The selection of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in the construction sector is one of many important aspects to consider in the safety and health management of a construction project. Contractors, subcontractors, and self-employed workers must decide which protection is most suitable for each type of work, taking into account multiple criteria and requirements that can sometimes complicate the choice. Questions related to the type of PPE that should be used for each job (gloves, mask filters, etc.) are daily concerns for the construction business owner.
In this regard, the difficulties faced by the business owner or developer of any construction work or project are usually related to compliance with legal regulations and specifically with the application of certain requirements related to Royal Decree 773/97 on personal protective equipment.
What is Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)?
According to the Royal Decree itself, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is understood as “any equipment intended to be worn or held by the worker to protect them from one or more risks that may threaten their safety or health, as well as any complement or accessory intended for that purpose.” Based on this definition, equipment whose function is not protection, such as “ordinary work clothing” or rescue or emergency equipment, among others, is not considered PPE.
Selection of Personal Protective Equipment
It should be noted, first and foremost, that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) should only be used when there is no longer a possibility of eliminating or reducing the risk, after a proper assessment has been carried out by qualified prevention technicians. This identification and quantification of the risk will allow us to choose the appropriate PPE for the specific circumstances and magnitude of the risk. Likewise, collective protection measures must be used, and appropriate work procedures and methods must be implemented to limit these risks. It is only then that the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) should be resorted to.
In this sense, it could be said that PPE will always be “the last resort.” This statement is easy to understand if one considers that PPE protects only one person, whereas preventive measures at the source reduce the probability of harm, and collective protection measures provide protection to all people in the workplace.
In any case, the characteristics of the work and the characteristics of the worker must be taken into account. In this regard, the ergonomic aspect of personal protective equipment should not be overlooked, as it is a work element that must be adapted to individuals, considering aspects such as possible allergies or reactions to contact with certain materials on the skin, comfort in use, sizes, etc. Along the same lines, attention should be paid to individuals with special sensitivity to certain risks, as stated in Articles 25 and 26 of Law 31/95 on occupational risk prevention, determined by personal characteristics, physical or mental disabilities, or biological situations such as pregnancy or maternity.
It will be especially useful to define and list the characteristics that the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) must have based on the conclusions drawn from the risk assessment already mentioned. Of course, current legislation must be complied with in any case, and especially Royal Decree 1407/92, which regulates the conditions for the marketing of personal protective equipment. It will be important to comply with all regulatory requirements (including harmonized technical standards of the European Commission) such as the CE Marking, derived from the aforementioned royal decree.
Legal Requirements. Regulations Affecting PPE Selection
Regarding regulations, it is necessary to remember that, regardless of technical issues related to PPE characteristics, according to Royal Decree 773/97, it is the employer’s obligation to determine the job positions where PPE must be used, choose the appropriate PPE for each risk level, provide it free of charge, and ensure its proper use.
Once all these factors have been considered, it will be of vital importance to complete this process with the participation of the users of the Personal Protective Equipment, as they are a direct source of information regarding the issues outlined in the previous sections. Likewise, such participation encourages the voluntary use of PPE, thereby optimizing the management of control and monitoring of its use (the duty of supervision).
Once the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has been selected, in many cases, specific instructions on its use must be provided to the user as part of the “sufficient and adequate” training and information required by Law 31/95 on occupational risk prevention.
Consult Safety and Health Experts
In short, as we have pointed out in this article, when choosing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), it will be necessary to identify and quantify the risks, take into account the characteristics of the work, consider ergonomic criteria by adapting the choice of equipment to the characteristics of the user, especially if they are particularly sensitive workers, comply with the relevant regulations, and consult and involve users. This process applies to any job but must always be supported by the technical judgment of prevention experts, safety and health coordinators, and specialists who will allow the integration of the PPE selection process results into the site safety and health plan, or in general, into any occupational risk prevention management system.
