Topic 5 of 5
PPE, safety signs and fire
Personal protective equipment, signs and fire safety come up in almost every Level 2 health and safety paper.
PPE
- Under the PPE at Work Regulations 1992, employers must provide suitable PPE free of charge and train people to use it.
- Workers must wear it, look after it and report damage.
- Typical electrical site PPE: safety boots, hard hat, hi-vis, eye protection, gloves, ear defenders and dust masks where needed.
- PPE is the last resort in the hierarchy of control.
Safety signs
| Sign type | Shape and colour | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Prohibition | Red circle with a diagonal bar | No smoking |
| Mandatory | Blue circle | Wear eye protection |
| Warning | Yellow triangle with a black border | Danger of electric shock |
| Safe condition | Green rectangle or square | Fire exit, first aid |
| Fire equipment | Red rectangle or square | Fire extinguisher, fire alarm point |
Fire
A fire needs three things: heat, fuel and oxygen (the fire triangle). Take one away and it goes out.
| Extinguisher | Label colour | Use on electrical fires? |
|---|---|---|
| Water | Red | No |
| Foam | Cream | No (unless specially rated) |
| Carbon dioxide (CO₂) | Black | Yes |
| Dry powder | Blue | Yes |
| Wet chemical | Yellow | No (for cooking oil fires) |
Exam tip: for an electrical fire, isolate the supply if it's safe to do so, then use CO₂.
Mini test
6 questions. Pick an answer to see if you're right and why.