Personal protective equipment is often the only safeguard for employees from potentially serious hazards. This equipment is worn on the body and in some way reduces or eliminates the potential for injury. It is designed to act as the last means of protecting oneself if all other safety measures should fail.

Unfortunately, many employers and employees do not take personal protective equipment seriously enough. Personal protective equipment can be cumbersome to employees trying to work, creating a situation where work takes longer due to restrictive clothing or bulky gloves. Coupled with the feeling that they will not misuse equipment they use on a daily basis, it is all too common that these employees stop using certain pieces of personal protective equipment. Similarly, employers have been known to rely too heavily on safety procedures and systems. But remember, no matter how many secondary systems, failsafes, and other mechanisms are in place, these systems can and do fail.

Another common problem we find with personal protective equipment is the quality of the equipment being used. Gloves, for instance, should not have holes in them and reflective vests should not have the reflectors ripped off from years of overuse. Apathy toward personal protective equipment is a very dangerous threat to everyone.

If you have not recently reviewed your Safety and Health Management System with a keen eye toward the personal protective equipment you are utilizing, it might be time to do it. If you have not updated your system recently, or if you have not reviewed your personal protective equipment, it might be worth contacting a professional organization for help.

If you have any questions about the importance of personal protective equipment, please contact us. And if you have anything to add about personal protective equipment, please leave a comment.