Students wearing different PPE. 

PPE for Your Head - Explained from Left to Right:

• Hard hat - worn on construction sites and some warehouse/manufacturing facilities. It protects your head from falling objects.

• Welding mask - worn by welders. Protects the face from sparks, and your eyes from bright light.

• N95 mask - worn largely by healthcare professionals. Filters out large droplets and most fine particles, including bacteria and viruses. Not resistant to oil.

• Respirator mask - worn largely in industrial/construction settings including autobody repair. Removes hazardous airborne contaminants. Protects against dust, fumes, mists, microorganisms, and chemical vapors.

Students wearing different PPE. 

PPE for Your Ears and Eyes - Explained from Left to Right:

• Ear Muffs - usually worn on construction and industrial sites to protect your ears from extreme noise. Sometimes work in conjunction to ear buds.

• Ear Buds - usually worn in automotive repair shops or industrial sites to protect ears from noise. It doesn't block as much noise as the ear muffs. 

• Goggles - protects the eyes from splashes and flying debris. Usually worn in science labs, automotive repair shops, autobody repair shops, manufacturing facilities, and construction sites. 

• Face Shield - protects the face from splashes. If it is a construction-grade face mask, it will also protect the face from flying debris. The lighter plastic face shield will usually be worn in medical settings in conjunction with a medical or N95 mask. The construction-grade face masks will usually be worn on construction or industrial sites. 

Students wearing different PPE. 

PPE for Your Body - Explained from Left to Right:

• Coveralls - protects clothing and body from splashes and minor scrapes. Usually worn in auto shops and manufacturing facilities. 

• Reflective Clothing - increases visibility both at day and night. Worn at construction sites and places where there is mobile equipment such as forklifts. Also, elementary school teachers on recess duty! 

• Fall-Arrest Harness - worn by workers who work at heights, usually construction sites or tradespeople on roofs. 

• Medical Coverall - protects clothing and body from splashes. Usually worn in hospitals and dental offices. 

Students wearing different PPE. 

PPE for Your Hands - Explained from Left to Right:

• Nitrile/Vinyl Gloves - commonly worn at medical office, hospitals, and dental offices. Auto shop workers will usually wear these gloves in black. Also worn in commercial kitchens. 

• PVC Covered Gloves - worn in industrial and construction sites. Protects against scrapes, chemicals, and increases grip. 

• Welding Gloves - flame-resistant gauntlet gloves that protect the hands from extreme heat, molten metal splash, sparks, intense UV/IR radiation, and electrical shock.

• Oven Mitts - protects hands when handling hot objects. Worn by kitchen staff. 

Students wearing different PPE. 

PPE for Your Feet - Explained from Left to Right:

• Non-Slip Shoes - usually also closed-toe. Worn by kitchen staff to protect from slips and spills as well as punctures (knives, forks, etc).

• Closed-Toe Shoes - healthcare sites and spaces such as your woodworking class or science lab (during labs) will require closed-toe shoes to protect your feet from spills and punctures (needles, scalpels, dropped equipment).

• Steel-Toe Boots with Green Triangle - the green triangle indicates that it is CSA approved for industrial work environments, like construction where sharp objects (such as nails) are present. It is also often the standard at automotive repair shops, warehouses, and industrial/manufacturing sites.

PPE is designed to protect you. But it can only protect you if worn properly and every time. Even if you see other employees or employers neglecting to wear their PPE, you must ensure that you wear all PPE required at your workplace at all times. 

If you are injured because you are not wearing your PPE, it can be considered to be serious misconduct or negligence.