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The primary goal of using personal protective equipment (PPE) is to mitigate exposure to hazards. PPE serves as a critical line of defense against various workplace dangers, such as falling objects, hazardous materials, extreme temperatures, electrical hazards, and noise. By appropriately selecting and using PPE, workers can significantly reduce the risk of injury or illness associated with these hazards.

Using PPE helps to create a safer working environment, ensuring that employees are better protected when engineering controls or administrative measures are insufficient to eliminate risks. These protective measures include items such as helmets, gloves, eye protection, hearing protection, and respiratory protection, all specifically designed to address specific workplace hazards.

Other objectives like compliance with regulations, enhancing comfort, or avoiding training requirements may arise, but they are secondary to the core purpose of preventing harm to workers. Compliance with regulations, for example, is essential, but it does not replace the primary function of PPE, which is to provide direct protection against safety hazards.