UNIVERSITY OF MAKATI

EFFECTS OF IMPROPER USE OF PERSONAL

PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENTS

In partial fulfillment
of the requirements for Grade 11
Practical Research

By
Aniwer, Ivan
Asis, Joshua Philip Borja
Cuya, Albert
Genzon, Marc Aldrin
Larracochea, Can Elbert
Mangune, Jericho
Ondoy, Jimwell
 Chapter 1
Impact of improper cleaning of misuse PPE

Introduction

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is used by workers in various work settings.

Gloves, hard hats, safety glasses, ear plugs, aprons, laboratory coats, safety shoes,
and respirators are all examples of PPE. When a hazard cannot be removed from the
workplace, or when engineering controls are insufficient to control the hazard, PPE
must be considered. PPE does not eliminate hazards from the workplace but places a
barrier between the worker and the hazard. If the PPE fails or is not used properly, the
worker will be exposed.

In order to ensure that workers are provided with correct PPE, and that the PPE
is used properly, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has
developed standards for certain types of PPE. The employer must provide to employees
certain PPE when a workplace hazard assessment reveals the need for its use.
Standards have been developed for hard hats, work shoes, gloves, eyewear, and
respirators.

The employer is obligated to provide and to pay for personal protective

equipment required by the company for the worker to do his or her job safely and in
compliance with OSHA standards. Where equipment is very personal in nature, such as
safety shoes, and is usable by workers off the job, the matter of payment may be left to
labor-management negotiations. However, items such as safety shoes which are
subject to contamination by carcinogens or other toxic or hazardous substances, and
which cannot be safely worn off-site, must be paid for by the employer.

The Environmental Health and Safety Department (EH&S) has developed these
guidelines to assist the Albert Einstein College of Medicine employees with the proper
selection and use of PPE.
Background of the Study

The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 applies to employers, employees
in all employments and to the self-employed. The Act contains provisions for improving
the safety, health and welfare of all workers. Section 8 sets out the General Duties of the
employer under the Act which includes a duty of care to the employee. One of these
duties provides for the provision and maintenance of suitable Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE) where risks cannot be eliminated or where such equipment is
prescribed.
In addition Section 13 of the Act places responsibilities on employees one of which
is to correctly use PPE provided for use at work for his/her protection taking account of
the training and instructions given by the employer. Section 14 prohibits any person from
intentionally or recklessly interfering with, misusing or damaging anything provided under
health and safety legislation, or provided to protect the safety, health and welfare of
persons at work which includes the misuse of PPE.
On a regular basis the Union receives queries about the provision and use of PPE
at work and set out below is the answer to some common questions received. This is not
intended to be a legal interpretation of the legislation.

Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007

The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations

compliment the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 by including all of the
specific safety and health laws in one text. The text is user friendly and is designed to
assist anyone making reference to safety and health regulations. Part 2 of the
regulations refers to the Workplace and the use of Work Equipment and Chapter 3
refers to Personal Protective Equipment.
Significance of the Study

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

 Equipment which protects those using it against health and safety risks at work. It
can include: protective clothing, helmets, goggles, harnesses, footwear etc.
 Making the workplace safe includes providing employees with instructions,
procedures, training and supervisions to encourage safe and responsible
working.
 PPE contributes to a safe workplace, so it's always going to be an integral part of
running a successful and safe business.
 To engage in risk management and conduct assessments of risk.
 Help avoid and reduce workplace accidents and sickness.

Types of PPE You Can Use

Obviously, there are various types of PPE to protect various different areas of the
body from harm. These can include:

 Eyes: safety spectacles, goggles, face screens, face shields, visors;

 Head and neck: safety helmets, hair nets, fire fighters' helmets;
 Ears: ear plugs, earmuffs;
 Hand and arms: gloves, gloves with a cuff, gauntlets;
 Feet and legs: safety boots/shoes;
 Lungs: Respiratory protective equipment;
 Whole body: conventional/disposable overalls, boiler suits, chemical suits
Statement of the Problem

Hotel housekeeping range from guest dissatisfaction to injuries on the job. A

guest may complain about housekeepers over an untidy room and a broken or missing
personal belongings. Housekeepers are required to clean many hotel rooms per day
and must often interact with guests, visitors and employees.
The researchers have come up with queries that would guide them from
preventing damages and issues about housekeeping.
 General Problem:

