Achieving compatibility

With many workers having to wear more than one item of PPE at a time, Jo Partridge looks at how
specifyers can ensure these items complement one another rather than conflict with each other

Across a wide range of industries
and applications, workers are
exposed to a number of hazards
simultaneously. The need for protection
from all these hazards often means that
more than one item of Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE) may need to
be worn* at any one time.

In the construction industry, for example,
workers may often be required to wear head,
eye, hearing and respiratory protection
simultaneously. Similarly, a welder may
need to wear a respirator to protect them
from welding fume and hearing protection
to protect them from nearby processes in
addition to their welding shield.

These instances, and indeed wherever
hazardous substances or processes require
workers to wear a combination of PPE
products, are where issues of
compatibility can occur.

For most types of PPE, the quality of fit
is paramount to ensure that optimum
protection is offered, but an individual
who tries to fit incompatible PPE may not
be able to get every item to fit adequately.

Consequently, items which are
incompatible may result in a reduced level
of protection, from one or more items, or
even no protection at all. For example,
protective eyewear could be interfering
with a respirator’s face seal pushing it
away from the nose and cheekbones, or
likewise a pair of safety spectacles may sit
too highly on a wearer’s face when worn
with Respiratory Protective Equipment
(RPE).

Unfortunately, the issue can be
compounded by the fact that if a wearer is
experiencing discomfort as a result of
incompatible PPE products, they may be
tempted to move one of the items to an
incorrect position, or even remove it
altogether.

The law
Compatibility is recognised by the law, with
both the Control of Substances Hazardous
to Health Regulations (COSHH) and the
Personal Protective Equipment at Work
Regulations stating that any item of PPE
must be compatible with other PPE worn.

The Approved Code of Practice (ACOP)
linked to Regulation 7 of COSHH states
that “PPE should control exposure
adequately to the hazardous substances to
which the wearer is exposed, or is liable to
be exposed, throughout the time it is used.

When selecting PPE it is important to take
into account:…whether the design is
adequate and suitable, i.e. the equipment
fits the wearer, does not dislodge, deform,
melt or otherwise fail to perform in the
conditions in which it is used and is
compatible with other PPE worn.”
However, there is no general or
overarching guidance as to which PPE
combinations are compatible with each
other, due mainly to the differences in the
requirements of individuals. Face shapes and
sizes can vary considerably, meaning that a
combination of PPE that is compatible for
one person may not be so for another.

Individual assessment
Individual PPE items will be CE marked
and approved to the relevant standards
but this does not necessarily mean that
they will fit well together on a wearer –
current standards do not assess the
interaction between individual products.

This means that proposed PPE
combinations may need to be individually
assessed on the wearer to ensure
compatibility and a range of styles and
models of products may be necessary to
achieve a suitable fit for everyone in an
organisation.

Ideally, wearers should be involved
from the start in the PPE selection
process. Time should be taken to find the
right combination for each individual,
ideally allowing them to choose the most
comfortable products from a range of
items. As a general rule, if PPE products
are comfortable when fitted correctly,
they are more likely to be worn and issues
with compatibility are less likely.

Another option is to use combination
products which bring together several
PPE types in a single unit – for example a
powered air respirator with a headtop
which incorporates hearing, eye, head and
respiratory protection. This type of system
reduces the number of items competing
for space on a wearer’s face.

Wearers should also be trained in the
types of hazards they may encounter,
their health effects and the importance of
obtaining a good fit with all the PPE items
they are required to wear.

Further advice, if needed, is available
from product manufacturers or their
authorised distributors.

For further information and to access
3M’s technical bulletin on compatibility
visit: www.3M.co.uk/safetyspotlights.

Jo Partridge is the technical services
manager for 3M.