GG-7-01 Safe Use and Management of PPE
| File Reference : | GG-7-01 Safe Use and Management of PPE |
This guidance covers choosing PPE that fits and suits the hazard, the main types, training in its use and keeping it in good condition.
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Safe Use and Management of PPE Guidance
A general guidance document on the safe use and management of personal protective equipment (PPE) for workers who are issued PPE and those who provide it. It explains why PPE is used, what counts as PPE, how it is selected, the training given, the main types and how PPE is maintained and reviewed.
Topics Covered
- Why PPE is used - protecting the lungs, head, feet, eyes, skin and body from risks that remain after other controls, provided free of charge
- What counts as PPE - helmets, gloves, masks, eye protection, high-visibility clothing, safety footwear and harnesses, and weather protection where needed
- Selecting and using PPE - choosing PPE with the required conformity marking that suits the hazard and the wearer, and checking items work together
- Training in PPE use - what to use and when, limitations, fitting and removing, inspection, manufacturer's instructions, getting PPE and disposal
- Coveralls, eye and foot protection - coverall types for splashes, spray and dust, safe laundering, eye and face protection matched to the hazard, and suitable footwear
- Hearing protection, gloves and skin care - hearing protection that still lets warnings be heard, gloves with the right resistance, and skin care creams
- Maintenance and review - cleaning and storing PPE, matching replacement parts, clear maintenance responsibilities, checks on use and retraining after changes
Who Is It For?
Workers who are issued PPE, and those who select, provide and maintain it or check that it is being used.
Included in the ISO 45001 Toolkit
This guidance is supplied with the TT-7-01 Safe Use and Management of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) training talk, which is part of the ISO 45001 Toolkit and the integrated toolkits that include it.
Using the Guidance
Issue it with PPE at induction, brief it again when the PPE or the tasks change, and keep it as a reference alongside the risk assessments that set PPE requirements. Record who has received it, for example on the training matrix.
Choosing the Right Coverall Type
The main types of PPE are set out in practical detail. For coveralls, the guidance matches the type to the work, from Type 3 for heavy splashes and Type 4 for light spray to Type 5 for dusts and Type 6 for light accidental contact. It also covers laundering that keeps fire retardance, discarding disposables after the shift and never using compressed air to remove dust.
Adapting the Guidance
Edit the guidance to match your own arrangements - the PPE your risk assessments require, how workers get replacement PPE, who is responsible for maintenance and where PPE is stored.
Related Documents
Other documents that work alongside this guidance:
Would you rather we prepared it for you?
A day of remote support can take the risk assessments you already have, move them into one consistent format with the same scoring throughout, and build your hazard register from them, so the hazards this guidance covers are backed by a current assessment.
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