There are many components to personal protective equipment, each product with a different purpose and level of effectiveness. To simplify the various functions of PPE, we can divide it into four different categories of protection: Respiratory, Ear, Hand, Body, and Eye and Face. 

Respiratory Protection
Respiratory protective equipment (RPE) functions to protect individuals from inhaling dangerous substances and works in two major ways. The first is an air-purifying respirator, such as a mask, that filters out contaminants from the air. Other respirators use compressed air to supply oxygen to users, such as airline respirators. RPE includes full-face respirators, self-contained breathing apparatus, gas masks, N95 respirators, and surgical masks that prevents inhalation of harmful materials in the body as such  harmful gas, chemicals, large-particle droplets, sprays, splashes, or splatter that may contain viruses and bacteria such as COVID-19, viral infections, and more.

Safety Tips:

• Ensure that the equipment is fit-tested and the employee has undergone proper training before wearing one.
• Carefully read the instructions to determine if it is designed to help protect against the hazards you may face.
• Change filters on half-mask or full-mask respirators frequently.
• Replace disposable respirators with every use.
• Surgical masks are not to be shared with anyone.
• Avoid touching the surgical mask after wearing it.
• Change surgical mask timely and dispose off after use.
• Replace the mask immediately if it is damaged or soiled.

Ear Protection
Hearing Protection is designed to safeguard individuals from the harmful effects of excessive noise exposure in various work environments. Prolonged exposure to high levels of noise can lead to permanent hearing loss, tinnitus, and other auditory complications, making effective hearing protection indispensable for workers in industries such as construction, manufacturing, aviation, and mining. Hearing protection devices include earplugs, earmuffs, and noise-canceling headphones which serve as barriers and reduce noise levels to safer limits, ensuring that workers can perform their duties without compromising their auditory health.

Safety Tips:

• Ensure the equipment fit the ear canal perfectly.
• It is recommended to use formable earplugs to fit different sizes of ear canals.
• Use protectors that reduce noise exposure to an acceptable level to have room for communication.
• Ensure earplugs are clean and in good condition.

Hand Protection
Hand protection covers the hands and arms to potential injury. Most commonly it defends against hand and skin burns, absorption of harmful substances, cuts, fractures or amputations.

Safety Tips:

• Ensure hand protection fits perfectly with no spaces and is free from cuts, burns, and chemical residue.
• Always replace them if any sign of contamination was observed.
• Use rubber gloves when working with heat and electricity to reduce the risk of burn or electrical shock.

Eye and Face Protection
The fourth main type of PPE is eye and face protection, such as safety glasses, protective goggles and face shields. The goal of face protection equipment is to lessen the chance of eye damage or loss of vision due to sprays of toxic liquids, splashes, and burns.

Safety Tips:

• Check if safety glasses comply with the ANSI Z87.1 eye protection standard.
• Ensure that there are no cracks or deformities on the lenses.
• Ensure the strap is in good working condition and is firmly sealed to the cheek and forehead.
• Clean and disinfect after use.