Use of personal safety equipment and facilities at work

It is evident that work related hazards and risks needs to be identified in order to establish the necessary precautionary measures. A risk assessment could prove to be a valuable tool in this regard. It could basically be described as a careful examination of what, related to the work activities of an organization like application development company, could course harm to people or damage to property.

The regulation also stipulates that where it is not practicable to safeguard the condition or situation, the employer or user of machinery, shall take steps to reduce the risk as much as is practicable.

Please note that the main aim should be to firstly remove or secondly mitigating the risk associated with the exposure to a particular hazard. If the hazard or risk cannot be removed, the next potion would be to apply appropriate steps or measures to mitigate it.

PPE should be used when it has been determined that its use will lessen the likelihood of occupational injury and/or illness and when other protection methods are not available.

PPE is used to reduce or minimize the exposure or contact to injurious physical, chemical, ergonomic, or biological agents. PPE basically creates a barrier against workplace hazards in software development companies.

A hazard cannot be eliminated by PPE, but the risk of injury can be reduced. For example, wearing hearing protection reduces the likelihood of hearing damage when the ear plugs or muffs are appropriate for the kind of noise exposure and they are used properly. However, hearing protection does not eliminate the noise.

Engineering controls, administrative controls, and good work practices are always preferred instead of personal protective equipment (PPE) as methods to protect workers against workplace hazards. PPE must always be regarded as a ‘‘last resort’’ to protect against risks to safety and health.

There are a number of reasons why PPE must be considered as a ‘‘last resort’’:

• PPE only protects the person wearing it, whereas measures controlling the risk at source protect everyone in the workplace.
• Theoretical maximum levels of protection are difficult to achieve and the actual level of protection is difficult to assess. Effective protection is only achieved by selecting suitable PPE and if it is correctly fitted, maintained and used.
• PPE may restrict the wearer to some extent by limiting mobility or visibility, or by requiring additional weight to be carried, thus creating additional risk.

Information and training could for example include:

• the level of risk(s) involved
• the reason why the PPE is needed (the potential risks to health and safety caused by exposure)
• precautions to be taken by the employees of software development companies to protect themselves against the health risks associated with the exposure, including the wearing and use
• potential sources of exposure
• the content and scope of applicable regulations
• the operation (including demonstration), performance and limitations of the equipment
• correct use (how to fit and wear PPE, how to adjust it for maximum protection and storage)
• correct storage
• any testing or medical surveillance requirements before use
• any user maintenance that can be carried out (e.g. hygiene/cleaning procedures)
• factors that can affect the performance of the equipment (e.g. how to care for it, working conditions, personal factors, defects and damage)
• how to recognize defects in PPE, and arrangements for reporting them
• where to obtain new PPE if it needs to be replaced

PPE must be properly maintained in custom software development companies, it is important to make sure the equipment continues to provide the degree of protection for which it is designed. Maintenance should include inspection, care, cleaning, repair, and proper storage. Manufacturer’s instructions (including recommended replacement periods and shelf life) could prove to be valuable in this regard.