When working in a hazardous environment, you will need to have a good selection of personal protection equipment. For example, if you are expected to work with chemicals, you should have something to protect you from chemical spillage. Chemical Spill Kits are the first line of defence if this should happen, but you will need some extra protection in place for your own personal use whilst you deal with it.
It is clearly the company’s responsibility to provide staff members with PPE where appropriate. Depending on the nature of the work being undertaken, this can be as simple as the provision of study boots. However, if the work is highly hazardous, it may well mean the inclusion of full PPE gear. This may take the shape of full-body suits and gas masks.
This provision needs to be real. It should be clear to the staff where the PPE is and how it can be collected to be used. Not only that, the PPE should in no way come out of the pocket of the employee. The employer must fit the full cost of the PPE. In most cases the use of PPE is an essential part of the role and there has to be the ability for the staff to take full advantage of the equipment. For some roles the use of PPE is just as important as a hammer or a computer terminal.
