When is Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) necessary?

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is essential in situations where other safety measures have been evaluated and found inadequate to protect workers from hazards. The primary purpose of PPE is to act as a last line of defense against exposure to workplace hazards that can lead to injury or illness.

In environments where engineering controls—such as ventilation systems—or work practice controls, which modify how tasks are performed, are not sufficient to eliminate or minimize risk, PPE is necessary to provide the required level of protection. Administrative controls, such as changing schedules or training, are also important but may not fully mitigate risk if physical hazards remain. Therefore, when all these other control measures do not adequately protect workers, PPE becomes critical to ensure their safety.

This understanding underscores the importance of a comprehensive safety strategy that prioritizes hazard elimination or reduction through other controls before resorting to PPE. When evaluating workplace safety, it is vital to assess whether the existing controls offer adequate protection, leading to the conclusion that PPE is necessary when these measures are insufficient.