painted or corroded surfaces
•Cutting off or cutting out cold rivets and bolts
•Dry grinding of surfaces with power grinders
•Welding and cutting of metals
ILO Construction OS&H
Eye & face protection
In some industrial processes there may also be a risk from the
spillage, leakage or splashing of hot or corrosive liquids.
Some of these hazards can be removed permanently by proper
machine guarding, exhaust ventilation or work design. For many
hazards, for example, stone cutting or dressing, personal eye
protection (goggles, safety glasses or shields) is the only practical
solution.
ILO Construction OS&H
From the United States Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
ILO Construction OS&H
A classification of eye and face protection equipment
Safety spectacles – can protect eyes from low energy impacts and depending on
the lens characteristics glare, UV and IR radiation. Lenses usually made of
toughened glass or polycarbonate. Available in a range of styles and most
frames have adjustment, so that they can be matched to the wearer. Most
manufacturers can supply safety spectacles with prescription lenses.
ILO Construction OS&H
A classification of eye and face protection equipment
Goggles – can protect eyes against medium impacts and depending
on design and marking against droplets and coarse dust, as they
form a seal around the entire periphery of the face. The lenses are
usually made of antifog coated polycarbonate or toughened glass.
ILO Construction OS&H
A classification of eye and face protection equipment
Face shields – Can protect eyes and face against impacts, liquid
splash and hazards like molten metal splash or electric arcs etc.
Usually have adjustable headband or harness fitted with either a one
piece ear shield protecting the entire face, a metal mesh screen or an
opaque shield into which lenses are fitted. Some designs integrate
head, eye and respiratory protective in one unit.
ILO Construction OS&H
Eyesight is an absolutely prime human
sensory ability.
Loss of sight can destroy a person’s life, so
all measures must be taken to protect it.
As the examples above show, there is a
huge range of items of equipment available,
most of them reasonably priced, so there can
be no reason for employers not to provide
them.
ILO Construction OS&H
Helmets, eye protection, gloves, but noise ..?
ILO Construction OS&H
Noise
Noise which is continuous at a level of 85-90 decibels (dB(A)) or more is
injurious to hearing.
Use appropriate earmuffs or ear plugs if you work with or near a noisy machine
and make sure they fit properly and are comfortable.
Wear them all the time you are in a noisy part of the site. It is not true that ear
protectors make it more difficult to understand speech or hear warning signals,
as they also reduce unwanted noise; the signal can actually be heard more
easily.
ILO Construction OS&H
Noise
Keep your hearing protection clean and in a safe place when you
are not using it and insert ear plugs with clean hands.
Look out for damage: if the earmuffs no longer fit properly or the
seals have become hard or damaged, ask for a replacement.
ILO Construction OS&H
Noise
Point to remember
If you have to shout to make yourself heard by someone
about 1m away
there is a noise problem requiring action.
ILO Construction OS&H
Hearing protection
A good example of advanced
design.
This is a very strong helmet,
the Kevlar fibres giving it
great resilience and resistance
to impact.
The addition of the ear and eye
protection provide the wearer
with comprehensive protection
This kit offers ear and eye protection
for one item of PPE.
that snaps into standard hard hat and
helmet attachment slots.
ILO Construction OS&H
What is missing?
ILO Construction OS&H
What is missing?
Everything!
There is no PPE at all, but
let us focus on GLOVES
He needs a pair of these:
Heavyweight coated glove
Good abrasion and chemical resistance
ILO Construction OS&H
Hand protection
Hands are extremely vulnerable to accidental injury, and in construction
more injuries are caused to hands and wrists than to any other part of the
body.
Open wounds, abrasions, fractures, dislocations, strains, amputations and
burns occur.
They are largely preventable by better manual handling techniques and
equipment, and by wearing suitable hand protection such as protective
gloves and gauntlets.
ILO Construction OS&H
Hazardous hand tasks
Operations involving contact with rough, sharp or jagged surfaces;
Contact with or splashes from hot, corrosive or toxic substances such as
bitumen and resins;
Working with vibratory machines such as pneumatic drills where some
cushioning of the vibrations is desirable;
Electrical work in humid and cold weather.
