Recently, the Ministry of Emergency Management and other departments jointly revised and issued the "Catalogue of Special Operations", which puts forward clearer requirements for the scope and management of special operations. For enterprise safety managers and purchasers, this not only means stricter personnel qualification review, but also sends an important signal: the configuration standards for personal protective equipment in high-risk operation scenarios must be upgraded simultaneously.
Special operations such as work at height, hot work, confined-space entry, and high-voltage electrical work often involve multiple simultaneous hazards. In these situations, PPE selection should go beyond minimum compliance and be based on the specific job hazards, exposure conditions, and changing site requirements.
Taking head protection as an example, special operations are often accompanied by hazards such as falling objects from heights and collisions in narrow spaces. When selecting equipment, safety managers should focus on the impact absorption performance and puncture resistance of safety helmets, while also considering compatibility with accessories such as protective face shields to ensure the protection system remains stable and reliable during complex movements.
In special operations such as welding, hot cutting, or confined space work, respiratory protection is of paramount importance. Harmful fumes, toxic gases, or oxygen-deficient environments pose direct threats to workers. Environmental, health, and safety teams should precisely match half masks or full face masks based on the types and concentrations of on-site pollutants, and establish strict filter replacement and fit testing procedures.
In addition, many special operations are accompanied by continuous high-decibel noise, and hearing protection should not be overlooked. Besides providing employees with earplugs or earmuffs with appropriate noise reduction levels, on-site management should also pay attention to the standardization of wearing. Especially when safety helmets and safety spectacles need to be worn simultaneously, a reasonable wearing method should be chosen to reduce interference between equipment.
The revised Catalogue of Special Operations gives companies an opportunity to review how higher-risk tasks are managed. Procurement and safety teams should review the PPE specified for these jobs and manage it throughout its service life, from selection and training through inspection and retirement.
News source:Ministry of Emergency Management of the People's Republic of China, 2026-05-26: "The Ministry of Emergency Management, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and the National Mine Safety Administration jointly revised and issued the 'Catalogue of Special Operations' 2026-05-26 21:31". This article only interprets PPE knowledge based on public news topics.
