Whether you’re a business owner or a safety manager, ensuring that your crew’s personal protection equipment (PPE) is in excellent condition is essential to their safety. Staying up to date on whether or not your business’s PPE is still in working condition is your responsibility. In addition, it is critical that you train your employees on how to determine if their PPE needs to be replaced. In this article, we’ll discuss the tell-tale signs of deteriorating PPE and how to prevent your crew from using it on the job.
1. Train Your Employees
One of the best ways you can ensure your employees are using PPE that meets the safety standards is by training them on the signs of wear and tear.
Here are some common signs of wear:
- Failing locks, adapters, security devices, or straps
- Missing components such as filters
- The item has surpassed its expiration date
- The material appears worn or discolored
- Dents, holes, tears, rips, cracks, or visual deterioration
2. Always Check for the Manufacturer’s Expiration Date
Some types of PPE come with an expiration date. Before using the PPE, check to see if the item has an expiration date. If the item has surpassed the manufacturer’s expiration date, do not use the item, even if it looks to be in decent condition.
3. Educate Your Team on PPE Compliance
As a small business owner, it’s your responsibility to educate your employees on OSHA, ANSI, and any other safety authority’s regulations. Point your employees to resources such as OSHA’s guidelines on Personal Protective Equipment and ANSI's PPE standards. Hold regular training sessions on how to properly wear, use, clean, discard, and identify damages to your crew’s PPE.
4. Establish a Grading System for Your PPE
When PPE is an everyday part of your business’s operations, it’s important to embed quality checks into your everyday routines. For example, if your employees sign out safety equipment from you every day, inspect the gear and give it a grade before your employee takes it. If a safety harness receives an ‘A’, it’s worthy of staying in the rotation. If you determine the harness gets a ‘C’, it’s time to discard it and replace it.
5. Inspect Both Bring-Your-Own PPE and Employer-Issued PPE
Many trade professionals bring their own PPE to the job rather than using their employer’s PPE. Employer-owned PPE may stay on the jobsite while employee-owned PPE may go back and forth to the employee’s home and may be used on other jobsites. Make sure your business’s PPE is labeled to avoid confusion and ensure those items are properly inspected. In addition, make sure your employees inspect their own PPE before a shift starts to ensure their PPE is in excellent working condition.
Product Compliance and Suitability
The product statements contained in this guide are intended for general informational purposes only. Such product statements do not constitute a product recommendation or representation as to the appropriateness, accuracy, completeness, correctness, or currentness of the information provided. Information provided in this guide does not replace the use by you of any manufacturer instructions, technical product manual, or other professional resource or adviser available to you. Always read, understand, and follow all manufacturer instructions.