Personal protective equipment, or PPE for short, is an important part of occupational health and safety and refers to all equipment worn or used by people to protect themselves from hazards in the workplace. This can range from simple protective gloves and goggles to complex equipment such as respirators. Its main purpose is to prevent injuries or damage to health caused by mechanical effects, chemical substances, thermal risks or radiation.

The use of PPE is crucial for several reasons:

1. Protection from injury and illness: The primary function is to protect the wearer from potentially life-threatening working conditions. For example, helmets protect against head injuries on construction sites and specialised gloves can reduce the risk of cuts.
2. Legal and regulatory requirements: In Germany, there are legal regulations that make it mandatory to use them in certain work areas. Non-compliance can have legal consequences.
3. Promoting a culture of safety: The provision and correct use of safety equipment promotes a culture of safety in the workplace. It shows that a company cares about the well-being of its employees and sets a standard for compliance with safety practices.
4. Preventing accidents at work: This not only protects the health of employees, but also helps to avoid costly downtime and financial losses.

It is equally important to understand what is not covered by the term personal protective equipment. The following items are not normally considered PPE:

• General work clothing: Clothing that is primarily used for identification and uniforming and does not offer any special protection, such as simple work suits without any special protective function.
• Office supplies and small tools: Items such as calculators, notepads and the like that have no protective function.
• Sports equipment: Although some sports equipment may have similar protective properties to PPE, it is specifically designed for sports and does not meet the standards for safety equipment in the workplace.
• Personal medical devices: Items such as pacemakers or insulin pumps that have no protective function in the work environment.

The PPE Usage Ordinance (PSA-BV) forms the legal basis for the correct use and associated obligations of personal protective equipment in the workplace. This regulation is crucial for the safety and health of employees who are exposed to certain hazards in their working environment.

The PPE Usage Ordinance regulates the use of personal protective equipment in companies and organisations in Germany. It aims to ensure the correct use of PPE in order to prevent accidents at work or occupational health hazards. It specifies the conditions under which protective equipment must be made available and how it must be used.

• Provision and selection: The employer is obliged to provide suitable PPE if hazards cannot be avoided or sufficiently minimised by other technical or organisational measures. The selection of PPE must be based on the specific working conditions and the existing hazards.
• Instruction and training: Employers must ensure that all employees who use PPE receive appropriate instruction on its correct use. This includes information on the correct donning and doffing, maintenance, storage and replacement of equipment.
• Maintenance and replacement: PPE must be regularly maintained, checked and replaced if necessary. It must be ensured that damaged or defective equipment is replaced immediately so as not to jeopardise the protection of workers.
• Documentation: Employers are also obliged to document the provision and use of PPE. This serves not only to fulfil legal requirements, but also for internal quality assurance and the optimisation of safety measures.

Compliance with the PPE Utilisation Ordinance is not only a legal requirement, but also plays a crucial role in the prevention of accidents at work and occupational illnesses. Through the correct use and management of PPE, the employer makes a significant contribution to creating a safe and healthy working environment.

The German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) provides important regulations on the use and provision of personal protective equipment. These specifications are contained in particular in various DGUV rules and information aimed at the specific work context and the associated hazards. The main regulations include:

1. Selection of PPE: The DGUV stipulates that PPE must be selected carefully on the basis of a risk assessment. Care must be taken to ensure that the equipment is suitable for minimising hazards without itself causing additional hazards.
2. Provision and maintenance: The employer is obliged to provide suitable PPE free of charge and to ensure that it is kept in a hygienic and functional condition.
3. Instruction of employees: Employers must ensure that all employees who use PPE receive appropriate instruction. This instruction must include information on the correct use and maintenance of the equipment.
4. Documentation: The DGUV requires that the provision and use of PPE as well as the instructions given are documented. This contributes to the traceability of the protective measures.
5. Specific requirements for certain activities: For certain hazardous activities, there are specific regulations that set out detailed requirements for the type of PPE to be used.

Personal protective equipment is divided into three categories according to the degree of risk it is intended to protect against. This system helps companies to select the appropriate protective equipment depending on the working environment and the associated hazards.

Category 1 PPE is intended for low-risk working environments. This type of protective equipment protects against risks that cannot lead to serious injuries, such as:

• Superficial mechanical injuries
• Contact with slightly aggressive cleaning agents
• Contact with warm surfaces up to 50°C
• Slight exposure to sunlight

Category 1 PPE includes simple work gloves, light safety goggles, gardening gloves or simple sunglasses.

Category 2 PPE is required if the protective clothing is intended to protect the user against risks that are not explicitly assigned to categories 1 or 3. Typically, this is protective equipment against the most common occupational hazards, such as:

• Safety helmets
• Safety shoes
• Hearing protection
• Eye and face protection with a filter effect (e.g. UV protection)

This category includes many standard occupational safety products that are necessary in a variety of working environments.

Category 3 PPE provides protection in working environments with particularly high or fatal risks. This equipment is required to prevent serious damage to health or death, e.g. when:

• Handling hazardous chemicals
• Working in extreme temperatures
• Risks from falls from great heights
• Hazards due to electric current

Typical category 3 PPE products are respirators, full-body protective suits, fall protection and special protective gloves for handling hazardous chemicals.

This categorisation ensures that each employee receives the appropriate protection according to the specific requirements of their job in order to promote safety and health in the workplace.

Safety in the workplace is guaranteed by various standards and certifications that ensure that the personal protective equipment used meets the strictest safety requirements. These certifications are essential for the protection of employees.

The CE marking, which stands for "Communauté Européenne" (European Community), is basic proof that products comply with EU regulations. For manufacturers, affixing this marking means that their products comply with the required EU standards. This labelling is mandatory for many product categories, including PPE, and confirms that the products meet the essential health and safety requirements.

The GS mark, short for "Tested Safety", is a voluntary test mark in Germany that indicates that a product not only fulfils the legal requirements, but has also undergone strict safety tests. The test mark is awarded by independent bodies that test the product intensively to ensure that it does not pose any risks when used correctly.

The DGUV test provides a further independent test level, which is particularly important for PPE in the higher categories. Products that pass this test have undergone the most stringent testing procedures under expert supervision to ensure compliance with the highest safety standards. Such a test is particularly essential for category 3 PPE, which is used for particularly high-risk activities.

Safety shoes certified to SRA, SRB or SRC offer special protection against slip hazards. These certifications are the result of tests in accordance with EN 13287, in which slip resistance is assessed on various surfaces such as ceramic tiles and steel floors. Footwear that fulfils the required criteria in these tests is awarded the corresponding certification, which certifies its suitability and safety in slip-prone environments.