We often associate the word ‘disposable’ with worthless, something of low value and quality. Nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to disposable PPE, for though only designed for one-time use, there is nothing worthless about them and they can play a key role in preventing serious harm (or worse) to workers exposed to harmful substances in the course of their day-to-day work activity. Equally important, there are situations where they prevent contamination of other substances (such as food or paint) from the workers themselves. In this article, we shall take a look at some work situations where the wearing of appropriate disposable PPE coverall suits is essential to safe operations.

Disposable PPE suits for Food Production

Food preparation is an area where PPE suits are vital in order to protect the food from hair, germs, debris, and other contaminants that may be present on the workers’ bodies. It also protects the food from cross-contamination. In addition, food preparation workers should also wear gloves, and hairnets, along with beard masks where appropriate, all of which M.A. Healy & Sons can supply.

Disposable PPE suits for waste handling and clean-up operations

Workers engaged in waste handling or a clean-up are exposed to what can be unpredictable contaminants and potentially harmful substances. Therefore, those involved in waste cleanup must be given adequate PPE to wear to protect themselves from such risks. Disposable suits can come into their own here, while appropriate gloves are also essential. One example might be a clean-up after a flood, where sewage water may have contaminated the debris being cleaned up.

Disposable PPE suits are used by paint and body shops

Paint spray facilities are hazardous work environments, with what are effectively harmful chemicals being sprayed in a restricted area. One obvious form of PPE necessary here is adequate respiratory equipment. However, it is also important to protect the rest of your body, and this is why paint shop workers should wear PPE suits. Regular clothing runs the risk of letting harmful molecules from the paint seep through and making contact with the skin. It may sound harmless, but when you consider that paint shop workers are continually exposed to toxins from sprayed paint day in, and day out, it is imperative that they are constantly wearing the right level of PPE. M.A. Healy can supply a range of suits and respiratory equipment specified for paint spray workers.

It’s also worth noting that disposable PPE not only serves to protect workers from paint, but it also protects the paint from the workers; lint and dust on workers’ bodies and personal clothing can contaminate an otherwise perfect paint finish.

Disposable PPE suits for construction and building renovation projects

Building construction and renovation projects can sometimes involve handling harmful or suspect material. For example, fibers from insulation, or worse still, asbestos may be present in older buildings. For this reason, construction workers involved in handling such material should be kitted out with appropriate disposable PPE suits and said suits properly discarded after one wear, to prevent further contamination.

Disposable PPE suits for spraying pesticides

For workers involved in the spraying of pesticides, wearing a disposable PPE suit is an absolute must. As with all types of chemical sprays, there is a double risk here—not only do you need to prevent chemicals from touching the skin, but you also need to mitigate against the chemicals contaminating the regular clothing under the suit, so the PPE must be impenetrable. Elasticated cuffs at the end of the arms help to further mitigate this. Naturally, workers spraying pesticides should also wear appropriate gloves and respiratory equipment.

Note, that disposable PPE is intended for one-time use only, and should be discarded after wearing. Other employees should never reuse it.

The above is but a cross-section of work situations where disposable PPE suits should be worn by staff—it is far from exhaustive. If you are interested in acquiring disposable coveralls, or indeed, any PPE, for your workers, please give our team a call at 0402 32116 or email sales@mahealy.ie and they’ll be happy to pass on their decades of experience to advise on your PPE needs. Alternatively, call our Safety Shops in Arklow or Cork. We carry an extensive range of disposable PPE coveralls from reputable manufacturers such as Polyco Healthline, 3M, and Tyvek.