Personal protective equipment

A welder will have to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in many of his work activities. 
 
The Occupational Health and Safety Act stipulates that an employer must provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that complies with the requirements of the Goods Road Personal Protective Equipment Decree 2018. This is based on European regulations.
 
All products used for personal protection must be marked with the appropriate CE basic marking and expanded if required by the applicable standard according to the intended use.

Obligation of employer/employee

Both the employer and the employee have a number of duties they must meet around personal protective equipment.

Employer:
  • Provides the employee with the necessary PPE`s free of charge;
  • Supervises the proper use of the PPE`s;
  • Makes arrangements regarding maintenance and replacement with employees;
  • Providing information and instructions on this;
  • Indicates the situations in which the PPE`s should be used.

Employee:
  • Properly use and maintain the PPE`s provided by the employer;
  • Participate in instructions and information about the PPE`s;
  • Check whether the CE mark is present and in good condition.

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A normal conversation produces a noise level of about 60 decibels (dB). A noise dose of 80 dB is considered a safe limit in the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The risk of permanent hearing damage begins at a daily sound dose of 80 dB. An employer is obligated to offer hearing protection at more than 80 dB. Every 3 decibels added is a doubling of the sound volume, so that from 83 dB only a maximum of 4 hours can be worked without hearing protection, and above 85 Db the employee is obliged to wear hearing protection.

Hearing protection must comply with standard EN 352.

Do you want to know which hearing protection fits your work best? Are just earplugs sufficient, do you need a hearing shield or does a hearing brace suit you best? 

Hearing damage due to noise is among the most common occupational diseases in the Netherlands and is easily prevented by wearing the right hearing protection. An employee who does not wear hearing protection is risking his health!

Hand protection

Welding gloves can be divided into two different categories, work gloves and welding gloves. Welding gloves must be heat-resistant. As a result, they are usually made of leather and the stitching is often KEVLAR thread. A glove must protect against molten metal welding spatter, UV radiation, fire, heat, cutting and electricity.

The EN1244 standard is for welding gloves and related processes. To the right in the picture you can see what a type A and type B glove must meet as a minimum. The EN 12477 normal consists of standards extracted from other EN standards. These are the EN 388, EN 407. EN 407, EN 420 and the pr 1149-2.

At Elektrolas, we have a wide range in terms of gloves. For example, we have MIG and Tig welding gloves as well as work and cut resistant gloves. 

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To avoid inhaling hazardous substances released during welding, it is important to wear respiratory protection. During welding, substances such as toxic gases, fine steel dust and heavy metals can be released.  These substances can be harmful to your health if you inhale them. 

Respiratory protection can consist of a respirator mask or a respirator, depending on the conditions under which you are welding. It is important to choose the right respiratory protection suitable for the substances you are working with, and to make sure it is properly connected and used correctly to provide optimal protection

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To protect your eyes and face from hazardous materials during welding, it is important to wear proper face protection.

High-intensity light can be released during welding, which can cause eye and face burns. Steel dust may also be released, which can lead to irritation of the respiratory system and eyes. Therefore, it is important to wear face protection, such as welding goggles or a welding shield.

It is also important to properly maintain the protection and replace it if it is damaged or stops working properly. This way you can ensure that you are optimally protected while welding.

Improve the safety of your welding shop?

Do you have a safety issue? We are happy to share our expertise so you can meet all safety requirements. Call, email or leave a callback request. Our safety expert Denny will be happy to help you!

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