Personal Protective Equipment and Safe Use of Tools, Plant and Equipment
PPE principles
The employer provides, fits, trains in the use of and maintains PPE free of charge; the wearer inspects before use and reports defects. Select for the hazard, fit, comfort and compatibility with other PPE. PPE is the last resort because it protects only the wearer, fails without training, and performance degrades with heat, damage and poor fit.
Respiratory protection
Filter respirators cannot supply oxygen - oxygen-deficient or immediately dangerous atmospheres require SCBA or airline. Match the filter to the contaminant; fit-test (qualitative or quantitative) and fit-check every time; facial hair breaks the seal.
Other PPE
Head (shell plus chin strap), eye/face (impact, chemical splash, arc), hearing (plugs, muffs), hands (select against a chemical glove chart), feet, body, and fall arrest (full harness, shock-absorbing lanyard, anchor rated by a competent person).
Tools and plant
Correct tool for the task; no "cheater" bars; no mushroomed chisel heads. Abrasive wheels mounted only by trained people; powder-actuated tools by certified operators. Plant needs guarding, pre-use checks, competent operators, statutory examinations (typically 12-monthly for lifting equipment, 6-monthly for loose lifting accessories) and lock-out/tag-out before maintenance.
Traps
"A respirator protects against all gases"; "PPE is a primary control"; swapping the 6- and 12-month examination intervals.
Rule of thumb
If you can eliminate or engineer the hazard out, do not rely on the wearer's discipline.