What does PPE mean?
The term ‘Personal Protective Equipment’ (PPE), covers a large number of products developed for an array of situations. But, in all scenarios, there is a common denominator: safeguard the user's health.
PPE includes clothing, shoes, masks, and even helmets. The idea is that wearing these items will reduce the risk of injury and protect the wearer from a variety of external risks.
Examples Of PPE At Work
When you work in a factory or on a construction site you are likely to be concerned about heavy items falling on you or your body. The most prominent parts of you in this scenario are your head and feet. To help protect you it may be necessary to wear a protective hat and steel-toed shoes.
Of course, if you are working in a hospital then the risks are different. Masks are a form of PPE to protect you from infections patients could be carrying, especially if they are spraying blood. Masks also prevent you from breathing bacteria into the patient while operating on them.
In short, if you are working in an environment that places you at risk you need PPE.
What does MD mean?
MD is the abbreviation for Medical Devices. These are also devices that protect the user from harm. However, these types of devices are limited exclusively to medical professionals.
There is a crossover between PPE and MD, many items can be worn in both scenarios but you need to ensure they comply with the relevant regulations.
The characteristics Of PPE and MD
There are specific rules governing whether an item can be classified as PPE or MD. Personal Protective Equipment refers to anything that protects the wearer from common risks and and are generally used in the workplace..
To be classified as PPE the item must:
Prevent risks without creating a greater risk
Be easy to use and not detrimental to the health of the user
Appropriate for the scenario it is being used in
Compatible with other items of PPE as more than one item may need to be worn
Easy to take on and off
Medical devices are slightly more specific simply because of where they are used:
When diagnosing or monitoring diseases or disabilities, whether in a patient or a lab
To help compensate for an injury or handicap
Operate or modify the anatomy of physiological process in any way
It is important to note that the medical device does not perform any intervention in a human body, it simply assists.
Differences Between MD and PPE
PPE is exclusively designed to protect the wearer from perceived external risks. In contrast, medical devices cover a much larger scope. Alongside protecting the wearer from external risks anything classed as an MD must be capable of protecting against the transmission of infection as well as protecting the user from external risks. The term MD even covers devices that are used to help a patient’s recovery.
The two terms are often confused or interchanged simply because many items have been created for one field and adapted for the other, allowing them to comply with both sets of regulations.
It is worth noting there are currently three categories of PPE:
1.Protection against minor physical damage
2. Dealing with medium risk of injury
3. High risk of injury including the possibility of death
Reposa And PPE
Reposa has been making professional clogs and shoes for many years and is one of the best in the business. Their shoes are made in Italy and have been used for decades by hospital workers, people in healthcare, food operatives, and a variety of other industries.
Every work clog and shoe that is created by Reposa is a PPE designed to protect against medium risk of injury, therefore falling into category 2.
These shoes are certified and used regularly in a variety of healthcare applications. The main benefits are that they are extremely comfortable, easy to put on and off, non-slip, and easily washable or even sterilizable depending on model.
The Reposa Range
For further information and to discover all the models of sanitary clogs and work footwear visit our catalogue or contact us.
Reposa, specialised in the production of work footwear and clogs, offers a wide catalogue, consisting of different lines that meet the different needs of the areas in which they are used.