1. How to prevent damages and issues because of misuse of ppe.

 Specific Problems:

1. What king of Housekeeping PPE do they usually use?

1.1. How many employees use PPE?

1.2. How many employees read PPE Guidelines?

1.3. How many employees follow PPE rules?

1.4. How many employees have use PPE?

2. Where do they get their PPE?

3. How do they often use PPE?

4. What are the significance of following the uses of PPE?

5. What is the behavior of Employees toward PPE?

Scope and Delimitations

The Study confined itself to the identification of the impact of misuse of PPE, to
prevent injuries and damages.
The researchers also determine the cause of issues that damage hotel about
housekeeping.

1. Broken lights

Broken lights, electrical switches or appliances can be really frustrating for

guests. If they become a constant problem, they can deter people from returning
to your hotel which will end up impacting your profits.

Housekeeping must perform weekly checks to ensure all electrical are

working properly. There will be times when guests will come across a bulb that
needs to be replaced but by having regular checks you can reduce the chance of
guests suffering an inconvenience.

2. Clutter

Cardboard, shrink wrap, leftover production materials, broken wooden

pallets and banding materials are all common forms of clutter on plant floors and
loading docks. In addition to being unsightly, these materials also can cause
safety problems if forklift operators need to navigate around them or employees
have to step over them.

3. Slips, trips and falls

There are numerous opportunities to lose your balance/footing when

walking in and out building to perform your work, mopping floors and restrooms
and stripping/waxing floors.

4. Sharp objects

Housekeeping workers are responsible for collecting trash and can be

injured by needles, broken glass and other sharp objects.
 5. Lifting

Custodial workers are always lifting and moving objects, the weight of the trash
can cause back and shoulder injuries from lifting, carrying and moving
the cleaning equipment from location to location also is hard on the body.

Conceptual Framework

Use of personal protective equipment (PPE) at work, can be determined by the

following:
a. Amount of PPE being used

This refer to the numbers of PP equipment’s that an employee engages

oneself in. The kinds of PP equipment’s that are used. These could be safety
gloves, safety shoes and etc.

b. Frequency of PPE

This pertains to how often an individual used PPE; whether a person

always, sometimes or never involves oneself in the aforementioned activity.
PPE is equipment that will protect the user against health or safety risks at work.
It can include items such as safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, high-visibility
clothing, safety footwear and safety harnesses. It also includes respiratory protective
equipment (RPE).
The onsite incident commander will define the PPE ensemble required based on
the conditions at the scene. For first receivers and hospitals, PPE selection is based on
the institution's chemical emergency procedures.
Guidance used for selecting appropriate PPE for chemical emergencies is
available.
For First Responder - OSHA/NIOSH Interim Guidance: Chemical - Biological -
Radiological - Nuclear (CBRN) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Selection Matrix
for Emergency Responders (OSHA, NIOSH, and April 2005)
For Hospital Providers - OSHA Best Practices for Hospital-Based First Receivers
of Victims from Mass Casualty Incidents Involving the Release of Hazardous
Substances (PDF - 1.93 MB) (OSHA, January 2005)
Personal protective equipment
Can be categorized by the area of the body protected, by the types of hazard, and
by the type of garment or accessory, can be listed as follows:
a. Skin protection

Occupational skin diseases such as contact dermatitis, skin cancers, and

other skin injuries and infections are the second-most common type of
occupational disease and can be very costly.

b. Hearing protection

Industrial noise is often overlooked as an occupational hazard, as it is not

visible to the eye. Overall, about 22 million workers in the United States are
exposed to potentially damaging noise levels each year. Occupational hearing
loss accounted for 14% of all occupational illnesses in 2007, with about 23,000
cases significant enough to cause permanent hearing impairment.

c. Eye Protection

Eye injuries can happen through a variety of means. Most eye injuries
occur when solid particles such as metal slivers, wood chips, sand or cement chips
get into the eye.

d. Protective clothing and ensembles

Below are some examples of ensembles of personal protective equipment:

