Personal Protective Equipment

Playing it safe at the workplace
By Ashir Badami, senior editor at Business.com Business.com It can be a dangerous world out there, and the workplace is no different. The only difference between the “real world’ and your workplace, however, is that as a small-business owner you’re required by law to keep employees safe from illness and harm. Unfortunately, there’s still room for improvement. It has been estimated that $1 billion is spent per week in workers’ compensation costs. However, the injuries that contribute to this astronomical figure can be reduced through better safety practices, specifically the use of personal protective equipment.

What is PPE?

The prevailing understanding is that personal protective equipment (PPE) is only for employees in the manufacturing or construction industries, but that’s not entirely accurate. PPE refers to any equipment designed to protect employees from serious injuries or illnesses resulting from workplace hazards. PPE can take a number of forms, ranging from face shields and safety glasses to steel-toed boots and rubber gloves. Obviously, your workplace will determine what PPE you need. If you run a machine shop, for example, your employees will probably need earplugs, gloves, face shields and safety boots to perform their duties safely.

For the construction industry, OSHA has an exhaustive list of PPE regulations, along with standards for tools and equipment. Some basic examples include:

Eye and face protection. Safety glasses or face shields are required when working near electrical hazards or whenever there’s a chance for foreign objects to enter the eyes.

Foot protection. Footwear that protects toes, such as steel-toed boots, is required whenever working around heavy equipment or if there is a risk of falling objects. Hand protection. Task-specific gloves, such as heavy-duty rubber gloves for concrete work.

Head protection. Hard hats if there is the risk of falling objects or bumps to the head.

Hearing protection. Earplugs or earmuffs in high-noise work areas.

Employer responsibilities

As an employer, it is your duty to conduct an assessment of your workplace to determine what hazards are present. Then you must provide your employees with the PPE (and yes, you have to pay for it) and make sure they use and maintain it in a sanitary and reliable condition.

You’ll also have to make sure that employees are trained on how to use the equipment. If you own a landscaping business, for example, you must make sure all your employees have access to current safety manuals and understand how to operate the equipment safely.

The OSHA Web site has more details for specific industries. Consult your local OSHA office, because 24 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have OSHA-approved state plans that in some instances deviate from the general OSHA regulations.

Last line of defense

Using PPE in the workplace can not only keep your employees safe, but also lower your operating costs. That’s because you may be able to reduce your workers’ compensation costs and the costs of replacing injured employees or repairing damaged property.

That said, it’s important to note that PPE is not intended to be the sole form of safety enforcement at your workplace. Implementing the proper procedures and instilling a sense of safety within your workforce will put you on the road to an injury-free workplace.