CHAPTER-3

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

3.0 INTRODUCTION
Personal protective system is employed by the management when engineering and ad
ministrative are not effective to reduce employee exposure to hazard. It acts as
a barrier between man and hazards. If the PPE S is to be used, the management of
the FACT is facilitating a PPE program. This program addresses the hazards prese
nt, the selection, maintenance, the use of PPE s, the training of employees and mo
nitoring of the program to ensure the ongoing effectiveness. The main hazard of
FACT Eloor division is slippery condition, unguarded machines, improper stacking
, and noise especially in the grinding area.

Fig.3.0-Personal protective equipm

ents

Main PPE s used in FACT are

3.1 SAFETY GOGGLES
These are form of protective eye wear, that protect the area of eye, in order to
prevent particles ,dust Chemicals etc. Goggles are often worn when using power
tools such as drills or chain saw to prevent flying particles from damaging eye.
In the shutdown time, various structural elements have to undergo mechanical op
eration ,in that case it is inevitable that every workmen should wear safety gog
gles .In the plant like SO2 the production of sulphur dust is pretty high, It is
very necessary to wear a safety goggle when any sort of work is going on there
3.2 FACE SHIELD
Face shield are devices used to protect entire face from impact of flying object
hazard or chemical splashes. These are worn in conjuction with goggles.
Face shield are designed to with stand an impact of 6 mm nominal diameter and la
teral protection of the speed stated as between 45 m/s 190 m/s. In mechanical ma
intenance on chemical tanks, face shield is a must.
3.2 EARMUFF
Ear muff are objects designed to cover a person s ears for protection. If people a
re exposed to extensively loud environment (90 dB or more), hearing protection a
re necessary to prevent ear damage. These ear plug are usually given by manageme
nt to the workers who are working at noise area s where the limit exceeds 100dB li
ke in grinding rock phosphate mill.
Some types of hearing protection include:
a)
Single-use earplugs are made of waxed cotton, foam, silicone rubber or f
iberglass wool. They are Self-forming and, when properly inserted, they work as
well as most molded earplugs.
b)
Pre-formed or molded earplugs must be individually fitted by a professio
nal and can be disposable or reusable. Reusable plugs should be cleaned after ea
ch use.
c)
Earmuffs require a perfect seal around the ear. Glasses, facial hair, lo
ng hair or facial movements such chewing may reduce the protective value of earm
uffs.
3.4 HELMET
The safety helmet is a protective device for the head that helps to protect it a
gainst the impact of falling or flying objects as well as knocking and barging a
gainst hard solid substances. Protecting employees from potential head injuries
is a key element of any safety program. A head injury can impair an employee for
life or it can be fatal. Wearing a safety helmet or hard hat is one of the easi

est ways to protect an employee s head from injury. Hard hats can protect employee
s from impact and penetration hazards as well as from electrical shock and burn
hazards. Employers must ensure that their employees wear head protection if any
of the following apply:
a)
Objects might fall from above and strike them on the head;
b)
They might bump their heads against fixed objects, such as exposed pipes
or beams; or
c)
There is a possibility of accidental head contact with electrical hazard
s.
Whenever there is a danger of objects falling from above, such as working below
others who are using tools or working under a conveyor belt, head protection mus
t be worn. Hard hats must be worn with the bill forward to protect employees pro
perly. In general, protective helmets or hard hats should do the following:
a)
Resist penetration by objects.
b)
Absorb the shock of a blow.
c)
Be water-resistant and slow burning.
d)
Have clear instructions explaining proper adjustment and replacement of
the suspension and headband.
Hard hats must have a hard outer shell and a shock-absorbing lining that incorpo
rates a headband and straps that suspend the shell from 1 to 1 1/4 inches (2.54
cm to 3.18 cm) away from the head.
3.5 SAFETY GLOVES
Sl. No. TYPE
CHARACTERSTICS PROTECTS AGAINST
1.
Leather gloves Plain, cut resistant leather with or without metal mesh
at palm Cuts, bruises, abrasions,
lacerations during handling of metal sheets and other sharp edge objects and sp
arks
2.
aluminized fabric gloves
Heat resistant aluminized fabric or
other special materials Flames, intense heat radiation, bum injuries
3.
Asbestos gloves Padding inside for comfort and to withstand high tempera
tures Intense heat radiation
4.
Acid or Alkali proof rubber or synthetic
Gloves Rubber, neoprene or vinyl material Corrosive chemical
3.6 SAFETY SHOE
Employees who face possible foot or leg injuries from falling or rolling objects
or from crushing or penetrating materials should wear protective footwear. Also
, employees whose work involves exposure to hot substances or corrosive or poiso
nous materials must have protective gear to cover exposed body parts, including
legs and feet. If an employee s feet may be exposed to electrical hazards, non-con
ductive footwear should be worn. On the other hand, workplace exposure to static
electricity may necessitate the use of conductive footwear.
Examples of situations in which an employee should wear foot and/or leg protecti
on include:
a)
When heavy objects such as barrels or tools might roll onto or fall on t
he employee s feet;
b)
Working with sharp objects such as nails or spikes that could pierce the
soles or uppers of ordinary shoes;
c)
Exposure to molten metal that might splash on feet or legs;
d)
Working on or around hot, wet or slippery surfaces; and
e)
Working when electrical hazards are present.
Safety shoes have impact-resistant toes and heat-resistant soles that protect th
e feet against hot work surfaces common in roofing, paving and hot metal industr
ies. The metal insoles of
some safety shoes protect against puncture wounds. Safety shoes may also be desi
gned to be electrically conductive to prevent the buildup of static electricity
in areas with the potential
for explosive atmospheres or nonconductive to protect workers from workplace ele
ctrical hazards.

3.7 CANISTER TYPE GAS MASK

A canister is a filter which absorbs gases for which it is intended. It can neve
r be a replacement to breathing .So concentration for a certain limit (5000ppm),
we cannot use canister. A gas mask is a mask put on over the face to protect th
e wearer from inhaling airborne pollutants and toxic gases. The mask forms a sea
led cover over the nose and mouth, but may also cover the eyes and other vulnera
ble soft tissues of the face. Some gas masks are also respirators, though the wo
rd gas mask is often used to refer to military equipment. The user of the gas ma
sk is not protected from gas that the skin can absorb.
3.8 SCABA
SCABA (Self contained air breathing apparatus) is a device worn by rescue worker
s, firefighters to provide breathable air in IDLH situation. The term self conta
ined means that breathing set is not dependent on remote supply. An SCBA typica
lly has three main components: a high-pressure tank (2200 psi to 4500 psi), a pr
essure regulator, and an inhalation connection (mouthpiece, mouth mask or face m
ask), connected together and mounted to a carrying frame.
There are two kinds of SCBA: open circuit and closed circuit.
Closed circuit is used when longer supply of breathing gas is needed such as res
cue operation in a fire. Open circuit have industrial breathing sets which are f
illed with filter, compressed air rather than pure oxygen. Typical open circuit
system have two regulators,1st stage is to reduce the pressure the pressure of
the air to allow it to be carried to the mask,2nd stage regulator to reduce it e
ven further to a level just above standard atmosphere. This sir is then fed to t
he mask either through a demand valve
or continuous positive pressure valve. Open circuit rescue of fire fighter SCBA
has a full face mask, regulator, air cylinder, cylinder pressure gauge, and a ha
rness with adjustable shoulder straps and waist belt which lets it be worn on th
e back. A separate DSU unit is worn on the body to sense the motion of the perso
n who is using SCBA. It will raise an alarm indicating that the person wearing S
CABA is in danger after 5 sec.