 Chainsaw protection (especially a helmet with face guard, hearing

protection, Kevlar chaps, anti-vibration gloves, and chainsaw safety boots).
 Bee-keepers wear various levels of protection depending on the temperament of
their bees and the reaction of the bees to nectar availability. At minimum most bee
keepers wear a brimmed hat and a veil made of fine mesh netting. The next level of
protection involves leather gloves with long gauntlets and some way of
keeping bees from crawling up one's trouser legs. In extreme cases, specially
fabricated shirts and trousers can serve as barriers to the bees' stingers.
 Diving equipment, for underwater diving, constitutes equipment such as a diving
helmet or diving mask, an underwater breathing apparatus, and a diving suit.
 Firefighters wear PPE designed to provide protection against fires and various
fumes and gases. PPE worn by firefighters include bunker gear, self-contained
breathing apparatus, a helmet, safety boots, and a PASS device.
Conceptual Diagram

Definition of terms

 Uses of PPE

According to European Committee for Standardization,

Personal protective equipment excluded from the scope of the Directive includes:

 PPE designed for and used by the armed forces or in the maintenance of law and
order;
 PPE for self-defense (e.g. aerosol canisters, personal deterrent weapons);
 PPE designed and manufactured for personal use against adverse atmospheric
conditions (e.g. seasonal clothing, umbrellas), damp and water (e.g. dish-washing
gloves) and heat;
 PPE used on vessels and aircraft but not worn at all times;
 Helmets and visors intended for users of two- or three-wheeled motor vehicles.
 Chapter II

Research literature
Introduction

The research gives emphasis on the exploration and gathering adequate data
about the Improper misuse of PPE. Mainly, it deals about the attitudes, behaviors and
the Characteristics of an employee toward PPE. It aims to find out about the initial
reaction of the respondents when they are engaged in the said activity. The researches
ought to find out about their preferences, the number of PPE material they own, where
they get these, their allotted time for PPE, the behavior of an employee toward PPE.

Observing the misuse of PPE of the population for this study may contribute new
insights to the new field of knowledge. At the same time, gaining knowledge about PPE
would be beneficial for different entities and individuals that are involved in the research.
It may also serve as a guide for the development of PPE.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Personal Protective Equipment is defined in the UK Regulations 1992 as „all
equipment (Including clothing affording protection against the weather) which is
intended to be worn or held by a person at work and which protects him against one or
more risks to his health or safety‟, e.g. safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, high-
visibility clothing, safety footwear and safety harnesses (A short guide to the Personal
Protective Equipment…, n.d.). Personal protective equipment commonly referred to as
“PPE” is equipment worn to minimize exposure to a variety of hazards; is also a method
to protect a person from hot and cold temperatures.

Where health risk cannot be avoided or processes cannot be improved, the use
of appropriate PPE can also be effective measure to protect the health of workers.
McPherson and Shamis (2007) give account of history of development of personal
protective equipment, which initially focused on protecting the worker. Later focus
shifted to worker comfort, to functionality and performance issues, and finally to style
issues. By mid-century, advance in glove styles and compound dipping were
complemented by production innovations designed to improve cost and quality. In
addition to improvements in cut resistance, this era saw the development of coated
gloves with textured finished to meet grip requirements. In the mid-1970s the formation
of OSHA led to an increased focus on worker safety product. Sometimes PPE is
considered the most boring of all the facets of health and safety (Hands, 2010). But
personal protective equipment -- while it should be the last resort in the safety controls
put in place by an employer -- is, on the other hand, also our own first, personal, line of
defense against the hazards we come across at work. This is especially true in many
developing countries where PPE might often be the only line of defense against hazards
on site.
 In most developed countries PPE is considered a moot point in safety discuss,
because safety regulations have been developed there in the first place and there is a
legal framework for enforcing those regulations. Research carried out in UK (Taylor,
2011) found that some site workers continue to have a rather cavalier attitude towards
protective clothing, but even more worryingly, that little was being done in terms of
training or education to rectify this situation; some health and safety managers
interviewed during the study admitted to a lack of knowledge about different PPE
product specifications and which clothing would be most suitable for their workplace,
while they also had concerns about how to deal with unknown or unpredictable hazards.
With such a lack of clarity, it should therefore come as no surprise to discover that only
just over half of workers (56%) received any PPE training at all, with nearly a third
simply selecting the protective clothing they thought was most suitable for the
appropriate task; workers also acknowledged their biggest issues with PPE were to do
with comfort and performance. Three-quarters said that if work wear was more
comfortable, they would be more willing to wear it than is currently the case.

