Diversified technology company 3M is launching the first of an
innovative series of ‘safety spotlights’ through which it will use
its expertise and knowledge to assist companies in dealing with a
range of common, yet sometimes complicated, workplace safety issues.
The first spotlight will be on compatibility - the ability of
several Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) products to be worn
together in a way where no one item compromises the ability of
another to protect the wearer.
Jo Partridge of 3M’s Occupational Health & Environmental Safety
Division explained: “Many industries and activities, including
construction, food and beverage manufacture, paint spraying and
welding to name but a few, present multiple hazards to workers,
meaning more than one PPE type may need to be worn simultaneously on
the worker’s head or face.. This could lead to compatibility issues.
“There are several ways to approach the issue of compatibility. One
option is to use combination products which bring together several
PPE types in a single unit – for example a powered air respirator
with a headtop which incorporates hearing, eye, head and respiratory
protection. This system reduces the number of items, and associated
fitting components, competing for space on a wearer’s face.
“Another option is to involve wearers in the PPE selection process
and to individually assess the fit of the different PPE components.
This could involve checking that protective eyewear is not
interfering with a respirator’s face seal, or that a hard hat isn’t
impacting on the fit of hearing protection. PPE which is not fitting
properly will offer significantly reduced or even zero protection –
increasing health risks to workers.”
The importance of compatibility is such that it is recognised by the
law - both the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations
and the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations state that
any item of PPE must be compatible with other PPE worn.
A free webinar to be held by 3M on Tuesday 22 March at 12 noon will
discuss the importance of compatibility in ensuring worker safety
and legal compliance, and how this can be achieved; whilst an
in-depth technical bulletin will further discuss the issue.
To register for the webinar visit www.3M.co.uk/ohes. All you need to
join is a telephone and access to the internet. To download 3M’s
technical bulletin on compatibility, visit www.3M.co.uk/ohes.
Future 3M safety spotlights will cover a range of issues including
welding, noise, skin hazards and light optical safety.
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