P.P.E. for Bricklaying 6219 Units

Entry 3 & Level 1 Construction Skills (6219)

1.1 Identify the Personal Protective Equipment (P.P.E.) appropriate for the following units in brickwork qualifications.

Unit 005 Constructing Half Brick Walling
Unit 118 Constructing Block Walling
Unit 119 Constructing Half Brick Return Corners
Unit 120 Constructing Cavity Walls in Brickwork & Block Work
Unit 121 Constructing One Brick Walling

Employers have duties concerning the provision and use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at work.

PPE is equipment that will protect the user against health or safety risks at work.

It can include items such as safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, high-visibility clothing, safety footwear and safety harnesses.

It also includes respiratory protective equipment (RPE).

Why is PPE Important?

Making the workplace safe includes providing instructions, procedures, training and supervision to encourage people to work safely and responsibly.

Even where engineering controls and safe systems of work have been applied, some hazards might remain.

These include injuries to:

• The lungs, eg from breathing in contaminated air
• The head and feet, eg from falling materials
• The eyes, eg from flying particles or splashes of corrosive liquids
• The skin, eg from contact with corrosive materials
• The body, eg from extremes of heat or cold
• PPE is needed in these cases to reduce the risk.

Safety Boots

Hazards

Wet, hot and cold conditions, electrostatic build-up, slipping, cuts and punctures, falling objects, heavy loads, metal and chemical splash, vehicles

Options

Safety Boots and shoes with protective toecaps and penetration-resistant, mid-sole wellington boots and specific footwear, eg foundry boots and chainsaw boots

Note

Footwear can have a variety of sole patterns and materials to help prevent slips in different conditions, including oil – or chemical-resistant soles.
It can also be anti-static, electrically conductive or thermally insulating
Appropriate footwear should be selected for the risks identified

Safety Helmet

Hazards

The impact from falling or flying objects, risk of head bumping, hair getting tangled in machinery, chemical drips or splash, climate or temperature

Options

Industrial safety helmets, bump caps, hairnets and firefighters’ helmets

Note

Some safety helmets incorporate or can be fitted with specially-designed eye or hearing protection
Don’t forget neck protection, eg scarves for use during welding
Replace head protection if it is damaged

Safety Helmets Expiry Date

Generally, expiry dates can be found underneath Material shell by the peak/brim of the safety helmet this will include additional manufacturers information.

Most manufacturers supply the date of manufacture using two circles one being the day and the other being the year and month.

For additional information on P.P.E. following the links below

Safety Helmets

Hi-Viz Jacket

Hazards

Temperature extremes, adverse weather, chemical or metal splash, spray from pressure leaks or spray guns, impact or penetration, contaminated dust, excessive wear or entanglement of own clothing.

Options

Conventional or disposable overalls, boiler suits, specialist protective clothing, eg chain-mail aprons, high-visibility clothing.

Note

The choice of materials includes flame-retardant, anti-static, chain mail, chemically impermeable, and high-visibility. Don’t forget other protection, like safety harnesses or life jackets.

Safety Goggles

Hazards

Chemical or metal splash, dust, projectiles, gas and vapour, radiation

Options

Safety spectacles, goggles, face screens, faceshields, visors

Note

Make sure the eye protection chosen has the right combination of impact/dust/splash/molten metal eye protection for the task and fits the user properly

Safety Gloves

Hazards

Abrasion, temperature extremes, cuts and punctures, impact, chemicals, electric shock, radiation, vibration, biological agents and prolonged immersion in water

Options

Gloves, gloves with a cuff, gauntlets and sleeving that covers part or all of the arm

Note

Avoid gloves when operating machines such as bench drills where the gloves might get caught
Some materials are quickly penetrated by chemicals – take care in the selection, see HSE’s skin at work website

Barrier creams are unreliable and are no substitute for proper PPE
Wearing gloves for long periods can make the skin hot and sweaty, leading to skin problems.

Using separate cotton inner gloves can help prevent this

PPE Cleaning and Care

PPE must be kept clean and sanitary.

Clean PPE with mild soap and water .

Some PPE may require special cleaning, in these cases use the manufacturer’s recommendations.

If PPE is contaminated and cannot be decontaminated safely, it may need disposed of in a special manner to protect other employees from exposure to the hazard.

PPE shall be stored in such a way that it will not become contaminated such as plastic bags, lockers, closet, drawers.

Importance of Checking and reporting Damaged PPE.

Equipment is kept clean and in good repair – follow the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule (including recommended replacement periods and shelf Lives)

Do not use PPE if it is damaged and in need of repair.

It is the responsibility of the employee to make their supervisor aware as soon as PPE becomes damaged so that new PPE can be obtained.

Do not attempt to repair PPE.

Identify who is responsible for maintenance and how to do it;

Simple maintenance can be carried out by the trained wearer, but more intricate repairs should only be done by specialists;

Replacement parts match the original, eg respirator filters;