4a. Protective Clothing
4a. Protective Clothing
4a. Protective Clothing
- General
Protective Clothing & Equipment -
General
Merchant Shipping Regulations require employers to
ensure that every employee engaged in a specified
work process, or who may be at risk from such a
process, is supplied with suitable protective clothing
and equipment.
Overalls, gloves and suitable footwear are the
proper working dress for most work about the ship
but these may not give adequate protection against
particular hazards in particular jobs.
Protective Clothing & Equipment -
General
Specific recommendations for the use of special
protective clothing and equipment will also be found
in certain sections of the Code but there will be
other occasions when the need for such special
protection can only be determined at the time by the
officer in charge of the particular operation.
Protective Clothing & Equipment -
General
Protective clothing or equipment does nothing to
reduce the hazard, it merely sets up a frail barrier
against it.
The first step in injury prevention should be the
elimination of the hazard to the extent that is
reasonable and practicable.
Personal protective clothing and equipment should
be relied upon to afford protection against the
hazards that remain.
Protective Clothing & Equipment -
General
Defective or ineffective protective equipment provide
no defence. It is therefore essential that the correct
items of equipment are selected and that they are
properly maintained at all times.
The manufacturer's instructions should be kept safe
with the relevant apparatus and when necessary
referred to before use and when maintenance is
carried out.
The equipment should be kept clean and should be
disinfected as and when necessary for health
reasons.
Protective Clothing & Equipment -
General
A responsible officer should inspect each item of
protective equipment at regular intervals and in all
cases before and after use. He should ensure that it
is returned and properly stowed in a safe place.
Personal protective clothing and equipment should
always be checked by the wearer each time before
use.
Protective Clothing & Equipment -
General
All personnel who may be required to use protective
equipment should be properly trained in its use and
advised of its limitations.
Gloves
The correct type of gloves should be chosen
according to the hazard being faced and the kind of
work being undertaken. For example, leather gloves
are generally best when handling rough or sharp
objects, heat-resistant gloves when handling, hot
objects, and rubber, synthetic or PVC gloves when
handling acids, alkalis, various types of oils, solvents
and chemicals in general. The exact type selected
will depend upon the particular substance being
handled, and in these cases expert advice should
be followed.
Hand and Foot Protection
Footwear
Foot injuries most often result from the wearing of unsuitable
footwear rather than from failure to wear safety shoes or boots. It
is nevertheless strongly advisable that all personnel whilst at
work on board ship, wear appropriate safety footwear.