Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Definition

December 04, 2022

Personal protective equipment (PPE) plays an essential role in the safety and health of workers. But what exactly do we mean by PPE? What is their legal definition and how do they fit into the prevention of occupational risks? Decryption.

What is Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)?

The legal definition of personal protective equipment (PPE) is clearly stated in the Labor Code. According to Article R.233-83-3, PPE is "a device or means intended to be worn or held by a person in order to protect them against one or more risks likely to threaten their health and safety".

This definition highlights several key elements:

PPE is a device or means, i.e. physical equipment, intended to be worn or held by a person.
Its purpose is to protect this person against one or more identified risks.
These risks must be likely to threaten the health and safety of the user.

In other words, PPE is equipment specifically designed to warn workers against the dangers they may face in the course of their professional activity.

Role and place of PPE in the prevention of occupational risks

PPE occupies a very special place in the overall approach to preventing occupational risks. Indeed, they must be considered as the last resort, after the employer has implemented all possible measures to eliminate or reduce risks at source.

Before resorting to the use of PPE, the employer is required to assess the risks present in the workplace. It is on the basis of this assessment that he must implement organizational and technical measures aimed at eliminating or controlling the hazards. It is only when these collective measures are not sufficient that the use of PPE becomes necessary to protect the health and safety of workers.

Thus, PPE intervenes in addition to other prevention actions, when the residual risks cannot be eliminated otherwise. They then constitute the last line of defense to protect employees against the dangers identified in their work environment.

Typology of the main personal protective equipment

PPE comes in many different types, each designed to protect workers against specific risks.

Among the main categories of PPE, we can notably cite:

Biological risks: to protect against biological risks, the employee can wear a suitable respiratory protection mask (FFP1, FFP2, FFP3, surgical mask, antivirus mask, barrier mask).
Noise-related risks: against noise, wearing a suitable noise-canceling headset or earplugs will be appropriate.
Thermal risks (warm/cold): lightweight summer workwear for warm weather and gloves, a hat and winter workwear to protect you from the cold. It will also be advisable to protect your feet by wearing standardized safety shoes against the cold (CI standard) or heat (HI standard).
Chemical risks: against chemical risks, PPE such as work clothes, gloves or even face masks may be required.
Falls from the same level or from a height: against falls, employees can wear non-slip safety shoes, a helmet, a harness and other equipment to be adapted according to the nature of the activity.
Electrical risks: to protect against electrical risks, insulating clothing and non-flammable and insulating shoes are part of the personal protective equipment for the electrician.
Explosion: against the risk of explosion, ATEX multi-standard clothing is a prerequisite. Other equipment can be put in place.
Other risks: welding fumes, fire risk, mechanical risk, wood dust, lead, asbestos or even vibrations present on construction sites must be prevented in order to protect the health of your employees.

Among the most common examples of PPE, we can cite safety helmets, glasses, work gloves, fall arrest harnesses, respiratory masks, high visibility clothing or safety shoes reinforced.

The choice of PPE must be made according to the hazards identified in the work environment, in order to effectively protect employees against the risks to which they are exposed.

The role of PPE in the prevention of occupational risks

Personal protective equipment is part of a comprehensive strategy for preventing workplace risks, based on a hierarchy of safety measures. This hierarchy places the elimination and reduction of risks at source as the first steps to ensure employee safety. When it is impossible to eliminate the hazard or reduce it sufficiently, PPE is used as a last resort to provide additional protection for workers. This approach aims to proactively minimize risks before relying on protective equipment.

The integration of PPE into this approach shows that, although they are essential for the safety of a company's employees, they do not replace other prevention actions. Protective equipment is designed to be worn by workers in order to reduce the residual risks to which they may be exposed. For example, in an environment where chemicals are used, gloves and respiratory protection masks will be provided to complement other safety measures.

However, PPE has certain limitations. Their effectiveness depends not only on their suitability for the specific risks of the workplace, but also on whether each employee wears them correctly. In other words, even the best protective equipment will only be effective if it is used and maintained correctly. It is therefore essential to raise awareness by providing training to employees on the importance of wearing PPE, and to remind them that these devices are only one of the many components of workplace safety.

Employer's legal obligations regarding PPE

The employer has several legal obligations regarding personal protective equipment. Failure to comply with these legal obligations may expose the employer to sanctions, including fines. Since employee safety is a priority, the employer must therefore scrupulously fulfill these various duties regarding personal protective equipment.

Who pays for personal protective equipment?

The employer has the obligation to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) adapted to the specific risks present in the work environment. This equipment must comply with the safety standards in force and be sufficiently protected to guarantee the safety of workers.

How to use PPE?

Providing PPE is not enough to ensure worker safety; employers must ensure that each employee receives appropriate training.

This training should cover the correct use of PPE, including good practices for donning, adjusting and maintaining it. Inadequate or no training can reduce the effectiveness of PPE and expose employees to unnecessary risks.

Practical aspects of PPE management

Beyond the regulatory framework, the practical management of personal protective equipment also involves several important elements that employers must consider.

Expiry of protective equipment

Protective equipment has a limited lifespan, and it is essential for employers to track its expiry. Checking the expiration dates on each PPE is a key step in ensuring their performance. When a PPE has reached the end of its period of use, it must be replaced quickly, even if it appears to be in good condition.

According to the French Labor Code, PPE "new or considered new, are subject to the technical rules of design and manufacturing" in force when they are placed on the market. This means that this equipment has a limited lifespan beyond which it must be replaced, even if it is not visibly damaged. The employer must therefore ensure that these expiration dates are respected.

How to maintain your PPE?

To ensure the durability of personal protective equipment (PPE), it is essential to follow certain maintenance recommendations.

PPE must be cleaned regularly according to the instructions specific to each type of equipment. This not only helps maintain their performance, but also ensures their hygiene. Check their proper functioning frequently.