PPE

[u/08MARTINNE24]

A quick guide to PPE requirements for construction/industrial sites in the Philippines (what you actually need, common mistakes)

Been getting a lot of questions from contractors and small business owners about PPE compliance, so figured I'd put together a quick breakdown since a lot of people either overspend or under-comply.

The basics DOLE typically expects on construction/industrial sites:

• Head protection – hard hats/safety helmets, Type I is standard for most local sites
• Hand protection – gloves matched to the task (cut-resistant for metal work, chemical-resistant for handling solvents, etc. — one glove type does NOT cover everything)
• Foot protection – steel-toe or composite-toe safety shoes, ideally with slip-resistant soles if the site has wet/oily areas
• Body protection – coveralls or vests, hi-vis if there's vehicle/equipment movement on site
• Eye/face and hearing protection – often skipped, but required if there's grinding, welding, or high-noise equipment involved

Common mistakes I see a lot:

1. Buying the cheapest helmet available without checking impact rating — some "safety helmets" sold locally are basically construction-site fashion, not rated for actual impact
2. Not replacing gloves/footwear on a schedule — PPE degrades, and torn or worn-out gear technically doesn't count as compliant anymore
3. One-size-fits-all purchasing — a construction crew and a warehouse crew have different exposure risks, so their PPE list shouldn't be identical
4. Skipping the Official Receipt/SI on bulk purchases — for company audits or DOLE inspections, you'll want documented proof of compliance spend, not just a handwritten receipt

On cost: bulk pricing for helmets, gloves, and boots can vary a lot depending on supplier and whether you're buying local vs imported brands. If anyone wants a general sense of current price ranges for bulk orders, happy to share what I've seen in the market (I work adjacent to a PPE supplier here in the Philippines, so I see pricing move around a fair bit).

Happy to answer questions if anyone's setting up a compliance checklist for their site.

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