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Promote safety in high-risk work environments through proper PPE handling, distribution, and usage. Provide compliance training, anticipate hazards, and support the overall health and well-being of teams.
Provide digital instructions to keep PPE assessments uniform and have an effective strategy against potential incidents. Standardize safety-related activities and emphasize the importance of properly using protective equipment to mitigate common workplace hazards and foster a better culture of safety.
Stay updated with a diverse range of PPE safety regulations and requirements depending on the nature of the work being completed. Save detailed digital records of inspection checks and incident reports to provide evidence of compliance.
Take advantage of powerful data analytic tools to monitor how PPE is used within your organization and identify safety trends that could pose a hazard. Observe whether there is improper use of PPE and if workers are conducting assessments properly when on-site.
“It provides insight into an organization’s safety culture and commitment to comply. It’s not just failure rates or audit observations that prove useful to management; one can often get an indication of culture and attitudes around safety and compliance by way of on-time completion rates and the suitability and sufficiency of data being captured.”
There are numerous types of workplace safety equipment that contribute to PPE safety, which vary based on the type of hazards workers can be exposed to. However, PPE can be categorized into four basic types, including the following:
Generally, those who work in high-risk environments and have a high likelihood of exposure to hazardous substances are required to wear PPE. Some examples of who needs to wear PPE are provided by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, including emergency responders, electricians, and construction workers.
In line with this, the type of PPE to be worn varies by the hazards present in the work environment. For example, working in a scientific field and handling chemical substances requires face, eye, skin, and body protection to avoid potential exposure and promote protection against spills. It is important to understand the threats to safety in the work environment to identify the appropriate PPE to be used.
While PPE enhances safety, it does not eliminate the health and physical hazards present within a working environment. This is because it was designed to only protect the wearer against hazards and there should still be initiatives to address existing risks in a workplace. Additionally, a PPE limitation is the possibility of it becoming ineffective when it is ill-fitting and defective, leading to a higher likelihood of accidents.
PPE must be given tactile and visual inspection prior to use. The kind of defects to be observed will vary depending on the material used, but it is good practice to watch out for cuts, cracks, tears, abrasion and scorch marks, or burns. Using a checklist can make it easier to regularly run checks and have records for improved monitoring.
Additionally, employers should source their PPE from reliable vendors to ensure these garments comply with safety regulations and have indicators that they passed safety checks. For example, PPE in the UK is required to display the logo of the Registered Safety Supplier (RSS) scheme to ensure it is up to standard.
Business leaders are primarily responsible for providing their employees with the appropriate PPE to use in their line of work. This includes:
In line with this, employees need to comply with the guidelines set by business leaders. Typically, this involves attending training to be more knowledgeable about PPE and hazards, communicating unsafe practices, and conducting risk assessments when necessary.
