Free Tool · PPE Selection
PPE Selector Wizard: Find the Right Protective Equipment for Your Hazard
Choosing the correct personal protective equipment starts with correctly identifying the hazard, not with grabbing whatever is nearest on the shelf. This free tool lets you pick the primary hazard for a task and instantly see the type of PPE generally used to control it, along with the specific EN standards that define what "correct" actually means for that equipment.
Select a hazard below to see the recommended protection and standards.
Falls from Height
When this applies: Any task where a worker could fall from an elevated surface, roof, scaffold, ladder or into an opening.
Typical PPE: A full body harness connected to a certified anchor point, using either a fixed lanyard with energy absorber or a retractable fall arrester, matched to a calculated fall clearance.
Relevant standards:
Falling or Dropped Objects (Head Impact)
When this applies: Overhead work, racking, scaffolding, lifting operations or any area where tools or materials could fall on a worker below.
Typical PPE: An industrial safety helmet rated for the impact energy expected, with a properly fastened chin strap. Higher-risk sites may need a higher-performance helmet than the baseline standard.
Relevant standards:
Hand Cuts, Abrasion and Mechanical Risks
When this applies: Handling sharp materials, metal sheet, glass, blades or abrasive surfaces where hands are at risk of mechanical injury.
Typical PPE: Gloves rated for cut, abrasion, tear and puncture resistance, selected against the specific cut level required for the task.
Relevant standards:
Chemical Exposure to Hands and Skin
When this applies: Handling solvents, acids, degreasers or other chemicals where skin contact with the hands is possible.
Typical PPE: Gloves matched to the specific chemical class and breakthrough time documented for that substance – general-purpose gloves are not a substitute for chemical-rated ones.
Relevant standards:
Chemical Splash to Body or Clothing
When this applies: Tasks involving pouring, spraying or working near chemicals where splash or spray contact with clothing and skin is possible.
Typical PPE: Chemical protective clothing matched to the exposure type – limited splash protection for occasional contact, or liquid-tight and spray-tight garments for higher-risk tasks.
Relevant standards:
Heat and Flame Exposure
When this applies: Welding, hot works, furnace work, or any task with radiant heat, sparks, molten metal splash or flame risk.
Typical PPE: Heat and flame resistant clothing and gloves rated for the specific type of thermal exposure involved (contact heat, radiant heat, convective heat or flame).
Relevant standards:
Cold Environments
When this applies: Cold storage, outdoor winter work or handling of cold materials where hands are at risk of cold injury.
Typical PPE: Gloves rated for convective cold, contact cold and water permeability, matched to the temperature and wetness of the task.
Relevant standards:
Electrical Hazards (Shock and Arc Flash)
When this applies: Live electrical work, switchgear operation or any task with risk of electric shock or arc flash.
Typical PPE: Insulating gloves rated for the working voltage, combined with arc-rated clothing where arc flash energy is a risk.
Relevant standards:
Noise Exposure
When this applies: Any workplace where noise levels or exposure duration could contribute to hearing damage over time.
Typical PPE: Hearing protectors (earmuffs or earplugs) selected using a documented noise exposure assessment and attenuation rating, not just whatever is available.
Relevant standards:
Airborne Contaminants (Dust, Gas, Vapour)
When this applies: Dusty environments, confined spaces, spraying operations or any task with airborne particulate, gas or vapour risk.
Typical PPE: A respirator matched to the actual atmosphere – filtering facepieces for characterised particulate-only environments, or full face and supplied-air options for confined spaces and oxygen-deficient atmospheres.
Relevant standards:
Eye, Face and Welding Hazards
When this applies: Grinding, cutting, welding or any task with risk of flying particles, splash or optical radiation to the eyes and face.
Typical PPE: Impact-rated eye protection for general hazards, or welding-specific filters and face shields matched to the welding process and shade number required.
Relevant standards:
Foot Hazards and Low-Visibility Work
When this applies: Impact, compression, puncture or slip hazards underfoot, and any work near vehicle traffic or in low-light conditions.
Typical PPE: Protective or occupational footwear matched to the impact and compression rating needed, plus high-visibility clothing where visibility to vehicles or plant is a risk.
Relevant standards:
How to Use This Tool
Start by identifying the single greatest hazard for the task at hand – most real tasks involve more than one, so you may need to select several in turn and combine the recommended PPE (for example, welding often involves both heat/flame exposure and eye/face hazards at the same time). Once you know the hazard category, follow the linked EN standard for the full requirements, markings and testing details behind that PPE, and use the selection guide on each standard page to narrow down the exact class or rating you need.
Why a Selector Tool Is Not a Substitute for a Full Risk Assessment
This wizard is a starting point, not a replacement for a proper site-specific risk assessment. Real tasks often combine multiple hazards, and the right PPE also depends on factors this simple tool cannot know: exposure duration, concentration, environmental conditions, and what other controls are already in place. Use it to quickly identify the relevant standards, then confirm the final selection against your safety data sheets, a qualified risk assessment, and manufacturer guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this tool replace a formal risk assessment?
No. It is a quick-reference starting point to identify the relevant PPE category and EN standards for a single hazard. A full task risk assessment should still be carried out to account for exposure levels, combined hazards and existing controls.
What if my task has more than one hazard?
Select each relevant hazard in turn and combine the recommended PPE. Many real tasks, such as welding or confined space entry, involve two or more hazard categories at once, for example heat and eye protection together, or respiratory and fall protection together.
How do I know which class or rating within a standard I need?
Follow the link to the specific EN standard page from your result. Each standard page includes a selection guide section explaining how to choose between the classes or performance levels defined within that standard.
Are these results specific to my country regulations?
The results reference European (EN) and international (ISO) standards used widely across the EU and beyond. Always confirm against your local occupational safety regulations, which may add further requirements on top of the standard itself.
Why does the tool recommend more than one standard for some hazards?
Some hazards are addressed by several related standards covering different equipment types (for example full face masks versus half masks) or different aspects of the same equipment (a glove standard and a clothing standard for the same chemical hazard). Reviewing all linked standards gives the full picture.
Explore the full EN Standards Library for every standard referenced above, or read real Field Stories showing what happens when PPE selection goes wrong.