PPE stands for personal protection equipment and the PPE kit differs for the role you are performing. PPE protects you by providing a physical barrier between yourself and the environmental hazard. Such as a face shield and water droplets going in your eyes nose or mouth. With respect to eye protection, there are different grades of eye protection from the low impact which is suitable for nursing for example, to medium impact which is AS/NZs 1337.1 suitable for construction, mining, medical, just to name a few industries.
PPE standards for COVID have become more stringent in many industries. Many industries that haven’t needed to don protective equipment previously are finding that they now need to wear PPE. An example of an industry that has found a significant change in the level of PPE required while we are going through the pandemic. Are cleaners that are needing to wear PPE and depending of the location that they are working, they may need to wear a significant amount of PPE including respiratory protection and eye protection.
Retail workers are finding are more frequently finding that they need to wear face masks and face shields. Insurance assessors have been informed that they are required to wear medium impact face shields or safety goggles along with their normal PPE. Firefighters in Victoria have been informed that they have to wear prescription safety glasses, over specs on top of the prescription glasses isn’t good enough. It may have been regulation previously but since COVID it is being enforced.
PPE requirements differ depending on the role that you are required to perform. Investigating what your PPE requirements are is the best course of action to ensure that you are safe at your work. You may find that your requirements have changed due to the current situation. These changes have been made to try and keep you safe. You may find the changes over the top and annoying. Unfortunately, many of the changes are out of your control and you may be turned away from work if you turn up without the correct equipment.
What PPE should care workers wear? Anyone that is working in the front line at the moment or providing care will be wearing a face mask, shield, safety glasses, and gloves. Along in many cases with disposable gowns to be worn over their clothing and thrown away at the end of shifts. This is ideal, but unfortunately, this leave of protection isn’t available to everyone due to different employers, employment situations, and the availability of PPE.
You will be happy to know that we do have face shields available and are able to get your certified prescription safety glasses made rapidly. As we believe that everyone should have the PPE they need to do their job and stay safe.
