The Right PPE Is Determined by the Risk—Not by the Task
In many industrial environments, personal protective equipment (PPE) is often regarded as standard issue. A hard hat, safety glasses and safety boots are considered routine. Yet this is where one of the most common misconceptions begins: the appropriate PPE is not determined by a person's job title or task, but by the actual hazards associated with the work being carried out.
Within explosion safety, that distinction is fundamental.
An operator monitoring a process from a control room faces very different risks from a technician transferring a flammable liquid, opening process equipment for maintenance or replacing a valve that may still contain hazardous residues. The activity changes—and so do the hazards. Consequently, the required level of personal protection also changes.
This is why the selection of appropriate PPE should never begin in the storeroom. It must begin with a thorough risk assessment.
When corrosive chemicals are handled, chemical-resistant gloves, acid-resistant protective clothing, chemical splash protection for the face and chemical-resistant boots may be required. Where hazardous vapours may be present, suitable respiratory protective equipment may become essential. In high-noise environments, hearing protection is indispensable. Within hazardous areas, PPE itself must also be suitable for use in potentially explosive atmospheres. Antistatic protective clothing and appropriate safety footwear not only protect the worker but also contribute to controlling electrostatic ignition hazards.
This demonstrates that PPE should never be considered in isolation.
According to the recognised hierarchy of risk control, personal protective equipment represents the final layer of protection. Risks should first be eliminated or reduced through inherently safer design, substitution, enclosed systems, engineering controls such as ventilation, and appropriate organisational measures. PPE is introduced only where residual risks remain after these higher-level controls have been implemented.
Providing PPE alone is therefore not enough. Employees must understand why specific PPE is required, when it must be worn, how it should be used correctly and what its limitations are. A full-face respirator, for example, only provides effective protection when the correct filter has been selected for the identified hazard, the face seal is adequate and the filter is replaced within its specified service life. Likewise, chemical-resistant gloves provide protection only within the breakthrough and permeation times specified by the manufacturer.
For asset owners, plant managers and HSE professionals, this creates an ongoing responsibility. Risk assessments should be reviewed whenever substances, concentrations, operating temperatures, work methods or process conditions change. Even relatively small process modifications may require a completely different PPE strategy than the one originally selected.
Within the European Union, employers are required to assess workplace risks under the Framework Directive 89/391/EEC, while the use of PPE is governed by Directive 89/656/EEC and the Personal Protective Equipment Regulation (EU) 2016/425. In the United Kingdom, equivalent duties are established through the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended) alongside the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR) where explosion risks are present. In both jurisdictions, PPE forms only one element of a broader explosion protection strategy.
Perhaps this is the most important conclusion. PPE does not provide protection simply because it is worn—it provides protection because it has been carefully selected on the basis of a sound technical risk assessment. Explosion safety therefore does not begin with a helmet or protective suit. It begins with understanding the hazards. Only then can the appropriate level of personal protection be determined.
References
- Council Directive 89/391/EEC – Framework Directive on Safety and Health at Work
- Council Directive 89/656/EEC – Use of Personal Protective Equipment at Work
- Regulation (EU) 2016/425 – Personal Protective Equipment
- ATEX Workplace Directive 1999/92/EC
- ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU
- UK Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended)
- UK Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR)
- EN IEC 60079-14:2024 – Design, Selection and Installation of Electrical Equipment
- EN IEC 60079-17:2023 – Inspection and Maintenance of Electrical Installations
- EN IEC 60079-32-1 – Electrostatic Hazards
- EN ISO 11612 – Protective Clothing Against Heat and Flame
- EN 1149 Series – Protective Clothing with Electrostatic Properties
- EN ISO 20345 – Safety Footwear
- EN 166 – Personal Eye Protection
- EN 14387 – Respiratory Protective Device Filters