ILO Construction OS&H
Gloves
Gloves are one of the cheapest and most obvious items of PPE yet
they can serve an important function in OS&H. Nevertheless,
many workers are not supplied with gloves so they have to work
with their bare hands.
ILO Construction OS&H
Gloves
Gloves with a thin
plastic coating, can
be used for work
requiring dexterity,
such as
bricklaying and
component
assembly
ILO Construction OS&H
Gloves
Thicker latex coated palm
giving exceptional grip,
dexterity and durability.
Excellent abrasion and tear
resistance.
Some gloves have an anti-
bacterial treatment to
reduce odours.
ILO Construction OS&H
Use of heavy duty gloves for
steel-fixing
ILO Construction OS&H
What is missing?
ILO Construction OS&H
What is missing?
Everything!
There is no PPE at all, but let us
focus on BOOTS.
The photo shows how necessary it
is to wear protective footwear even
for simple tasks.
The column cramps are quite
heavy and could cause broken
bones in the feet if dropped.
ILO Construction OS&H
A lovely photo of a hod
carrier but she is wearing
footwear that is totally
unsuitable for working on a
construction site.
But can she get safety
footwear in her size?
And if she could, would she
be happy to wear footwear
that has essentially been
designed for men?
ILO Construction OS&H
Footwear
Foot injuries fall into two broad types:
1. Those due to penetration of the sole by sharp objects such as nails
which have not been knocked down or removed.
2. Those due to crushing by falling materials, which can be minimized
by wearing protective footwear.
The type of safety shoes or boots to be used will depend on the nature of
the work (e.g. the presence of ground water on construction sites), but all
safety footwear should have an impenetrable sole and uppers with a steel
toe-cap.
ILO Construction OS&H
Footwear
There are many types of safety footwear now available such as:
• Light, low-cut leather safety shoes for climbing jobs;
• Normal safety shoes or boots for heavy-duty work;
• Rubber or plastic safety wellingtons or gumboots which provide
protection against corrosive substances, chemicals and water.
ILO Construction OS&H
Safety boots
The two main
requirements of a safety
boot:
1.Resistant to crushing and
penetration through the
sole.
2.Boots should have labels
to identify their
specification.
ILO Construction OS&H
Waterproof and Hi-Viz clothing
The ILO Code requires:
(h) waterproof clothing and head coverings when working in adverse
weather conditions
and
(k) distinguishing clothing or reflective devices or otherwise conspicuously
visible material when there is regular exposure to danger from moving
vehicles
Provision of waterproof clothing makes economic sense to the employer
because it allows work to continue in wet conditions (assuming of course
that workers are not forced to work in these conditions anyway).
ILO Construction OS&H
Waterproof and Hi-Viz clothing
Modern fabrics ‘breathe’ so allowing moisture to escape and avoid
condensation.
Modern fabrics are also light and strong, so they are much easier to
work in than those available a couple of decades ago.
Modern waterproof clothing is also usually high visibility
(‘hi-viz’).
ILO Construction OS&H
Waterproof and
Hi-Viz clothing
Hi-viz jacket
with reflective
tape
ILO Construction OS&H
Waterproof and
Hi-Viz clothing
A lightweight
hi-viz waistcoat
for use in warm
weather
ILO Construction OS&H
Happy to be visible!
ILO Construction OS&H
So, to return to our preliminary discussion
A worker is using a heavy pneumatic breaker to break up a concrete slab on
the pavement beside a city street next to a building under construction.
What protective clothing and equipment should he be wearing?
Helmet*
Gloves
Boots
Hi-Viz clothing*
Ear defenders*
Goggles*
Work wear (eg overalls)
Waterproofs if needed
* May be combined in one item
ILO Construction OS&H
Respiratory equipment
On construction sites there are often tasks where harmful dust, mist or gas may
be present, such as:
•Rock crushing and handling
•Sandblasting
•Dismantling buildings containing asbestos insulation
•Welding or cutting materials with coatings containing zinc, lead, nickel or
cadmium
•Paint spraying
•Blasting
ILO Construction OS&H
Respiratory equipment
Whenever there is doubt about the presence of toxic substances in the
atmosphere, a respirator must be worn.
The correct type of respirator will depend upon the hazard and the work
conditions, and you need to be trained in its use, cleaning and maintenance.
