Top Ten PPE Tips

We often get asked PPE related questions by our customers and so we thought we'd give you Vertex's Top 10 Tips.....in no particular order

1. Do You or I Need PPE?

All the information from the HSE talks about PPE being a last resort. What do the Regulations require?

“PPE should be used as a last resort. Wherever there are risks to health and safety that cannot be adequately controlled in other ways, the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 require PPE to be supplied.”

So the question we need to ask ourselves is can we remove the need for PPE through better design, supervision and other collective means such as fencing, stairs, nets etc. You may find that spending a bit more upfront on the design and thinking through the way you’ll supervise your customers saves you the need to purchase, train, issue, store and inspect items of PPE.

2. Carry Out a Full Suitability Assessment:

The Regulations also require that PPE is:

“Properly assessed before use to make sure it is fit for purpose”

“Used correctly by employees”

To make sure the right type of PPE is chosen, consider the different protection needs for your customers and your staff, this may not be the PPE you originally thought. As an example when staff are going to height do not be fooled into thinking you now have to issue “Working at Height PPE”. A sports harness may be the better choice depending on the protection needs, the fit and time they are wearing the PPE. Another example is helmets, just because somebody is climbing up it does not mean they must be issued with a climbing helmet. On auto-belay walls a climbing helmet may pose different and additional risks.

Consider the following when assessing suitability: (adapted from the PPE at Work Regs)

• Does the PPE protect the wearer from the risks and take account of the environmental conditions where the task is taking place?
• Does using PPE increase the overall level of risk or add new risks?
• Can it be adjusted to fit the wearer correctly?
• What are the needs of the job and the demands it places on the wearer?
• Choose equipment that suits the wearer – consider the size, fit and weight; you may need to consider the health of the wearer, your standard PPE may not be suitable
• Involve staff in selecting PPE. They will be the ones using it and may now more than you.
• If in doubt, seek further advice from a specialist adviser.

3. Try Before You Buy

Just because you’ve seen someone else or another operator using a certain type of PPE it might not the right one for you.

Before you spend £1,000s on your PPE buy one of each size and let your staff try them out. Consider the fit on different sized people, consider the comfort to the wearer as this will affect how they fit and wear the PPE. An uncomfortable item of PPE is more likely to be fitted or adjusted poorly.

How many different sizes will you need to fit across you age and size range of customers.

How easy is it for your team to fit and remove the PPE from customers?

Try some out first and you may change your mind and could even save a lot of money.

4. Retain and Read the Manufacturer’s Instructions

First things first, these are called instructions not recommendations. These are really important as they contain information about lifetime, inspection and correct fitting and usage. In addition some manufacturers give more technical info on their websites and this can often expand your understanding the items you are using.

If you would like to use an item of PPE that is neither instructed by the manufacturer nor designated as unsafe by them, then document how you want to use it and ask for their advice. Often this is how the manufacturer discovers more about their own designs and devices and have on occasions been added to their instructions.

If you do use an item in a way that is not covered by the instructions or as a method on their own website then you will be held fully responsible for any outcomes as a result of that usage. Be very careful of other people showing you their clever tricks, or that social media post or YouTube clip!

5. Pay Attention to Manufacturers Lifetimes

You’ll often find that one will say 10 years and another 5 for very similar equipment and products – again it could save you £1,000s if you check this kind of info out beforehand.

We would advise you to always stick the manufacturers lifetimes, they are the designer, they understand their product and the materials used to construct it, they have tested it.

6. Increase and Improve Staff Knowledge

Train them to how to regularly inspect and how look after equipment. This will often extend the lifetime of the equipment and identifies risks earlier than your regular periodical inspections.

With a greater knowledge equipment will last longer and if it is unsafe, this will be identified sooner.

The investment in training your staff team will often be balanced against the saving made in longer use of your PPE and equipment.

7. Learn How to Clean, Store and Dry Your Equipment

Make sure you’re using the correct methods, cleaning agents and lubricants – if you know how to do this properly you will increase the lifespan of your equipment. A clean, dry and tidy store will make a huge difference to the lifetime of your PPE. Investing in good and spacious PPE stores is always worth it.

Try and keep your PPE off the ground by making sure that you’ve got enough storage, that you provide places to hang it around your course when it is not needed, provide buckets or dry areas for ropes etc. Keeping kit up off of wet, sandy, dirty ground and away from wandering feet will make a huge difference, particularly to ropes and anything they run through such as belay devices.

8. Can it be Repaired?

Before you take the decision to ditch what looks like damaged kit check with the manufacturer if it can be repaired. A quick phone call is sometime all it takes to find out.

9. Budget for Replacement

Good quality PPE isn’t cheap and it will need replacing so make sure you’ve got a robust recording system in place and try to replace a little bit of kit each year so that you’re not hit with one massive bill every few years. Learn the life of your PPE at your venue, with your numbers and how you use it.

Finding out one day that you need to replace 100 harnesses with no budget can really hurt your cash flow. This could easily be £5,000 - £10,000

10. Who is Your Supplier(s) and Do They Know Enough to Advise you Correctly?

The HSE recommend seeking advice from your specialist PPE supplier. When purchasing your PPE consider the advice from the supplier, do they know enough about your activities, your staff and your clients to be able to provide you with the correct advice and therefore the correct PPE for the job?

What you may think is a cost saving by finding the best on-line deal can end up being expensive or worse a safety critical error. One harness is not the same as another and one karabiner is also not the same as another. As an example finding the cheapest harness that meets EN 361 (industrial fall arrest harness) will at fist glance save you thousands but they may not last long, may not fit well, could be uncomfortable and would you really want to fall in it? Plus if it is uncomfortable and does not fit well then how will you staff wear it and would you actually be meeting your legal duties as covered by the PPE regulations?

This is where specialists (not just PPE sellers) that really understand the ropes course industry and the available PPE options can make a huge difference to your choice and therefore your business.

For more advice please read the following publication from the HSE PPE at Work Regulations 1992