• Question: What PPE do you wear?

    Asked by OliverW on 23 Mar 2021.
    • Photo: Emma Robertson

      Emma Robertson answered on 23 Mar 2021:


      It depends what I am doing – generally in the lab it will be safety shoes, a lab coat, sometimes safety glasses and sometimes gloves. If I am using a 3D printing machine, I will also be wearing a respirator which covers all of my face.

    • Photo: Sarah-Jane Potts

      Sarah-Jane Potts answered on 24 Mar 2021:


      I’m a Research Engineer so I spend most of my time in labs filled with wet chemicals and large printing presses. In a normal lab I have to wear at least a lab coat, safety glasses and gloves. If I’m in the clean room I have to wear special clean room overalls instead of a labcoat and a hood or hairnet over my hair as well as gloves and glasses. When I’m making inks I use small particles and solvents which can cause health problems so I also have to wear a full face respirator with the appropriate filters in addition to the rest of it. I also wear a half face respirator with safety glasses when I’m using strong solvents to clean my screens and other equipment.

    • Photo: Mia Richardson

      Mia Richardson answered on 24 Mar 2021:


      Deep breath… steel toe-capped boots, hard hat with chin strap, ear protectors, safety glasses, protective gloves, hi- vis vest, hi-vis trousers! Rarely have to wear it all at once though. Usually it’s just boots, vest, helmet gloves and glasses 🙂

    • Photo: Lia Bucks

      Lia Bucks answered on 24 Mar 2021:


      Day to day I don’t wear any PPE in the office (apart from a face mask at the moment with Covid!). I only wear PPE if I am visiting somewhere like a power station or factory. In those cases it is usually safety shoes, hard hat, safety glasses, and sometimes overalls, ear protection and gloves depending on exactly which areas I am visiting and the hazards within them.

    • Photo: Michael Jones

      Michael Jones answered on 24 Mar 2021:


      When I’m in the lab, currently a face mask because of Covid. Also a lab coat, although this is a bit unnecessary as I’m not dealing with any chemicals or any hazardous substances. I wear some relatively light tear resistant gloves most of the time, and heat proof gloves if I’m touching hot objects. I also wear steel toe capped boots, and if I’m doing spot welding then I’ll wear eye protection and ear defenders.

    • Photo: Kiri Hatton

      Kiri Hatton answered on 24 Mar 2021:


      I wear high visibility trousers and a coat, and metal toe-capped boots. I also sometimes need a hard hat if visiting a construction site. Some of my colleagues need additional PPE such as waders and wellies.

    • Photo: Amy Carter

      Amy Carter answered on 25 Mar 2021:


      If I am working on a construction site, then a lot! From top to bottom… Hard hat, ear defenders (if its loud), safety goggles, a hi-vis jacket, a lifejacket (because I work near water), gloves, hi-vis trousers, and steel toe-cap boots. I also have a bag with all my tools in, like a tape measure, hammer, screwdriver, keys to operate machinery, and my phone to take pictures. It can get a bit heavy!

    • Photo: Magdalena Grzybek

      Magdalena Grzybek answered on 26 Mar 2021:


      I am not wearing PEE in the office, I only wear PPE if I am visiting the workshops and labs then usually safety shoes, hard hat, safety glasses, and sometimes overalls.

    • Photo: Anna Garcia-Teruel

      Anna Garcia-Teruel answered on 26 Mar 2021:


      I mostly work at my computer, so I don’t wear any.
      When I was working wtih a hydraulic test rig in the past I was wearing steel toe-capped boots, a lab coat and safety glasses.

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