As a major employer in Ireland, the pharmaceutical industry is important worldwide but brings its own risks, with workers exposed to a variety of risks on a day-to-day basis. For this reason, those involved in their operation need to be mindful of the risks involved and ensure that staff have access to appropriate PPE. M.A Healy & Sons have been suppling PPE to the Irish pharma industry for many, many years, so we thought we'd put together this article taking a look at some of the principal areas of PPE necessary in the pharma industry.

Respiratory PPE for the Pharma Industry

Dangerous gases, vapors, and even dust are a constant threat to those working in the pharmaceutical industry. These airborne hazards can be mitigated through the wearing of appropriate respiratory PPE. It is of the utmost importance that the appropriate type of respiratory PPE is selected for the environment and hazards in question. Safety Officers should also ensure that the PPE supplied is an appropriate fit for each employee (if the respirator doesn’t fit properly on the employee’s face, the seal may not be sufficient, and its effectiveness at safeguarding against harmful gases/vapours/dust compromised. Types of respiratory PPE include disposable respirators, reusable respirators, powered respirators, and supplied air respirators. Manufacturers include BLS, 3M, and Cleanspace.

Protective Suits for the Pharma Industry

Protective coverall suits help guard the wearer from the various biological and chemical hazards encountered when working in the pharmaceutical industry, which can present themselves in liquid, solid, or gas forms. In some instances, the suits also serve to protect the product from the worker, especially in areas of medicine production. Leading manufacturers of disposable coverall suits for the pharmaceutical industry include Indutex DuPont and 3M, all of which are stocked by M.A. Healy & Sons. Ltd.

Hand PPE for the Pharma Industry

The hands are as exposed to pharmaceutical industry hazards just as much (if not more) than the rest of the body, therefore a constant supply of protective gloves is critical to the safe running of any pharmaceutical facility. These include disposable gloves, latex gloves, nitrile gloves, even Piercan Isolator gloves. We can supply them all and have been doing so for the Irish pharmaceutical industry for many years. Brands include Polyco Healthline and Ansell.

Ear PPE for the Pharma Industry

As with many manufacturing environments, the Pharmaceutical industry often exposes workers to high noise levels which can lead to Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) or tinnitus. Safety Officers must therefore make sure that their workers have access to Ear PPE and that said PPE is appropriate to the level of noise generated in a given workplace. Popular brands of Ear PPE include 3M and Hellberg.

Eye & Face PPE for the Pharma Industry

You can’t afford to take chances when it comes to protecting your face and eyes, and with the risk of particles and chemical splashes ever present in a pharmaceutical facility, workers should always have appropriate eye and face protection equipment. Employes have a duty to ensure that these are the right fit for each employee and that the PPE itself is rated for the risks in question. The M.A. Healy & Sons team have decades of experience in advising Irish pharmaceutical companies on the most appropriate PPE for their work environments, and will be happy to assist with any queries you may have in this regards

Safety Footwear for the Pharma Industry

Adeaute protective footwear should never be overlooked when it comes to selecting pharma PPE, and, as always, employers should ensure that the footwear in question is appropriate for the work environment in question. Do they need to be slip-rated, for example? Do they need ESD protection? Are laces and aglets an additional hazard? In cleanroom environments, overshoes may be a necessity too.

Emergency Safety Showers and Eyewash Stations for the Pharma Industry

While all steps should be taken to ensure accidents or injuries don’t occur in the first place, in the event that a worker does become exposed to harmful chemicals or materials, it as absolutely vital they are brought to an emergency safety shower unit as quick as possible. For this reason, all pharmaceutical plants should have an emergency safety shower and eye wash station on site, and they should be readily accessible. Our sister company, Gaslines Ltd., has is an authorised dealer for the Hughes Safety Shower range in Ireland. 

The above is but an overview of the areas of PPE you need to consider when operating a pharmaceutical facility, it is not exhaustive. For more information feel free to call our experienced team on 0402 32116 today. With offices in Arklow (just an hour from Dublin) and Passage West (just outside Cork city and ten minutes from Ringaskiddy), we have been supplying the Irish pharmaceutical industry with PPE for decades and are fully abreast of all the requisite requirements.