At CMT we’re committed to providing the construction industry and other sectors with world leading Personal Protection Equipment to keep the workforce safe and companies compliant with Health & Safety Law.
Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) in Construction
Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) does exactly what it says on the tin. PPE is equipment designed to protect the wearer from various hazards. You might wear goggles to protect your eyes, ear defenders to protect your ears, protective boots for your feet; even workwear such as trouser and HiVis jackets are PPE. Any item you wear that helps protect you from potential injury is personal protective equipment. The demanding nature of construction work and the need for health and safety creates a long list of items. In most cases, you’ll need more than one item of PPE It’s the employer's responsibility to ensure PPE is provided and worn. This is law under the Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 2016. Check out our other blog, which goes into more detail regarding PPE.Types of Personal Protection Equipment
- Head Protection
- Hand Protection
- Eye and Face Protection
- Breathing Apparatus
- Protective Clothing
- Foot Protection
- Hearing Protection
- Respiratory Protection
- Fall Management Equipment
Hi-Visibility
Hi-Visibility workwear is a well known PPE product and a crucial part of staying safe on site. Making sure that you are visible in every circumstance, considerably reduces the risk of an accident. You need to be seen in areas with moving machinery, especially in poorly lit areas. Ultimately HiVis workwear can be a life-saving PPE.Personal Protection Equipment at Work Regulations 1992
The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 set out several factors that should be considered when selecting high visibility workwear.Is Hi-Vis suitable for the risk?
This means considering contextual and situational factors when choosing your HiVis workwear, such as ambient and artificial light sources in the working area and the effects of weather conditions such as snow and fog. A foggy day might mean that a HiVis vest would usually be sufficient against present risks is no longer appropriate, and full-body HiVis is a better choice to maintain personal safety. HiVis selection should consider a working area's visual background and make sure that the chosen colour (often neon yellow, orange and green) stands out from the surroundings.Is Hi-Vis suitable for the job?
You cannot focus on just the colouring and reflective aspects of a Hi-Vis. Different work environments will mean you need other specifications to ensure that you select the right HiVis workwear for the job. Loose-fitting workwear increases your chances of getting caught in moving machinery. Take contextual factors into consideration to make sure you pick both an appropriate colour and a suitable fit and design.Is Hi-Vis suitable for the wearer?
Hi-Vis clothing should be comfortable and well fitted to the wearer. Well fitted clothing doesn’t restrict movement and reduces the risks of snags.Is Hi-Vis compatible with other forms of PPE?
You need to ensure that your Hi-Vis clothing doesn't prevent you from wearing or interfering with other PPE products. Consider if the clothing is suitable for bad weather as an example.Does the Hi-Vis meet the necessary standards?
HiVis workwear should be manufactured to a recognised standard, the new British Standard is BS EN 471 and CE marked. This applies to coveralls, jackets, tabards, waistcoats, trousers and harnesses.
Hard hats
Protective headgear is vitally important to protect your skull from any impact and can also be important in protecting against burns. Hard hats cover the scalp and may extend to the jaw depending on the design and purpose of the hat. They often feature shock absorption designs and materials to decrease serious injury from impact.Generally speaking, hard hats and other head protection serve to absorb and spread the force of an impact to protect the skull and provide protection from penetration. Head injuries can cause life-changing damage, making them an essential form of PPE.Using the same principles from the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992, here are the factors that should be considered.
Are Hard Hat suitable for the risk?
Head protection should only be used after a risk assessment has been made. To wear protective headgear appropriately a risk assessment must be completed. This ultimately impacts the choice of headgear for a task. Consider what specific risks the job leaves you vulnerable to. Is there a significant risk of injury from high voltages? These considerations will influence the type of head protection you need.Is the hard hat suitable for the job?
Specific jobs present specific risks, and protective headgear suitable for one job may not be protective enough for other jobs. Furthermore, does the headgear limit other senses?Is it suitable for the wearer?
PPE such as hard hats and other protective headgear will lose its effectiveness if it is ill-fitting. Loose hats will not be secure enough to provide the wearer with sufficient protection and could slip off. Equally, if a hat is too tight, it could be uncomfortable and restrictive, potentially reducing concentration and awareness.Are hard hats compatible with other forms of PPE?
Protective headgear may need tether points if it’s worn at height to prevent it from falling. You might also need to consider whether your hat is compatible with ear defenders or eye protection.Does the hard hat meet the necessary standards?
Hard hats manufactured in the UK need to meet BS EN 395 standard. There isn't a set expiration date for hard hats but hard hats should have a 5-year approximate life span. Prolonged exposure to things such as cold, harsh chemicals, or high levels of sunlight can impact hard hat effectiveness.
Steel Toe Cap Boots
Protective footwear is a vital way of both managing/avoiding accidents and providing adequate protection. With slips, trips and falls accounting for a high number of workplace accidents, appropriate footwear is essential on construction sites. Quality grip soles and well-contained design are necessary to prevent slips, trips and snags. Construction sites often mean workers are at risk from falling and rolling objects, some of which can be weighty and sharp. For this reason, metatarsal protection is a welcome addition to protective footwear. Protective toecaps have been a common feature of work footwear for many years, but these do not provide sufficient protection across the whole of your foot. The metatarsal bones are those that run through the centre of your foot and connect to your toes. There is little muscle or flesh to protect these areas making them especially vulnerable to injury. Metatarsal protection boots adds a protective layer to your footwear that helps to avoid severe damage to this part of your foot. Often comprised of shock-absorbent materials and comfortable innersoles increase comfort for the wearer. Midsole protection is also a valuable part of practical protective footwear. Work environments are full of sharp objects that could pierce the sole. Midsole protection offers an additional barrier to prevent penetration through the footwear's bottom. Often made of a material like steel, this addition to workwear is another means of ensuring that your feet are safe from potential injury.Are safety boots suitable for the risk?
Again, risk assessment is key to working out the correct type of protective footwear required for a job. As part of a risk assessment about footwear, things to look out for include trip hazards, spilt liquids, exposed wires and cables that could cause trip hazards, obstacles and use of heavy objects in the area. In work environments where the risk of falling objects is high, metatarsal protection is necessary for adequate personal protection.Are safety boots suitable for the job?
Different jobs bring with them additional requirements for footwear. Consider each job's specific context to fully understand what footwear will serve you best and provide the best protection. Think waders vs heat resistance.Are safety boots suitable for the wearer?
Footwear that doesn't fit can be a cause of injury itself. Tight-fitting footwear can lead to circulation issue. They can also strain the muscles in your foot. Footwear that is too large can decrease control, leading to trips, falls or even limited control over machinery. Footwear must be fitted to the wearer to avoid further risk of injury.Are safety boots compatible with other forms of PPE?
For footwear, compatibility with other PPE is less of a concern than with other items. Their position on the body generally means they are unlikely to interfere with other personal protection pieces.Do the safety boots meet the necessary standards?
Safety footwear must meet the standards lined out by the International Organization of Standardisation, which is the EN ISO 20345:2011. This outlines several safety requirements for various protective footwear categories and ratings. Safety boots are a workplace & Personal Protective Equipment essential. Protecting your feet is critical across various sectors including the construction industry. At CMT, we understand the importance of keeping the workplace and workforce as safe as possible. As a result we have a complete range of excellent branded safety boots. A durable, robust and comfortable safety boot can be the difference in worker performance across the day. CMT put quality first and our range conforms to all compliant safety regulations and meet stringent site requirements.
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