Advice on suitable types of respirator and filter should be sought from
appropriate safety and health authorities.
The simplest masks are disposable paper types. Remember that these are only
effective against nuisance dusts.
ILO Construction OS&H
Three types of half-face mask with filters: 1
For protection against airborne particles, e.g. stone dust, with a coarse
filter fitted in the cartridge (note, these filters have a specific lifetime and
should be changed as necessary).
ILO Construction OS&H
Three types of half-face mask with filters: 2
For protection against gases and fumes, e.g. when using paints
containing solvents, with a filter containing activated carbon.
ILO Construction OS&H
Three types of half-face mask with filters: 3
Α combination filter containing both a dust and a gas filter. Cartridges must
be replaced regularly.
ILO Construction OS&H
Is this worker suitably
protected?
ILO Construction OS&H
No. He has eye and
respiratory protection,
but no hearing
protection or hand
protection
ILO Construction OS&H
Harnesses and similar devices
From the ILO Code
Where necessary, workers should be provided with and wear the following
personal protective equipment and protective clothing:
(i) safety harnesses with independently secured lifelines where protection
against falls cannot be provided by other appropriate means;
The majority of fatal accidents in construction are due to falls from heights.
Where work cannot be done from a scaffold or ladder, or from a mobile
access platform, the wearing of a safety harness may be the only way to
prevent serious injury or death.
ILO Construction OS&H
Harnesses and similar devices
Another common situation in which a safety harness may be used –
sometimes supplemented by the use of a safety net – is maintenance work on
steel structures such as bridges and pylons.
There are many types of safety belt and safety harness available.
The manufacturer or supplier should be asked for advice on suitable types for
the intended purpose and for instructions on use and maintenance.
A full safety harness should always be used in preference to a safety belt.
ILO Construction OS&H
Harnesses and similar devices
A safety harness and its lanyard must:
• Limit a fall to a drop of not more than 2m by means of an inertia
device.
• Βe strong enough to support a person’s weight.
• Βe attached to a strong structure through a firm anchorage point above
the person.
ILO Construction OS&H
An example of the use of a harness is shown below, although this remains
a highly dangerous operation. Note also helmet with chin-strap and
gloves.
ILO Construction OS&H
A typical safety harness or ‘fall arrester’
A huge range of safety
harnesses (sometimes called
‘fall arresters’) is available and
expert advice is required to
select the most suitable. A
typical example is shown in this
photo and the next one below.
ILO Construction OS&H
The photo shows an
alternative form of
harness, attached at the
back.
ILO Construction OS&H
Specific characteristics of individuals
One of the real problems with currently available PPE is that most
of it seems to have been designed for quite strongly built males.
Smaller people are not well provided for; to give an example, safety
boots size Eu 36 are difficult to obtain, and safety clothing and
especially safety harness are often unsuitable for women’s physique.
ILO Construction OS&H
Summary photos of safe working
The photo shows a worker
properly provided with PPE:
helmet, boots, gloves and hi-viz
waterproof clothes, using
handling equipment to move a
heavy concrete paving slab.
Public and workforce are
separated by a substantial fence.
(Source of image: photo by Richard
Neale of a worker paving a street in
Cardiff UK. Skanska is the contractor)
ILO Construction OS&H
A group of well-equipped
workers
ILO Construction OS&H
If you are wearing a
harness, attach it to
something!
Photo shows workers in a
hazardous position with their
harnesses simply looped into
their belts.
ILO Construction OS&H
Concluding discussion
What factors may limit the widespread use of PPE?
Individually:
Spend a few minutes considering this and make a list of
items, giving brief reasons.
As a group:
Be prepared to explain your assessment in a discussion.
ILO Construction OS&H
What factors may limit the widespread use of PPE?
Common arguments
Cost
But there are also economic benefits from the avoidance of injuries and more
efficient working.
Gets in the way of working
But modern designs and materials have overcome many of these problems.
Only suitable for well-built males
This is an issue, especially with female workers, but it is slowly being
addressed.
Not suitable for hot and/or humid climates
But modern designs and materials can mitigate this problem, but more
development is needed.
ILO Construction OS&H
Must wear PPE!
ILO Construction OS&H
