Personal Protective Equipment: Your Final Defense

You may think that you are the safest employee and nothing would ever happen to you, or that your workplace does not pose any risk of injury. You would be wrong. Any workplace can be a source of danger, and when you encounter those dangers, if unprotected, you could be left with any number of injuries. Some may even be permanent. That is why you need personal protective equipment, or PPE. Your PPE is specifically chosen for your job and situation in order to counteract your workplace’s unique dangers. Your PPE acts as a final line of defense; you may not always be able to avoid these hazards, but the right PPE will reduce the chance of serious injury.

There are many specific kinds of PPE tailored to specific body parts and specific jobs. For example, unique risks are posed if you weld versus if you handle chemicals; the former may expose you to extreme heat, while the latter would expose you to the chance of serious chemical burns. This is but one example of why you would need PPE tailored to your job’s unique responsibilities. You may need certain eye, head, foot, hand, or skin protection depending on your job description; all of which you will learn about in this training video.

While the employee has the responsibility of actually using the proper PPE (and in the correct way), the employer has the responsibility of furnishing you with the correct PPE, informing you of your job’s hazards, and instructing you on how to use the PPE provided. If any of these things do not occur, the risk of serious injury increases dramatically. This is why PPE is so critical. Utilize the information presented in this course and understand better the PPE you may need to use at your workplace, as well as why you would need to use it. You, and your workplace, will be much safer because of it.

   This course is in the Video On Demand format, to read about Video On Demand features click here.

All employees required to wear PPE

• Opening
• Introduction
• Employer Responsibilities
• Employee Responsibilities
• Eye Protection
• Head Protection
• Foot Protection
• Hand Protection
• Skin Protection
• Conclusion

• Cal/OSHA Preventing Hearing Loss
• Hand, Wrist and Finger Safety in Construction Environments
• Personal Protective Equipment: Foot And Leg Protection