Personal Protective Equipment and Site Induction
What this domain tests
Correct PPE selection and condition, plus what a site induction must cover before you are allowed to operate a dumper on a new site.
PPE standards for dumper work
- Head - industrial helmet to EN 397; chin strap where the site requires it.
- Feet - safety footwear to EN ISO 20345, at least S3 (penetration-resistant midsole, oil and fuel resistant sole); S5 for wet, muddy ground.
- High visibility - EN ISO 20471 class 2 as a minimum; class 3 for night work or fast haul routes.
- Eyes - EN 166 glasses or goggles when greasing, using air lines or chipping.
- Hands - EN 388 gloves; avoid loose cuffs near rotating parts.
- Hearing - EN 352 defenders or plugs in marked zones.
- Respiratory - FFP3 to EN 149 when outside the cab in dust.
- Seat belt - part of the machine's protective system, worn whenever seated, including during tipping. Inspect PPE before use. Damaged PPE is a defect: replace it, do not improvise.
Site induction
Induction must cover site layout and haul routes, speed limits, pedestrian routes and crossings, emergency procedures, first aid and fire points, the assembly point, permit systems, defect and near-miss reporting, environmental controls and the drugs and alcohol policy. Many sites add a dumper-specific briefing on tipping areas, stockpile edges and the traffic management plan.
Worked example
You arrive at a new site and the gatehouse says the induction is tomorrow but asks you to 'just move that dumper off the weighbridge'. You decline and wait to be inducted. You are not familiar with the haul routes, pedestrian crossings or tipping areas, and CDM 2015 requires site rules to be communicated before work starts. Moving the machine would be an uninducted, unauthorised operation.
Traps
- Wearing a lower-visibility vest because it is more comfortable.
- Removing the seat belt to reach a control - reposition the seat instead.
- Assuming your previous site's induction is transferable.