PPE: Respiratory Protection

If you work in an environment where oxygen levels are low or where normal breathing is not possible due to the presence of harmful substances, you will need respiratory devices. You will find all the respiratory Personal Protection Equipment to help protect yourself, starting from basic disposable PPE to specialised respiratory equipment (including smoke, gas and particle filters for respiratory masks).

Noise induced hearing loss cannot be cured, it must be prevented. The damaging effects of noise can accumulate, even if an employee’s ear protection is only removed for a few minutes every day. As 100% wear time is essential, selecting the correct hearing protection is of the utmost importance. When selecting the correct hearing protection the following Australian Standards should be referred to.

AS/NZS 1269.0

This Standard provides an overview of the AS/NZS 1269 series and general requirements on occupational noise management. The series deals with noise as it affects hearing, but does not deal with other effects of noise. It also provides an integrated approach to establishing, implementing and evaluating an occupational noise management program.

Safety Equipment: boots, ear-plugs, face masks, gloves, safety glasses, respirators.

Crystalline silica (silica) is found in sand, stone, concrete and mortar. It is also used to make a variety of products including composite stone used to fabricate kitchen and bathroom benchtops, bricks, tiles and some plastics. When workers cut, crush, drill, polish, saw or grind products that contain silica, dust particles are generated that are small enough to lodge deep in the lungs and cause illness or disease including silicosis.