Chapter 3: Personal Protective Equipment
Overview
Anytime you are around welding, you may be exposed to a variety of hazards. These could involve a burn on your arm, a spark landing in your ear, a piece of metal dropping on your foot, or falling from a ladder.
Personal protective equipment is used to prevent and protect against these hazards. This equipment is used to safeguard your eyes, face, ears, hands, feet, lungs, and other parts of your body—and even protect you from falling risks.
This chapter will discuss common safety practices related to personal protective equipment you may use on the job. This information is not intended to take the place of employer safety training that may be required by law; rather, it is intended to emphasize the importance of following safe work practices at all times.
Objectives
After completing this chapter, students will be able to:
- List and describe welding-specific personal protective equipment
- List and describe general industry PPE
- Explain why PPE is necessary
Key Terms
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
- American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
- Flash burn
- Noise reduction rating (NRR)
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and health (NIOSH)
- Powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR)
- Supplied-air respirator (SAR)
Attributions
- Chapter opening image: image released under the Pixabay License
