Safety tools: names, pictures and what each one is used for

Equipment is the last line, not the first

This is the part that gets skipped, and it is the part that actually keeps people safe. Protective equipment is the weakest control available, because it only works if it is present, correct, fitted properly and worn every single time. Every one of those is a chance to fail.

The order that works is: remove the hazard if you can, substitute something safer if you cannot, control it at the source with guarding or extraction, then change how the work is done, and only then reach for equipment.

In practice that means the most effective safety decision on a job is usually not a purchase. Cutting outside instead of in a closed room, hiring a tower instead of using a ladder, or choosing a water fed saw instead of a mask does more than any amount of kit.

Remove the hazard first

A job that does not need the dangerous step is safer than any equipment. This is always the best available answer.

Then substitute something safer

A water fed cutter instead of dry cutting, a cordless tool instead of a lead across a wet floor.

Then control at the source

Guards, on tool extraction, screens and barriers. These work whether or not somebody remembers them.

Then change the method

Fewer people exposed, shorter exposure, different sequence. Costs nothing and it genuinely reduces risk.

Equipment last, and it must fit

It only protects when worn correctly every time, which is why it is the weakest control rather than the first one.

Never let equipment justify the hazard

A mask is not a reason to cut dry indoors. That reasoning is how people end up with permanent damage.

The ratings, and why they are the whole product

Two masks that look the same can protect very differently, and the same is true of gloves, glasses and boots. The rating is the specification, and it is usually printed somewhere small.

With masks, FFP1 handles nuisance dust, FFP2 is better, and FFP3 is what silica, hardwood dust and fume actually require. With gloves, the material decides which chemicals pass straight through, and nitrile is not a universal answer. With eye protection, impact ratings differ, and safety glasses rated for dust will not stop a grinder fragment.

The other half is fit. An FFP3 mask against a beard or the wrong face shape leaks around the edge, and unfiltered air takes the easiest route in. A leaking mask offers close to no protection while feeling like full protection, which is the most dangerous combination on this page.

FFP3 for silica, wood dust and fume

FFP1 and FFP2 are not equivalent. If the hazard is respirable dust or metal fume, the rating has to be FFP3.

Fit is the whole product on a mask

A leak around the edge bypasses the filter entirely. Facial hair and the wrong shape both break the seal.

Match glove material to the chemical

Some solvents pass through nitrile in minutes. The wrong glove holds the chemical against your skin.

Check the impact rating on eye protection

Glasses rated for dust will not stop a fragment from a grinder. The marking on the lens tells you which it is.

Boots: toe cap and midplate are different

A toe cap stops a dropped weight. A midplate stops a nail through the sole, which is the more common injury.

Check the date on anything that degrades

Harnesses, lanyards, filters and extinguishers all have a service life whether used or not.

The hazards that do not hurt at the time

The injuries people actually retire with are rarely the dramatic ones. They are hearing loss, lung disease and vibration damage, and all three share a property that makes them dangerous: nothing hurts while the damage is being done.

Silica dust from cutting masonry, tile and concrete causes permanent lung scarring and is a known cause of cancer. Noise from a breaker or a cut off saw exceeds safe levels within seconds. Vibration from a breaker or a grinder causes irreversible nerve and circulation damage over years.

Because none of them announce themselves, the protection has to be habitual rather than reactive. You cannot wait until it feels necessary.

Silica dust: the big one

Cutting or grinding masonry, tile, concrete and stone. Water suppression or on tool extraction, plus FFP3.

Noise damage is cumulative and silent

Defenders on the hard hat so there is no decision to make. By the time you notice, it is permanent.

Vibration has a daily exposure limit

Breakers and grinders. Rotate the task, use anti vibration gloves, and take the limits seriously.

Welding fume is a carcinogen

Extract at the source. Galvanised steel additionally releases zinc, which causes metal fume fever.

Solvent vapour accumulates in a closed space

You stop noticing the smell long before it stops being harmful. Ventilate rather than acclimatise.

Two pack paint needs air fed protection

Isocyanates cause permanent occupational asthma, and a cartridge mask is not adequate for it.

What to buy first, in order

Stage one: on every job

Safety glasses, a fitted FFP3 mask, ear defenders, gloves suited to the work, and boots with a toe cap and midplate.

Stage two: the space and the people in it

A fire extinguisher, a first aid kit, a work light, dust sheets, barriers or tape, and a residual current device for any power tool.

Stage three: specific hazards

A face shield for grinding, a proper working platform instead of a ladder, extraction for dust, and a CO alarm anywhere with combustion.

Stage four: higher risk work

A harness with a rated anchor and a rescue plan, an air fed respirator for two pack paint, gas detection, and a confined space plan.

