Anyone who handles hazardous substances knows that the right protective equipment is sometimes annoying and uncomfortable, but worth its weight in gold in the end.Since 2016, the EU-wide Personal Protective Equipment Regulation 2016/425, or PPE Regulation for short, has regulated what it must provide, as well as what information and certifications it must have. Even though the regulation largely only affects manufacturers, distributors and importers of PPE, there is one aspect that is also of interest to operators and other companies in the chemical and process industry. It is therefore worth checking now whether you have implemented and documented this aspect. Because in a few weeks, on 21 April 2018, the two-year transition period will end.
In the course of the new version, the classifications of three PPE have changed. Hearing protection, protection against chainsaw cuts and life jackets are now classified in category III, meaning they belong to equipment intended to protect against lethal hazards or serious and irreversible damage to health. The use of such PPE must now be taught practically in addition to the normal instruction - and this is new for this equipment.
While protection against chainsaw cuts and life jackets are likely to play a minor role in the everyday life of most plant operators, hearing protection is a ubiquitous topic - and at the same time one whose use is underestimated by many. In fact, there is little you can do wrong when putting on earmuffs, the so-called Mickey Mice, as long as you choose the right encapsulation.
It's a different story with earplugs. Even if at first glance no explanation and certainly no practical instruction seems to be necessary with this inexpensive disposable item, our experience shows that many do not even know how to use the small foam rolls correctly. The most common mistakes from our practice: some do not roll up the plugs tightly enough, others do not place them far enough in the ear canal, and still others somehow stuff them into their ears. As a result, the desired noise protection fails to materialise. It therefore makes sense to practise the handling of such plugs - after all, damage to hearing is irreversible. Such "practical instruction" does not require much effort. Just get your colleagues together, show them how to use them correctly, let everyone try it out and document the whole thing. You have already fulfilled the new obligations of the ordinance and can also be sure that your colleagues know how to protect themselves optimally against noise.
