Personal Protective Equipment

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is any personal equipment that can protect workers from hazards. This includes items such as helmets, gloves, and steel-toed boots.

PPE also includes respirators, which are one of the most important types of PPE used in a confined space. There are several types of respirators, including the following:

Air-purifying respirators (APR) are either half face or full-face masks that clean the air which comes through them using special filters or cartridges. These respirators are low-profile, lightweight, and affordable, but typically only useful for non-lethal situations.

Powered air-purifying respirators (PAPR) are much like APRs, but a motor-powered fan supplies clean air through the filter or cartridge.

Supplied Air Respirators include their own air supply, either worn on a person's back, or attached via a long hose to a larger air tank outside. These respirators provide much better protection than the previous do and are necessary for situations that are immediately dangerous for life or health (also known as IDLH). However, supplied air respirators are bulkier and heavier than other respirators, which could make escape or rescue more difficult. The most common of these is known as a self-contained breathing apparatus, or SCBA.

To learn more about Confined Spaces visit our Construction Confined Spaces Online Training web page.