How to Wear PPE Correctly? (Construction Industry & Agriculture) 

In the COVID-19 pandemic, PPE has become a popular term. You must have seen many healthcare workers wearing PPE. Healthcare workers are well-trained in donning & doffing PPE. Did you know? PPE is also used in other industries for protection from hazards & dangers. 

You must have seen a construction worker always wearing a hard hat. Why? To protect himself from head injuries. Similarly, various industries use PPE. Let’s find out more about them, and a step-by-step illustration of how to wear a PPE kit in that particular environment. Let’s begin without any further ado.

Note: It is recommended that there should be proper training in donning & doffing the PPE. Also, donning & doffing should be preferably done in front of trained personnel. 

If you are a healthcare worker looking for a step-by-step illustration on how to wear a PPE, we highly recommend you to go through the following CDC article on Using Personal Protective Equipment.

How to wear a PPE while working on a construction site?

There is always a risk of injury in a construction site or industry. As a preventive measure, personnel wears PPE to protect themselves. Even the visitors on the site or industry are handed basic PPE such as a hard hat & safety goggles. Once the hazard analysis is done, the required PPE may be shortlisted and can be donned by the personnel.

The steps of donning the PPE are as follows:

Step 1: Gather All the Required PPE

Step 2: Put on Protective Footwear

The protective footwear may vary from one construction site to another. Usually, steel-toe caps & steel sole protection are recommended in places where there is a risk of cuts & scratches due to sharp objects. 

In a few sites, rigger boots are also allowed. If there is any medical condition that doesn’t allow one to wear any particular footwear, then they should wear a basic protective one.

Step 3: Wear High Visibility Reflective Clothing 

Wear a high visibility reflective striping safety vest with long sleeves. When working in hazardous conditions, disposable overalls are recommended.

Step 4: Put on a Face-fitting Respirator

If necessary, where there is a possible hazard of poisonous gases or if there is a dusty atmosphere, then one needs to wear a respirator or a face mask. Extreme care must be taken to ensure that a proper respirator has been chosen that protects the individual from the hazard on the site.

Find out all you need to know about respirators in our article: An Ultimate Guide on Respirators. 

Step 5: Don the Safety Goggles or Face Shield

Now, put on the safety goggles to protect your eyes. A face shield must be used when operations like welding, cutting, chipping, and grinding are done.

Step 6: Protect your Ears by Wearing Earplugs 

If the construction site or industry produces a lot of noise, then it is recommended to wear earplugs.

Step 7: Wear a Hard Hat or Helmet

Lastly, put on a hard hat or helmet to ensure that your head is protected. It is compulsory to wear protective headgear. Even visitors need to wear a hard hat. Sikhs who wear turbans are the only exceptions. 

Step 8: Don Safety Gloves

If necessary, protective safety gloves must also be donned.

Step 9: Don’t Forget The Safety Harness

Safety harness should be carried when working at heights.

 

How to wear PPE while farming?

Agriculture is an essential sector & occupation for the survival of humankind. Even in agriculture, there is always a risk of injury, cuts, and scratches. As a means of protection, farmers, farm laborers, and other personnel must wear PPE. 

Farming involves the use of chemicals as fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, and many more. Moreover, farm equipment includes many sharp tools and heavy machinery that can result in injuries. Once the hazard analysis is done, the required PPE may be shortlisted and can be donned by the personnel.

The steps of donning the PPE are as follows:

Step 1: Gather All the Required PPE

Step 2: Put on Protective Footwear

The protective footwear in most cases can be shoes & socks. When one is entering the farmlands, boots are highly recommended. Especially the ones which protect the ankles well. For a few chemicals, water or chemical resistant shoes are recommended. 

One can also opt for water-resistant or chemical-resistant shoe covers over normal shoes. If there is any medical condition that doesn’t allow one to wear any particular footwear, then they should wear a basic protective one.

Step 3: Wear Protective Chemical Resistant Clothing

Wear chemically resistant protective clothing. Pesticides, insecticides, and other chemicals can cause poisoning when they are contacted via skin. Most chemical poisoning cases of agriculture are due to damaged or no proper protective clothing that covers & protects the body from these hazardous chemicals. 

The protective clothing must be worn properly such that the chemical doesn’t come in contact with the skin. Else, it will instead aggravate the problem than solve it. Long sleeves are highly recommended. The labels on the chemicals give information on which materials are resistant to it. When the chemicals are highly poisonous, coveralls are recommended.  

Step 4: Put on a Face-fitting Respirator

While handling the chemicals, one must be wearing a respirator. It is compulsory to wear one as the poisonous gas may lead to being fatal. There is always a possible hazard of chemical poisoning without a respirator. 

Specially designed respirators with pesticide cartridge filters are recommended. Pesticide labels, local laws & standards should also be considered before choosing a respirator. Extreme care must be taken to ensure that a proper respirator has been chosen that protects the individual from the hazard on the site.

Step 5: Don the Safety Goggles or Face Shield

Now, wear a safety water-resistant safety shield to protect your face. Safety goggles can also be donned for extra protection.

Step 6: Protect your Ears by Wearing Earmuffs

When you are using heavy machinery on the fields that produce a lot of noise & sound, then it is highly recommended to wear earmuffs.

Step 7: Wear a Chemical Resistant Hat or Helmet

Lastly, put on a chemical-resistant hat to ensure that your head is protected from chemicals. If you are dealing with the machinery, then do wear a hard hat.

Step 8: Don Safety Gloves

Protective chemical-resistant gloves must be compulsorily donned. If necessary, (especially when entering bushes, or pruning trees) one should wear long gloves that protect the forearms as well.

Did you know? Farmers, farm laborers, workers, and other personnel wear self-contained breathing (SCB) apparatuses while working in pits, silos, grain storage areas, or where fogging is required. Do you want to know more about such PPE used in farming? Check out our article on Different Types of PPE in farming.

Stay Safe! Stay Healthy! Stay True!