Almost all Occupational Health Safety (OHS) regulations originated in foreign

countries. Two notable regulations: Factory Act of 1990 and the Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE) regulations of 2002 are specifically concerned with regulating the use
of PPE, the latter being a directive of the European communities (Idoro, 2011). After
analyzing the above documents, Idoro (2011) points out that the Directive is only
reference document, and its provisions of the Directive deals mainly with design and
manufacture of PPE but they do not specifically cover activities and in Factory Act of
1990 and revised version of 1992, the sites and their operations are excluded in the
existing OHS regulations. The efforts of the workers on the provision and use of PPE
are therefore unregulated. It is also important to note that the basic structure of the
Nigeria economy, like most developing countries) is dualistic (with a formal and informal
sector). The informal sector of the industry is large and is estimated to be responsible
for up to 70% of activities in the industry. Key operators and stakeholders tend to focus
more in the formal sector in the execution of capacity building programs aimed at
increasing efficiency in the industry. The same applies to research in the area. It is
however true that total success in safety regulations cannot be achieved without paying
due attention to the challenge of the informal sector of the industry. Traditionally, work
wear has been judged against very basic criteria - does it protect the worker and is it
functional enough to let them do their job effectively? But while these factors are
obviously important, other issues need just as careful consideration, especially comfort,
style and wear ability (Taylor, 2011). According to Joel (2007) protective devices are
designed to interpose an effective barrier between harmful object or environment.
Personal protective devices should meet the following requirements before it is
considered adequate;

- It should provide maximum comfort and minimum weight compatible with the
protective efficiency.
 - It should ensure adequate production from the hazards to which the workers will
be exposed.
- It should be durable.
- It should impose no restriction on essential movements or work or objections.
- It should have maximum attractiveness in appearance.
- It should be constructed in accordance with acceptable standards for
performance and for the materials.

If the items of protective clothing are uncomfortable and slow down workers, then
they are less likely to wear it, which increases the probability of accidents and heightens
the risk that they will suffer injury. On the other hand, if clothes fit properly and do not
impede the wearers‟ ability to do their job, they are much less likely to suffer a costly
lapse in concentration or make a potentially lethal mistake (Taylor, 2011). The PPE
should be suited to the environment and; properly selected for the individual and task;
readily available; clean and functional; correctly used when required and; maintained by
appropriately trained staff in accordance with personal protective equipment
maintenance and servicing program. These programs should be developed from
manufacturers‟ recommendation in regard to servicing the equipment, if required.
The main requirement of the PPE at Work Regulations 1992 is that personal protective
Equipment is to be supplied and used at work wherever there are risks to health and
safety that cannot be adequately controlled in other ways. The Regulations also require
that PPE:
- is properly assessed before use to ensure it is suitable;
- is maintained and stored properly;
- is provided with instructions on how to use it safely; and
- is used correctly by employees
- Staff must wear protective clothing as a legal requirement

Unfortunately, for many workers „health and safety‟ is just another in a long line
of bureaucratic
Measures put in place that make it more and more difficult to carry out their day-to-day
duties effectively.

Research study

Different surveys indicate that PPE is often not worn by workers on sites, which
undermines their general health and safety; anecdotal evidence also suggests that this
leads to different types of injuries.
This study focuses on studying the factors that determine the use of PPE on sites,
including its availability, maintenance, user-friendliness and training in the use of PPE.
 Chapter III

Methodology

The primary focus of this study was to describe the proportion of public health
worker and access to personal protective equipment and adequate training with
mandatory updates on equipment and techniques. To evaluate the need for personal
protective equipment researchers found that “Questionnaires are increasingly being
used in the workplace to assess exposures to chemicals and other agents.”
Questionnaires can be used to evaluate various types of working conditions as well as
health effects from possible exposures in the work environment.

The third chapter of this study is divided into subsections that are necessary to
further discuss the methodology of this research namely: the chosen design or strategy,
the technique used, instrument or material equipped, sampling method used and the
participant of the program and finally, the limitation.

