Training for the use of personal protective equipment

Training for the use of personal protective equipment

When issuing personal protective equipment to employees, training in the use of personal protective equipment shall be provided that includes a demonstration, where needed. An employee shall be notified of health risks which may result from not using PPE. When organising training, the instructions for use of the personal protective equipment, the procedure for use of PPE in the enterprise and results of the risk assessment should be taken into account. An employee shall receive instruction on the regular inspection and maintenance of personal protective equipment. In the course of the training, the employees shall be notified of where and in which conditions the PPE shall be stored, including at the end of the working day. Where circumstances require the use of the same personal protective equipment by several employees, information shall be provided on measures to ensure that users do not experience any problems with health or hygiene. These measures usually entail the use of disinfectants and cleaners. If necessary, specialists from outside the enterprise should be involved in the organisation of training, especially if the type of personal protective equipment is used for the first time. The use of fall protection equipment, for example, requires good theoretical knowledge, as well as practical skills and an enterprise may not have an employee who could train a new employee. It is therefore a good idea to organise training to employees who use fall protection equipment by involving an outside specialist.

The instructions for use, which form one of the bases of the training, shall be prepared by the manufacturer of the personal protective equipment or its authorised representative, and the distributor shall provide it to the buyer in Estonian.

In addition to the name and address of the manufacturer, the instructions for use accompanying the PPE shall contain, inter alia, the following relevant information:

1. instructions for storage, use, cleaning, maintenance, tidying and disinfection. The cleaning, maintenance and disinfection products recommended by the manufacturer shall not, if used in accordance with the relevant instructions, endanger the personal protective equipment or its user;
2. the protective properties identified in the relevant technical tests to determine the protection level or class of the PPE;
3. where appropriate, the accessories to be used with the PPE and the characteristics of the relevant spare parts;
4. where appropriate, protection classes and limits of use corresponding to different risk levels;
5. where appropriate, the month and year when the useful life ends or the lifetime of the PPE or certain parts thereof;
6. where appropriate, the type of packaging suitable for transport;
7. the meaning of the labels;
8. the hazard for which the personal protective equipment is designed;

If significant defects in the personal protective equipment and the instructions for use are discovered, you have the right to contact their distributor or the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority.