What is the purpose of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in the workplace?

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is fundamentally designed to safeguard employees from potential hazards they may encounter while on the job. Its primary purpose is to minimize exposure to risks that could lead to injuries or illnesses. This includes various forms of equipment such as helmets, gloves, eye protection, and respiratory gear, each tailored to address specific threats in the workplace.

While compliance with regulations, enhancing productivity, and reducing environmental impact are important aspects of a safe work environment, they do not encapsulate the core function of PPE. Compliance is often a byproduct of implementing effective PPE protocols, and while PPE can contribute to productivity by reducing injury rates, its essential role lies in preventing harm to workers. Similarly, although there is a consideration for environmental impact in many industrial processes, PPE's main objective is focused on individual employee safety in the face of hazards. Hence, the primary and most significant reason for the existence of PPE in the workplace is to protect employees from hazards.