selection of ppe

To ensure safety in the workplace, the employer must first take all technical and organizational measures possible. Taking these measures into account, the right choice of protective clothing must then be made.

When selecting protective clothing, the requirements for the best possible protection on the one hand and for wearing comfort on the other must be weighed against each other.

To this end, the employer must carry out an evaluation of the protective clothing he intends to use. This must be used to determine whether the protective clothing provides

• offers sufficient protection against the hazards to be averted
• the protective clothing itself cannot cause any major hazards
• is suitable for the conditions prevailing at the workplace
• meets the ergonomic requirements and health needs of the employees
• can be adapted to the employees.

The PPE User Regulation(PSA-BV) can also be consulted for the correct selection of protective clothing. It regulates the provision of personal protective equipment by the employer and the use of personal protective equipment by employees at work.

It also specifies what all counts as personal protective equipment. The user regulation applies together with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and serves to implement the PPE EU Regulation. It applies to PPE in categories 1, 2 and 3.

The user regulation requires the provision (and selection) of personal protective clothing by the employer and its use by the employee (§1 para. 1). It also specifies that compliance with the user regulation is the responsibility of the employer.

For the purposes of this regulation, personal protective equipment includes any equipment intended to be used or worn by employees to protect themselves against a hazard to their safety and health, as well as any additional equipment used with the same aim and associated with the personal protective equipment.

According to this regulation, personal protective equipment must fit the employees individually. They are basically intended for use by one person. If circumstances require use by different employees, the employer must ensure that health hazards or hygiene problems do not occur.

The employer must ensure through maintenance, repair and replacement measures, as well as proper storage, that the personal protective equipment functions as intended throughout the entire period of use and is in a hygienically perfect condition.