When a health or safety risk is identified in the vehicle repair shop it is all too easy to think of Personal Protective Equipment as the quick and easiest solution. But managers should think more carefully about whether this course of action is the most appropriate or cost effective in the long term. PPE is not cheap, especially when replacement items are frequently needed (such as ear plugs). If the wrong type is used, then the level of protection that you expect may not be achieved and all your time, effort and money can be wasted.

Personal Protective Equipment should be the last resort, rather than the first consideration, and should only be provided after all reasonable alternatives have been implemented. This philosophy is enshrined in the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992, and in this legislation any manager should consider the following:

Is there a more effective method of protecting the worker, other than providing PPE (eg putting silencers on noisy equipment rather than making workers use ear muffs)?

How much are you prepared to pay for the equipment and is this cost effective in the long term?

Has anyone in your workshop undertaken an assessment before purchasing the PPE to ensure that the most suitable type is used, rather than merely buying the type that is cheapest or easiest to obtain?. This is probably the most time consuming consideration to take, but a thorough assessment at the outset can have significant benefits in the longer term

Is the PPE that is being used adequate to protect against the risk? eg there are different types respiratory protection for different types of contaminant (vapour, dust etc). It is essential that you determine the level of protection needed to ensure that the correct type is selected. In order to determine the Protection Factor (PF) of the RPE it is necessary to make the following calculation:

PF = Contaminant concentration outside the mask / Contaminant concentration inside the mask

It should also be remembered that the PF of any device is dependant on the level of leakage around the mask. Leakage varies significantly, depending upon how well the mask fits the person and the motivation of the individual to use it properly. Making them understand the risks rather than merely instructing them to wear it is the key issue here.

What maintenance and replacement requirements are needed for the PPE that is being used and how accessible are these to the workers. Should workers undertake their own inspections and maintenance or should a manager be proactively organising it?

How comfortable is it and are your people likely to tolerate wearing it?

Will it interfere with effective and safe movement around the workplace, or can its use create another risk?

Is the storage for the PPE that is being used suitable and accessible?

What information, instruction and training do the users need to ensure it is put to effective use?

What procedures, facilities and resources are needed to ensure a reasonable supply of replacements in case of loss or defect?

Use of PPE is unavoidable in many parts of the motor vehicle repair shop. However, with careful thought and planning, its use can be minimised which is likely to produce a benefit in cost as well as being a popular move with the users. Where it is being used, careful selection can ensure that you get best value for the money that you have spent on it.

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