RONCO | Intro to Safety and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
2 likes2,267 views
This document discusses personal protective equipment (PPE) and the importance of proper training. It notes that according to statistics, millions of injuries occur in the workplace every year and many could be prevented by proper use of PPE. However, surveys show that workers often fail to wear PPE correctly or at all due to factors like discomfort, lack of awareness of hazards, and lack of training. Proper PPE selection, training workers on hazards and PPE limitations, and ensuring they understand usage protocols are essential for compliance. OSHA requires training programs cover when PPE is necessary and how to use it properly. Regular retraining is also important to ensure safe PPE use.
RONCO | Intro to Safety and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- 1. Personal Protective Equipment Ronco - Industrial Safety Products An informative gathering of general knowledge on PPE.
- 2. PPE - Statistics According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were more than 4 million recordable nonfatal injuries and illnesses in private industry workplaces in 2007. And while the BLS, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and other organizations regularly track and evaluate many details about workplace injury and illness statistics, a key question remains: How many of those injuries and illnesses were the result of non-compliance or improper use of personal protective equipment (PPE)?
- 3. PPE is more than just a good idea. In fact, OSHA requires the use of PPE to reduce employee exposure to hazards when engineering and administrative controls are not feasible or effective in reducing these exposures to acceptable levels. Yet, 85 percent of safety professionals surveyed at the 2007 National Safety Council (NSC) Congress said they had observed people in their organization failing to wear PPE when they should have been. Moreover, 47 percent said this had happened on numerous occasions.
- 4. Sixty-six percent of the safety professionals polled went on to say that PPE compliance was an issue within their organization – with 40 percent describing it as a “major concern” that they were attempting to correct. The main reasons for noncompliance, according to these safety professionals, are a feeling of Invulnerability among workers, lack of awareness of workplace hazards, lack of training on proper PPE use protocols, and ill-fitting, uncomfortable garments.
- 5. Proper Compliance Starts with Proper Selection First, when PPE is “connected to” the wearer, compliance becomes more automatic. For example, integrating earplugs with safety glasses via a lanyard makes complying with hearing protection protocols much easier, because the PPE is in easy reach and is not an afterthought.
- 6. Second, PPE that allows workers to express their individuality leads to greater compliance. Providing a range of options in terms of color, and other style aspects gives workers some control over how they look. When people are content with their appearance in the PPE, it follows that they will be more likely to wear the PPE appropriately.
- 7. Third, PPE that is perceived as “cool” is more likely to be worn. That is why many PPE Manufacturers are looking toward the consumer fashion and sports apparel industries for cues on the latest styles, which can be adapted for the PPE market.
- 8. In addition to these three themes, consider the issue of overall PPE comfort and “wearability.” If coveralls don’t provide adequate breathability, if safety glasses fog up during use, or if protective gloves don’t allow for hand dexterity, there is the chance that users will avoid wearing the PPE, or that they will modify the PPE in some way, thus compromising its protective features.
- 9. PPE Training Safety professionals typically undertake an extensive review and analysis of the hazards in their workplaces and the potential risks those hazards pose to their workers, because basic hazards analyses and risk assessments are key to the PPE selection process. But how often are those risks and hazards clearly communicated to workers who wear the PPE?
- 10. A key part of promoting proper compliance with PPE protocols is making sure users are trained to understand the consequences of non compliance. For example, they need to understand that there is a big difference in the PPE required -- and the risks to a worker’s health and safety if PPE is not properly worn -- between a worker exposed to a quart of acetone in a well-ventilated room and a worker exposed to a large vat of acetone in an enclosed space.
- 11. Workers also need to understand that, even when they may not be in imminent danger of being hurt, some wearing protocols are designed to avoid problems linked to long-term exposure. Just because the danger isn’t obvious and imminent, doesn’t mean the use protocols are less important. Wearers should have a “commonsense“ understanding, of why they are required to use PPE properly.
- 12. PPE training is part of OSHA’s requirements under 29 CFR 1910, which states that PPE training programs should address: • When PPE is necessary. • What PPE is necessary • How to properly don, doff, adjust and wear PPE. • The limitations of the PPE. • The proper care, maintenance, useful life and disposal of the PPE.
- 13. The standard goes on to state that “each affected employee shall demonstrate an understanding of the training specified … and the ability to use PPE properly, before being allowed to perform work requiring the use of PPE.” In addition, “when the employer has reason to believe that any affected employee who has already been trained does not have the understanding and skill required…the employer shall retrain each such employee.”
- 14. OSHA notes that circumstances where retraining is required include, but are not limited to, situations where: • Changes in the workplace render previous training obsolete. • Changes in the types of PPE to be used render previous training obsolete. • Inadequacies in an affected employee’s knowledge or use of assigned PPE indicate that the employee has not retained the requisite understanding or skill.
- 15. Moreover, OSHA requires employers to verify that each affected employee has received and understood the required training through a written certification that contains the name of each employee trained, the date(s) of training, and that identifies the subject of the certification.
- 16. PPE – Do We Know? Improper re-use of PPE may become an even bigger issue if we are ever faced with a pandemic, especially since PPE may be required by people who may not normally use PPE as part of their jobs and therefore are not trained in proper protocols. For example, will the general population know the difference between a basic procedure mask and an N95 respirator? Will they know when a mask becomes unhygienic and “clogged” enough to warrant a new one?
- 17. Noise pollution is another commonly overlooked protection issue that may be linked to improper training. The need to change the level of protection afforded by PPE when moving from one area of a worksite to another is not visually evident and can be easily missed. For example, installing and teaching workers to recognize clear visual signage showing the exact locations in a plant where different levels of hearing protection are needed would be an important focus area for PPE training.
- 18. Benefits of PPE Training While training employees in the proper use of all PPE is important, it is especially important to educate users on the nature of workplace hazards and the consequences of not using PPE as well as what to do in the event of protective clothing or equipment failure. One essential aspect of training is to make the user aware of the need for protective wear and to instill motivation for its proper use and maintenance.
- 19. OSHA suggests several benefits of proper training in the use of PPE. • Allows the user to become familiar with the equipment in a non-hazardous, non-emergency condition. • Instills confidence of the user in his/her equipment. • Makes the user aware of the limitations and capabilities of the equipment. • Increases worker efficiency in performing various tasks. • Reduces the likelihood of accidents.
- 20. And don’t forget about what happens when the employee leaves the workplace. Training in off-the-job safety concerns shows an employer’s commitment to a worker’s safety 24 hours a day. Now for the Test!