Employers have basic duties concerning the provision and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) at work.
PPE is defined in HSE Regulations as 'all equipment (including clothing affording protection against the weather) which is intended to be worn or held by a person at work and which protects him against one or more risks to his health or safety', eg safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, high-visibility clothing,
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This article specifically looks at PPE and head protection.
There are several types of head protection.
Industrial Safety Helmets - These protect against falling or flying objects or impact with fixed objects and offer some resistance to flame. Helmets are also available which give protection against impact at high or low temperatures, against electrical shock from brief contact up to 440 Vac and against molten metal splash.In terms of chemical splash a CoSHH Assessment should be considered.
Bump Caps - These protect against bumping the head (eg walking into a fixed object) and scalping, and can stop hair getting entangled in machinery and moving parts. Bump caps do not offer sufficient protection where there is a risk of falling objects or moving or suspended loads.
Firefighters' Helmets - These are similar to industrial safety helmets,
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Transport Helmets - Protect against head injuries from falling off a motorcycle or bicycle. The PPE at Work Regulations do not cover the provision of motorcycle and bicycle helmets on the road. Motorcycle crash helmets are a legal requirement for motorcyclists under road traffic legislation. However,
www.moncler-outlet-italia.com, in off-road situations, employers should provide suitable transport helmets, for example motorcycle helmets for farm workers who use all-terrain vehicles.
Leisure Helmets - These helmets are used when horse riding, canoeing or climbing, and they protect against the risks associated with those activities.
Examples of hazards or situations where head protection may be required are:
a)Low-level fixed objects, for example pipework, machines or scaffolding where there is a risk of collision;
b)Transport activities, hoists, lifting plant,
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c)Tree felling;
d)Blasting work,
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e)Under the Construction (Head Protection) Regulations 1989, employers must take all reasonably practicable measures to ensure that appropriate head protection is worn (except by turban-wearing Sikhs) on construction sites unless there is no anticipated risk of head injury other than by falling;
f)Under the Docks Regulations 1988, suitable safety helmets must be worn by those working in docks premises where there is a possible chance of injury to the head and employees must wear the helmets in an appropriate manner when working there.
Key Points
The key points to note for head protection are:
a)Use an adjustable chinstrap to make sure the helmet does not slip off.
b)Clean the inside of the helmet and clean or replace sweatbands frequently. Any chemicals used for doing this should be CoSHH Assessed.
c)Check regularly that any damage to the outside is no more than shallow scratches or grazes and that the internal harness is not damaged or deformed.
d)Throw head protection away after significant impact by a fixed or falling object. Head protection is no longer fit for use if it is severely scratched, worn or damaged, the harness is deformed or it is no longer usable.
e)Wear the helmet so that the brim is level when the head is upright. Do not wear it sloping up or down as this may drastically reduce the protection it can provide.
f)Do not wear head protection back to front - this will not give any protection.
g)Do not customise head protection, eg make your own ventilation holes, paint, mark or put stickers on it.
h)Do not wear a baseball-style bump cap where there is a risk of falling objects - wear an industrial safety helmet instead.
