• PPE includes any clothing, accessories and equipment that helps protect workers from workplace hazards.
• PPE should be the last line of defense against workplace injuries; implementing engineering controls to eliminate hazards in the first place should take precedence.

Personal protective equipment in general industry includes all clothing and accessories designed to create a barrier against workplace hazards. The basic element of any PPE management program should be an in-depth evaluation of the equipment needed to protect against the hazards at the workplace.

Much of this PPE information is framed in general terms and is intended to complement relevant regulations and manufacturers’ requirements.

While PPE is part of the job in some industries, it is considered a last-resort, temporary type of protection. For normal operations, first choice will always be given to eliminating the hazard in the environment rather than using PPE. This is called implementing engineering controls.

No single combination of protective equipment and clothing can protect against all hazards. Thus, PPE should be used in conjunction with other protective methods. The use of PPE can itself create significant worker hazards, such as heat stress, physical and psychological stress, and impaired vision, mobility, and communication.

In general, the greater the level of PPE protection, the greater are the associated risks. For any given situation, equipment and clothing should be selected that provide an adequate level of protection. Over-protection as well as under-protection can be hazardous and should be avoided.

Using PPE improperly or in a manner unsuited to its design and purpose is worse than using no protection at all. Without any protection, the worker knows he is vulnerable and perhaps, takes precautions. With some protection, the worker may rashly blunder into severe difficulty, thinking he is safe.