The EU directives on personal protective equipment : a comparative study of implementation in a select number of EU member states

Abstract

The purpose of this study explores how Member States of the European Union have implemented the Personal Protective Equipment Directives namely Directive 89/656/EEC on the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) an Directive 89/686/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to Personal Protective Equipment. It also explored how the European Union with the aid of the European Commission has made sure that Member States are fully implementing these directives in order to have workers across European that are fully protected when at work. A number of factors must be taken in consideration for implementation to be successful and this was explored by bringing out various indicators of success in this area. A very important issue that emerged from this study is the fact that the European Union cannot work on its own in order to safeguard occupational health and safety. Although the European health and safety agencies give a major contribution in this sector one must not exclude that in order to have safe workplaces a tripartite approach is necessary where national governments together with national health and safety agencies and social partners including trade unions, employers and the general public must give their contribution as well. If we work together we could promote health and safety not only in workplaces but also in our daily routines. This also brings out the importance of European Integration. The more Member States are willing to work together the more progress can be achieved in the sector of Personal Protective Equipment and occupation health and safety. Another interesting factor which emerged from this study is the importance of obeying the law. Employers and also employees must comply with these directives in order for Personal Protective Equipment to be used in the best way possible. Also, complying with these directives makes PPE even more available on the market and easily accessible by industries, companies, organizations and also SMEs. In order for Member States to abide more to these directives the European Union must make sure that monitoring is given more importance and is done in a more effective manner. In addition to this, bigger awareness amongst the European Community is necessary and this will help in making the monitoring process easier. If awareness on the importance of PPE is introduced in educational sectors, individuals would instantly know the necessity of PPE when they start a new job. Also the European Union can promote more in Member States the on-going projects that health and safety agencies organize in order to promote occupational safety and health. In this manner more people could participate in these events and awareness would increase. Finally, although response from health and safety agencies was little, many interesting factors were brought out regarding this subject. That is why it is highly recommended to replicate the study on a larger scale in order to better explore how Personal Protective Equipment could be improved in workplaces.