Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) e-Learning Training Course

• Managers
• Supervisors
• Employee Representatives, and
• Others involved with providing appropriate information and guidance to employees in the workplace including contractors and subcontractors.

The course explains the obligations of the employer in the provision of personal protective equipment, or more commonly referred to as PPE, to employees along with the different types of PPE available.
PPE is equipment used to protect the user against health or safety risks at work and includes the following:

1. Safety Helmets
2. Ear protection
3. High visibility clothing
4. Safety footwear
5. Safety harnesses
6. Thermal, weather and waterproof clothing, and
7. Respiratory protective equipment, or RPE.

The course outlines that when PPE is provided, it is required that employees receive the correct information, instructions, and training on its uses, maintenance of the equipment, cleaning thereof, and the correct disposing thereof. The course also includes the extent of the information, instruction, and training which will vary along with the complexity and performance of the equipment. This is applicable to, for instance, how full breathing apparatus requires more training on its proper use than a disposable mask.

Upon completion of this course, the candidate will be capable of, and able to demonstrate an understanding of the content through the application of knowledge in both familiar and unfamiliar situations. In addition, the candidate will be able to:

1. Demonstrate basic knowledge of, and identify, the basic requirements of the use, management, maintenance, and storage of PPE.
2. Explain and develop a hazard assessment program which pertains to PPE including the warning methods and physical barriers, moral and financial reasons for promoting the wearing of PPE.
3. Ensure that PPE is worn not only to protect the user to some degree, but to create a safe workplace for all employees.
4. Explain the scope and variety of PPE which is required by workers to perform a task safely with minimal exposure to risks, and
5. Understand the training requirements for the proper use of selected PPE.

This course is aimed at ensuring that the correct and most suitable PPE is made available to employees and ensures and facilitate employee awareness pertaining to their surroundings.
It also encourages risk identification pertaining to work or the task being performed and how to manage such risks by wearing PPE.
Content covered in this course includes:

1. Identification of Safety, Health and Environmental hazards by solving common problems and making decisions through critical thinking in implementing or creating a PPE program for employees.
2. Evaluation of potential hazards and the implementation of required processes to promote the wearing of PPE and encourage the correct use thereof.
3. Extensive understanding of the current PPE requirements as prescribed by the Occupational Health and Safety Act and regulations.
4. Preparation for making the workplace safe and understand the different types of PPE and their applications.
5. Performing a risk assessment and selecting the correct PPE to be worn depending on the circumstances.
6. Interpretation and understanding the kind of training needed in the proper use of and care for PPE.
7. Identify common impacts that poor PPE use and care may have and implementing policies and procedures to minimize and eliminate the risks of such occurrences.

The candidate attending the course will be assessed against the outcomes of each element through the completion of a subscribed knowledge assessment. The assessment will cover the essential embedded knowledge as stipulated in the course and will ensure that the candidate can apply the learning to a working situation.