7 Things You Need To Know About PPE In The Workplace
What is PPE and what does PPE stand for?
“Personal protective clothing refers to the protective clothing. Helmets , googles or other garments and equipment designed to protect the body from injury..”
Mechanic's or an at home DIY’er will use PPE while carrying out work. There are many safety hazards you could encounter while tinkering with a vehicle. PPE Health & Safety has become big business – particularly if you’re an employer. Compensation culture is in full swing. All you need to do is open the paper to see the latest “ €60,000 awarded to Mr.X for dropping a box on his foot” case. Some of these cases may leaving you scratching your head. Keeping safe while working is something not to ignore . Prevent workshop accidents by applying some good old fashioned common sense. Use PPE equipment. Let’s face it – nobody wants to have a major accident. Lets have a look at PPE first.
1.Assess the work area
This is easy – take a look at where you’ll be working and consider what you need to do. Make sure you have enough space and the area is well lit and well ventilated. Question yourself about where you might run into difficulty - are you REALLY going to jack up your car on a sloping driveway?!! Nope!
Check out our full range of torches and inspection lighting
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2.Check your equipment
“A bad workman blames his tools”… er, ok. Defective equipment can cause serious harm. To both you and the vehicle you’re working on if anything goes wrong. It may be a set of jump leads that look like they’ve seen better days. Some cabale that’s looking a bit tattered. A tool missing a handle, be smart and upgrade before you use any equipment known to be defective. Keep an eye on the voltage of portable electronic equipment too, a safe guide is a max of 110 volts. Repair defective tools or upgraded your tools for a very cheap price tag.
If you’re lifting a car, make sure to check the hoist before you go under. Check the last service interval ? Did it always make that clangy, creaky noise? Does anyone test it ? You catch our drift…
3.Know the risk you (or your staff) are taking
Some of the biggest workshop hazards are the dreaded slips and trips. Electrocution arising from defective equipment is high on the list. lifting issues including crushing and poor manual handling are up there to. Chemical poisoning, contamination, poor ventilation and corrosive chemical skin contact are also risks.
Equip your work area with a first aid kit. The eye wash station is important. Some appropriate fire extinguishers for them oh S*it moments. Make sure they’re on hand for when you need them. We’ve got them all at excellent prices here.
4.Have someone check in
Ahhh yes, so you’ll be working alone on a vehicle, but who have you told where you are? Do you have a mobile phone handy? Lone working carries way too many risks. Always make sure you’ve informed someone of where you’ll be and what you’ll be doing and ask them to check in every so often.
5.Cleanliness is next to godliness!!
An organised work area is not for the neat freaks,. Try keeping things clean and access unobstructed can help if you need to get out in a hurry. If that oil stain has been on the ground for more than a minute, then it’s a slip risk and it needs to go. Shadow boards are a great idea to keep everything in its rightful place, and tool chests are a great help too. Make sure you have some oil spill kits handy!
6.Protect Yourself & Your Staff
PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) is essential – particularly if you’re an employer. You are responsible you to supply adequate safety equipment to your staff as it’s the law. We all know that sparks can fly while welding. The difference between wearing face shields and not can be critical. Safety has grown particularly in workshops. It has actually made PPy available and cost effective. There’s no excuse for negligence. Make sure you’re kitted out with with the best you can afford. Overalls, appropriate gloves, goggles and steel capped boots are Micksgarage.com. – it’s a small price to pay to keep you safe!
7.Have common sense
Honestly, this is the most effective source of accident prevention there is! If you suspect something is a bit risky, then give it the special treatment it deserves. Make a plan, get some help, use the right tools and PPE, and cull the risk. Take a critical look at your workshop safety. Are you on top of your game? Being safety conscious will also help you be more productive. Surround yourself with staff who’ve good common sense. It's also helpful to have staff who have a regard for their own safety. This will keep you and your business accident and claim free!
For all of your PPE needs you can check the full range
HERE at MicksGarage.com
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