Carnegie Mellon University

Personal Protective Equipment

Personal protective equipment (PPE) refers to protective clothing, safety glasses, hard hats, safety shoes and other equipment worn by an individual. PPE is designed to protect you from serious injuries or illness resulting from contact with chemical, radiological, physical, electrical, mechanical or other work hazards.

Selecting the right PPE is only one step in the process which also includes hazard identification, PPE selection, training, and proper PPE maintenance. Remember, PPE is often the last line of defense after engineering controls, work practices and administrative controls have all be implemented.