Personal Protective Equipment or PPE is special clothing or equipment that protects users from infectious material and substances when handling it. Infections could come from when handling chemicals, electrical, mechanical, radiological etc. PPE is often used in the workplace or laboratory that faced risk from hazardous materials every day. Personal protective equipment may include gloves, safety shoes, earplugs, coveralls etc.
These types of equipment need to be designed following the guidelines to enhance user safety. PPE need to be stored in a designated place that will ensure its safety in a sanitary surrounding. Most workplaces or laboratories own PPE cabinet Malaysia and locate them somewhere that has easy access.
Level of Personal Protective Equipment
There are three main levels to determine what type of ensemble is needed for the user to wear.
Level A: Protect respiratory, skin, eye and mucous membranes at the highest level. Its ensemble includes gloves, chemical resistance, innerwear or outerwear, boots, steel toe and shank.
Level B: Protect the respiratory at the highest level but lower level for skin and eye protection. This level of protection is the minimum that is recommended on common site entries. Before any hazardous situation is inspected more carefully by running a detailed analysis, users need level B protection. The ensemble is similar to level A with the addition of chemical-resistant clothing which includes disposable chemical-resistant overalls, long-sleeved jackets, chemical hooded splash suits and coveralls.
Level C: Used when the type of airborne substance is confirmed, done measuring any concentration, and met every criterion of using air-purifying. When using level C personal protective equipment, skin and eye exposure are improbable. The ensemble is similar to the two other levels plus a full-face or half-face mask, and an air-purifying respirator that is approved by NIOSH.
Level D: The lowest level where mainly used as a work uniform for people that work in the hazardous environment every day. Users only need coveralls and safety boots. Other equipment or ensemble will be needed according to the situation whichever is suitable. However, this level should not ever be the PPE for sites where respiratory or skin infection exists.
Personal Protective Equipment Cabinet
When you already know the level of protection needed and its ensemble, you need to store the equipment in a secured area. A specially designed PPE cabinet is used to store this equipment so that it will protect its function. There are a few types of cabinets in the market but the common is a steel two-door cabinet. The cabinet also comes with four levels with the same diameter for each to store every piece of equipment properly.
Conclusion
Personal Protective Equipment is solely to protect human beings from hazardous substances. Health workers who deal with Covid-19 patients also need to wear PPE so they would not get infected by the virus. When the number of PPE was reducing rapidly, we still remember how Malaysian provided the health force self-made PPE. The equipment is important for people who work with infectious substances. You will never know when the risk is up. Always prioritize your safety then you can save others.