Mistakes that undo the protection

A mask that does not seal

It feels like full protection and provides almost none. Facial hair and the wrong face shape both break the seal.

Using equipment to justify the hazard

A mask is not a reason to cut dry indoors. Control the dust, then wear the mask as well.

Gloves at a rotating machine

A caught glove pulls the hand in where bare skin would tear free. Gloves for handling, off for machines.

Removing a guard for convenience

Guards are removed because they are in the way, and that is exactly when hands reach into the cutter.

A harness with no rescue plan

Suspension in a harness is itself dangerous. Arresting a fall is only half of the arrangement.

Wrong extinguisher for the fire

Water on burning oil or live electrics makes it worse. Know which type is on the wall and what it is for.

Protecting only yourself

Screens, barriers and extraction protect people who never chose to be exposed, including anyone downstairs.

Working alone on higher risk tasks

Falls, electricity and confined spaces all need somebody able to raise the alarm.

Assuming old equipment still works

Filters saturate, webbing degrades in sunlight, extinguishers lose pressure. Check dates rather than appearance.

Looking after safety equipment

Replace filters on a schedule

A saturated filter stops filtering. If breathing gets harder or you can smell through it, it is finished.

Store masks and respirators sealed

Cartridges keep absorbing from the air in a dusty van, so they are partly used before you put them on.

Inspect harnesses and lanyards before every use

Look for cuts, fraying and heat damage, and check the date. Webbing degrades in sunlight whether used or not.

Keep eye protection scratch free

A scratched lens is hard to see through, so it gets pushed up onto the head. That is how eyes get injured.

Check extinguisher pressure gauges

A monthly glance at the needle. An extinguisher that has lost pressure looks entirely normal.

Restock the first aid kit after using it

The commonest fault in any kit is that the thing you need was used and never replaced.

Replace a hard hat after any real impact

The shell absorbs energy by deforming, and it may look fine while no longer offering protection.

Frequently asked questions

What safety tools do I need?

On almost any job: safety glasses, a fitted FFP3 mask, ear defenders, gloves suited to the work, and boots with a toe cap and midplate. Then a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and a residual current device for power tools.

What is PPE and how is it different from safety equipment?

Personal protective equipment is what you wear: glasses, masks, gloves, boots, harnesses. Safety equipment more broadly includes things that protect the space rather than the person, like guards, extraction, barriers, alarms and extinguishers.

What is the hierarchy of control?

The order that actually reduces risk: eliminate the hazard, substitute something safer, control it at the source with guarding or extraction, change how the work is done, and only then use protective equipment. Equipment is the weakest control, not the first.

What is the difference between FFP1, FFP2 and FFP3 masks?

Filtering efficiency. FFP1 handles coarse nuisance dust, FFP2 is better, and FFP3 filters the fine respirable particles that matter, including silica, hardwood dust and metal fume. They look nearly identical, so read the marking.

Does a dust mask work if I have a beard?

A tight fitting mask will not seal against facial hair, so unfiltered air comes in around the edge and the filter is largely bypassed. For a proper seal you need to be clean shaven at the seal, or use a powered hood instead.

Why is silica dust so dangerous?

Cutting or grinding concrete, brick, stone and tile releases fine crystalline silica, which scars lung tissue permanently and is a known cause of cancer. You cannot feel the damage occurring, which is why water suppression and extraction matter.

Which gloves should I use?

It depends entirely on the hazard. Cut resistant for sheet metal and glass, chemical gloves matched to the specific chemical since some solvents pass through nitrile, and thin gloves for grip. Never gloves at a rotating machine.

Do I need a face shield as well as safety glasses?

For grinding, wire wheeling and anything that throws fragments at the whole face, yes, and wear glasses underneath. A shield alone leaves gaps at the sides, and glasses alone leave the rest of your face exposed.

What fire extinguisher do I need in a workshop?

Usually CO2 or dry powder, since those suit electrical and flammable liquid fires, which is what a workshop presents. Water on burning oil or live electrics makes the situation worse rather than better.

What is an RCD and why do I need one?

A residual current device cuts the power within milliseconds when it detects current leaking to earth, such as through a person. On any power tool, and particularly outdoors or anywhere damp, it is the difference between a shock and an electrocution.

Is a safety harness enough for working at height?

No, on its own. A harness needs a rated anchor point and a rescue plan, because suspension in a harness is itself dangerous. Edge protection or a proper working platform is always better than arresting a fall after it happens.

How often should safety equipment be replaced?

Filters when breathing gets harder or you can smell through them. Hard hats after any real impact and at their stated life. Harnesses and lanyards by date, since webbing degrades in sunlight whether used or not. Check dates rather than appearance.