Research design

The study about PPE is descriptive and exploratory in nature for it aims to
formulate hypothesis about the perception of students upon conceptualizing various
observations made on the outset of carrying out the research. The approach used to
accomplish this study is qualitative since the claims and information presented seek to
describe and explore a phenomenon textually.

To define the descriptive type of research, Creswell (1994) stated that the
descriptive method of research is to gather information about the present existing
condition. The aim of descriptive research is to verify formulated hypothesis that refer to
the present situation in order to elucidate it. The descriptive approach is quick and
practical in terms of the financial aspect. Moreover, this method allows a flexible
approach, thus, when important new issues and questions arise during the duration of
the study, further investigation may be conducted. A survey is a structured way of
learning about a larger group of people by obtaining information from a representative
sample of that particular group of people.

Research locale

The study will be conducted to Senior High school students of University of

Makati respondents who are grade 11 HRS, Cluster sampling technique has been used
to generate the sample, because of the heterogenic nature of the population,
represented by workers using PPE on sites. Ongoing building construction projects
have been used as clusters. 120 questionnaires were distributed during the survey and
90 were returned and used for the analysis.
Population and sampling design
The study involved public senior high school, 347 grade 11 HRS students from
this school. The 20% students from the total population were selected.

Section Population Respondent

8 57 11
32 56 11
64 57 11
65 57 11
69 60 12
70 60 12
347 (20%) 68 total of respondents

Research Instrument

In line with the objectives set at the beginning of the research, the researchers
formulated a set of questions for both the survey and interview as an instrument to
measure certain variables present in the study. The material disclosed in this subsection
was validated by the research adviser.

The instruments have undergone further analysis for the identification of the
connection of such queries to the problems stated on the earlier part of this study. The
established relationships between the questions and variables mentioned could be seen
in a tabulated form presented on the following page.

Instrument is the general term that researchers use for a measurement device
(survey, test, questionnaire, etc.). To help distinguish between instrument and
instrumentation, consider that the instrument is the device and instrumentation is the
course of action (the process of developing, testing, and using the device).
Instruments fall into two broad categories, researcher-completed and subject-
completed, distinguished by those instruments that researchers administer versus those
that are completed by participants. Researchers chose which type of instrument, or
instruments, to use based on the research question.
Data gathering procedures

The researcher’s assured confidentiality of respondents’ survey sheets. The

researchers also understood that people’s consciousness may also affect their honesty
and effectiveness in answering the survey, and so, the researchers gave the
respondents the option of being anonymous.
After collecting all data the researchers, with the help of the statistician tabulated
and tallied the survey. The result would hopefully be the basis for enhanced HRS.

Data analysis

Content analysis was used to analyze the data which was gathered from
personal interviews. According to Moore & McCabe (2005), this is the type of research
whereby data gathered is categorized in themes and sub-themes, so as to be able to be
comparable. A main advantage of content analysis is that it helps in data collected
being reduced and simplified, while at the same time producing results that may then
measure using quantitative techniques.

Moreover, content analysis gives the ability to researchers to structure the

qualitative data collected in a way that satisfies the accomplishment of research
objectives. However, human error is highly involved in content analysis, since there is
the risk for researchers to misinterpret the data gathered, thereby generating false and
unreliable conclusions (Krippendorff & Bock, 2008).

Data analysis summarizes collected data. It involves the interpretation of data

gathered through the use of analytical and logical reasoning to determine patterns,
relationships or trends.
Rate the questions 1 to 5: 1 is very rarely, 5 is always. Check inside the box, choose one
only.

QUESTIONS 1 2 3 4 5
How often do you use personal protective
equipment (PPE) in you work?
How often do you check your equipment for
cracks, seams, etc. to indicate that it need
repair/replacement?
How often do you replace your PPEs?
How often did your company orient you on
how to properly use your PPEs?
Did you encounter colleagues of yours that
do not know how to use PPEs properly?
How often do you maintain your PPEs?
How comfortable are your PPEs while you
work?
How heavy are your PPEs while you work?
How often did you encounter an instance
where one of you colleagues do not where an
equipment for the reason that the company
fails to provide one for every worker?
How confident are you that your PPE would
protect you from harm?