32 Meetings-MESHA-Final Code-2010-10-0355-1-En.doc/v2
6. Personal protective equipment (PPE)
6.1. General provisions
6.1.1. PPE provides supplementary protection against exposure to hazardous
conditions in agricultural production where the safety of workers cannot be ensured by
other means, such as eliminating the hazard, controlling the risk at source or minimizing
the risk. Suitable and sufficient PPE, having regard to the type of work and risks, and in
consultation with workers and their representatives, should be used by the worker and
provided and maintained by the employer, without cost to the workers. The same level of
protection should also be provided for casual or seasonal workers.
6.1.2. PPE is the last line of defence and the least effective. It should be used
whenever hazards and risks cannot be controlled by collective measures, but should never
be considered as an adequate substitute for higher level control measures.
6.1.3. Items of PPE provided must comply with national law or be in accordance
with criteria approved or recognized by the competent authority and based on national or
international standards.
6.1.4. Those responsible for the management and operation of the personal
protection programme should be trained:
– in the nature of the hazards against which the PPE is intended to provide protection;
– in the selection, storage, testing and replacement of suitable PPE;
– in assuring that it is correctly fitted to the people who use it, and that a range of
equipment is available in order to provide adequate comfort;
– in the consequences of poor performance or equipment failure; and
– to have an understanding of the appropriate action to take.
6.1.5. PPE should be selected considering the characteristics of the wearer and
additional physiological load or other harmful effects caused by the PPE. It should be used,
maintained, stored and replaced in accordance with the standards or guidance for each
hazard identified at the workplace and according to the information given by the
manufacturer. PPE stocks should be managed to ensure that appropriate PPE is always
available.
6.1.6. PPE should be examined periodically in accordance with the manufacturer’s
recommendations, taking into account the amount of use to ensure that it is in good
condition.
6.1.7. Different PPE and their components should be compatible with each other
when they are worn together.
6.1.8. PPE should be personal to the wearer, unless it is properly cleaned after each
use.
6.1.9. PPE should be assessed for ergonomic design and, to the extent practicable,
should not restrict the user’s mobility or field of vision, hearing or other sensory functions.