It’s another exciting week at Essential Site Skills as we launch our online PPE and safety equipment shop! We’ve only just recently launched our E-Learning module, but we aren’t ones to wait around and are quickly working towards our vision of being a one-stop shop for all your training and safety needs.

We will continue to update the online safety shop with new products from leading suppliers but already on offer is a wide selection of respiratory protective equipment (RPE), products for height safety, lifting and handling, and cable detection products.

In honour of our new shop, here is a reminder of the importance of PPE and safety equipment.

What is Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)?

Commonly used PPE can include items such as safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, hazmat suits, high-visibility clothing, safety footwear, safety harnesses, ear plugs, ear defenders and respiratory protective equipment (RPE). It also includes products designed to protect those who work at height, such as harnesses, belts, and fall arresters.

The wider category also includes products that help reduce the risk of injury to workers and make many tasks safer. Cable detection equipment, for instance, helps workers locate underground services before excavation starts, lowering the number of cable and pipe strikes.

Similarly, lifting and handling equipment is used to mitigate some of the risks when handling heavy goods, by reducing the risk of injuries to the back or other parts of the body.  

Other safety products, like emergency rescue equipment can also be found in our new shop.

Why is PPE So Essential?

Statistics show that most workplace injuries, especially in the construction industry could have been prevented if the correct protective or safety equipment had been used.

For example, 84% of workers who sustain a head injury, were not wearing head protection and an estimated 50% of construction workers will suffer from an eye injury at some point in their career which could have been avoided by using the right eye protection.

Safety equipment and PPE is an essential component of a healthy safety culture in any business. Alongside training, PPE can prevent many commonplace injuries or deaths. Prevention is better than a cure and this is especially true when it comes to long-term health conditions that are relatively easy to avoid so long as the right precautions are taken.

Long-term health conditions, respiratory illnesses, in particular, are extremely common amongst construction workers when they needn’t be. As we reported earlier this month, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have their eye on occupational lung diseases and the preventative measures that business owners have in place to reduce the risk to employees from dusts and gasses. The dust hazard is a great example of how the right training, combined with the proper equipment can save lives.

In addition to the obvious reasons for wanting to protect workers, it’s actually enshrined in law; take a look at The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992.

Section 4 states:

“Every employer shall ensure that suitable personal protective equipment is provided to his employees who may be exposed to a risk to their health or safety while at work except where and to the extent that such risk has been adequately controlled by other means which are equally or more effective.”

Like safety training, safety equipment is both a legal requirement and a moral obligation.

Buy Safety Equipment Online

Essential Site Skills are a trusted and approved safety equipment supplier with British Safety Industry Federation Registered Safety Supplier status. This is only awarded to suppliers who sell equipment that meets the relevant European safety standards.

Our shop stocks a wide variety of PPE and safety equipment, from leading manufacturers such as Moldex, and Tractel.

We have made it easy to browse our shop and find what you are looking for. Making a purchase is easy and your order can be placed online. Remember to keep checking back as we expand our current selection of products.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for, or for larger orders and bespoke requirements please contact us and speak to one of our equipment experts.