The provision of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) for employees is a legal obligation on all employers. Adhering to PPE regulations will also minimise workplace accidents, helping reduce staff turnover associated HR costs, whilst improving your organisation’s productivity.
Selecting the right PPE is the first step towards full compliance. This doesn’t have to be complicated, iSB Group will find you the right products for your specific needs and focus on true tangible value. However, ensuring your employees wear and utilise PPE correctly can be problematic at times too. Employers often report facing compliance and misuse issues. Here we outline four very simple steps that will help you overcome these challenges.
- Involve your employees in the PPE selection process
The most commonly cited reasons for employees not wearing PPE are discomfort and impracticality; especially when different types of PPE don’t integrate well with each other and subsequently hinder workers doing their job. To ensure that PPE protects the wearer without hindrance, involve employees in the selection process. Invite a cross-section of employees to trial different PPE solutions whilst they carry out their work. Ask participants to provide feedback based upon a set of defined criteria to understand which items are likely to be the most effective for the whole team. A reliable PPE supplier like iSB Group will handle all of this for you, ensuring minimal impact to the business, or your time.
- Keep it simple
Provide a concise range of PPE options for employees to choose from. Ensure all combinations are safe, effective and easy to use.
- Maintain and keep clean all PPE
Ensuring that PPE is cleaned regularly and checked for breakages or malfunctions will help make sure it is fit for purpose, extend its lifespan, and increase conformity. Some experts recommend placing the onus for PPE maintenance on the individual wearer, as this encourages employees to take on greater responsibility for their own health and safety and keep compliance top of mind. Remember that employees must have clean and secure designated storage provision for their PPE. iSB Group can find the right solution for your situation, often a simple locker system will be what is required.
- Keep up training
All employees required to wear PPE should receive training in how, where and why it should and needs to be worn. Training should also cover how to maintain PPE, including reminders on product lifespans. This training should be regular and forum based; inviting employees to voice concerns or potential improvements that can be made. iSB Group will use this on-going feedback to improve their product selection and offer new solutions and ideas to enhance protection and usability. Training messages can also be reinforced by posters and information in key areas throughout your premises. iSB Group can assist with training if necessary, often arranging for “tool box talks” carried out by specialists for specific PPE items.
Get these four points right and you’ll have a happier and more productive team. Remember PPE selection isn’t a one-off process, it is important to work with a reliable partner like iSB Group to ensure you have the latest and best products to protect your staff.
Posted 17 Feb 2017
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