PPE: Should use PPE food industry

In the food industry, tasks and processes are carried out that can represent a risk for the employees of a company. Some tasks are those related to supply, cleaning, internal transport or storage, cutting, mixing, and others and require direct contact between food, elements of human consumption, external agents, and employees they need to personal protection equipment (PPE).

For this reason, depending on the type of work performed or the degree of exposure to external contaminating agents, the company must provide its employees with the occupational protection equipment PPE appropriate to their position.

What garments do the workers of a company in the food industry need?

Hearing protection

These are garments that reduce workers’ exposure to noise and reduce the risk of diseases caused by this exposure. It is essential to know the noise levels to which you are exposed to choose the correct protection PPE.

Usually, most of the food industry carries out processes that generate noise levels from 85 dB to 95 dB, such as the industries related to confectionery, dairy, and clothing. Some emit up to 100 dB, such as grinding, beverage production, and those belonging to the meat sector.

PPE to protect employees’ hearing, companies will select products specially designed for the food industry, such as earplugs and ear protectors and communication earmuffs to protect against dangerous noise levels.

PPE

Eye protection

Due to the potential risks within this environment, it must be adequately the eye protected. Machinery maintenance tasks often release debris or particles into the air.

For this reason, when selecting eye and facial protection garments for employees, we must bear in mind that there are two groups of protectors depending on the area to be protected:

Protection glasses are usually the option of choice if only the eyes need to be protected.

Protection screens: Yes, in addition to the eyes, must protect the face or other parts of the head.

Once we know which of the two previous options we should choose, we will classify them into:

Universal frame glasses are a type of eye protector in which the eyepieces are inserted in a frame with pins. It is possible to have side protectors or not.

Full frame glasses:  Eye protector that seals the orbital region and remains in contact with the face.

Face shield:  In this case, it is an eye protector that generally covers the entire face. However, some models cover only the upper part, for example.

Hand screen:  In this case, they are face shields that usually cover the entire face and are held by hand.

Full face shield:  And finally, the full face shields, which, in addition to the eyes, cover the face, throat, and neck. They can be worn over the head, either by a harness or a protective helmet.

Respiratory protection

Companies in which employees are frequently exposed to dust particles, such as flour, spices, or coffee, are at risk of developing respiratory diseases such as asthma.

In these cases, the selection of PPE protective equipment focuses on quality self- filtering  

masks that ensure reliable protection against dangerous particles.

This respiratory PPE protection equipment is individual and protects the respiratory tract from airborne contaminants, reducing their concentration in the inhalation zone.

When choosing masks, masks, or half masks, the company will consider whether or not the particles depend on the environment. So you will find two types of protectors:

Filtering equipment: The group of equipment depends on the environment. The inhaled air passes through a filter where contaminants are removed. (Filter equipment against particles, filters equipment against gases and vapors, and filter equipment against particles, gases, and vapors…)

Insulating equipment: Those independent of the environment, that is, provide protection both for polluted atmospheres and for oxygen deficiency. Its operation is based on a supply of an uncontaminated gas suitable for human respiration (air or oxygen).