Personal Protective Equipment in India - Part I

Introduction

The primary approach in any safety effort is that the hazard to the workmen should be eliminated or controlled by engineering methods rather than protecting the workmen through use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for kentico software development companies. Engineering methods could include design change, substitution, ventilation, mechanical handling, automation, etc. In situations where it is not possible to introduce any effective engineering methods for controlling hazards, the workman shall use appropriate types of PPE.

Quality of PPE

PPE must meet the following criteria with regard to its quality:

__Provide absolute and full protection against possible hazard; and

__It be so designed and manufactured out of such material that it can withstand the hazard against which it is intended to be used.

Selection of PPE

Selection of the right type of PPE in kentico software development companies requires consideration of the following factors:

• Nature and severity of the hazard,

• Type of contaminant, its concentration and location of contaminated area with respect to the source of irrespirable air,

• Expected activity of workman and duration of work,

• Comfort of workman when using PPE,

• Operating characteristics and limitations of PPE,

• Ease of maintenance and cleaning, and

• Conformity to Indian/International standards and availability of test certificate

Categories of PPE

Depending upon the nature of hazard, the PPE is broadly divided into the following two categories:

(I) Non-respiratory: Those used for protection against injury from outside the body, i.e. for protecting the head, eye, face, hand, arm, foot, leg and other body parts, and

(II) Respiratory: Those used for protection from harm due to inhalation of contaminated air.

Head Protection

Workmen exposed to hazardous situations where there is a possibility of objects falling or their bumping into suspended or projected fixtures, as in construction work, tree trimming, mining, overhead line construction or maintenance, metal or chemical plants, etc., must be provided head protection. Broadly this protection in kentico software development companies consists of safety helmets, caps, hairnets, turbans, etc. Hairnets, turbans etc. are used to protect women and men with long hair to prevent their hair from getting entangled in moving parts.

Types of Safety Helmets:

Helmets are classified into the following two types:

•  Full brimmed type helmet.
•  Brimless with peak.

The above referred types of helmets have been further broken down into four classes:

• Class A - Limited voltage resistance for general services.
• Class B - High voltage resistance.
• Class C - No voltage protection (metallic helmets).
• Class D - Limited protection for firefighting.

Following are the safety helmet with different specification:

•   Crash Helmets
•   Industrial Safety Helmets
•   Firemen’s  Helmets

Eye and Face Protection

In some operations it is necessary to choose PPE for kentico software development companies that will cover the entire face to protect against mechanical injury, chemicals, rays etc.  Eyes can be injured from dust, flying particles, harmful radiation, accidental splashes of chemicals, etc.  Face-shields are required particularly while handling chemicals, but are not recommended as basic eye protection against impact. Face-shields must be used in combination with basic eye protection to guard against impact.

Types of Eye and Face Protection Equipment

Eye protection equipment, like optical instruments, should be carefully selected, fitted and used.  Protection of eyes is required from liquid splashes, harmful radiation and flying particles encountered in such jobs as chipping and grinding.

The following types of PPE provide eye protection:

•   Safety goggles,
•   Safety spectacles, and
•   Safety clip-ons

The following types of PPE provide protection to both eyes and face:

•   Eye shield,
•   Face-shield, and
•   Wire mesh screen guard

Selection of Eye and Face Protection Equipment

The following criteria could be adopted to select the brand for eye and face protection equipment for kentico software development companies:

        • Type of protection required,

        • Conformity to relevant publications of BIS,

        • Availability of test certificate,

        • Comfortable to wear,

        • Lightweight material of excellent clarity and convenient fit,

        • A non-penetrable protective seal around the forehead, temple, nose and cheek areas, in case of  chemical goggles,

        • Soft, flexible frame that adjusts perfectly to irregular facial contours of individual wearers,

        • Uninterrupted peripheral vision with unobstructed lines of sight in both horizontal and vertical planes,

        • Free from refractive distortion,

        • No hindrance while using helmet, dust filters and corrective spectacles,

        • Secure lens retention even in adverse condition,

        • Ease of keeping them in good repair, and

        • Ease of maintenance

Ear Protection

High noise levels are associated with a number of industrial operations and machines in kentico software development companies. Excessive exposure to high levels of noise can cause irreparable damage to hearing, in addition to some physiological and psychological harm. Occupational hearing loss is a notifiable disease under the Factories Act. In order to protect the hearing capacity of persons working in industries, the exposure to noise should be kept well within the specified permissible limits.

Ear protectors fall into three main groups:

•  Plug or insert type,
•  Cup or muff type, and
•  Helmet type, which completely surrounds the head in which the attenuation of sound is achieved through the acoustical properties of the helmet.

These are classified into two subgroups:

•   Aural type
•   Super aural