Joshua
What kind of PPE is required and if the PPE is not worn what is the punishment?
PPE is a necessity for safety #construction #career #injury-prevention #workplace-injury-prevention #engineering
4 answers
William Luebke
William’s Answer
Punishment for not wearing appropriate PPE also varies. Most companies will provide safety rules with consequences for not abiding by the rules. There is a big difference between someone not wearing hearing protection versus someone not wearing a respirator while working with chlorine. Depending on how serious the violation will also dictate the severity of the consequence.
Rules are there for a reason. Providing a safety minded culture will help with the buy in from employees. I suggest teaching people the importance of why PPE is necessary rather than making it just a rule.
Simon Robson
Simon’s Answer
So, the bottom line is,...if a job requires PPE, it is not optional. If you are caught not wearing PPE, verbal and written warning are usually given, but if one has been warned several times I have fired people.
The good safety culture is not just rules and regulations, but the adherence to those rules and regulation. It is also a state of mind. People not adhering to established safety standards are not only a problematic employees, but also highlights poor company supervision/management...and frankly not a company I want to work for.
A point I have always stressed is.....think about what could happen if things go wrong...not just the task to be done. Then you will see how important that PPE is.
Stay safe.
mike pong
mike’s Answer
Safety at construction site is non negotiable. Everyone who works at the construction must adhere to the site constructions rules implemented respectively at each site. Sites rules may differ slightly from site to site but generally most of the site rules are quite similar as there the rules would need to comply to the local authorities site safety rules and regulations.
PPE is definitely of the site rules that all construction workers and site visitors need to adhere as it will imply to all people who walks into a construction site.
The most fundamental PPE that a person should wear when they walk into a construction site are as follows
- A compliant Safety helmet
- Safety Shoes
- Safety Vest
Optional PPE a person should wear
- Safety Goggles
- Safety Ear Plugs
There are also some specific PPE that one should wear the worker is working on different environment . Example
- During a welding works , the worker must wear at least a face protective /welding shield and welding gloves.
- During an installation of glass panels , the worker must wear the anti slip gloves,
As far as my own safety philosophy is concern , it would be useless to punish anyone if an accident already happened due to the non wearing a PPE.
Therefore it would it more appropriate if we could enforce the wearing the PPE more stringently and reduce accidents from happening by making sure the workers do wear their PPE .
For example :
There will be a daily check of PPEs before the commencement of each day.
Safety rounds need to conducted during hot works or other dangerous works by the safety officer.
A simple rule that I had always enforce for my construction site is "NO PPE, NO WORK"
Hope my above advice is helpful for you .
Donald Knapik
Donald’s Answer
Hello Joshua,
At one time, I had responsibility for maintenance, repair and construction activities for a very large rail commuter agency. At a point in my career I was on a training assignment, away from my facilities for almost six months, returning just briefly a few times a month. It is quite amazing what time away does to your field of vision. So much of what we see becomes wallpaper which we no longer observe. When I came back, I was seeing things that otherwise might have gone unnoticed as “that’s the way it always was”.
I was truly disappointed with what I found, especially in the area of facility condition, attention to detail and use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). I went on a rather tyrannical tour of a major facility with the person in charge. I talked with every supervisor about the issues and monitored conditions daily for several weeks. People were just hoping I would go away. Compliance was getting better. I had also asked that several pieces of unusable equipment be removed. I had a zero tolerance policy on PPE compliance and I meant it! A subsequent check of PPE inventory indicated usage had increased dramatically. You could see new “stuff” everywhere.
Later that week, when construction workers were removing an unused hose reel system, a part under spring tension was unbolted instantly releasing tension and allowing the apparatus to strike an employee in the head. Many stitches were required to close the wound where his now broken hard hat cut his head. Had he not been wearing his PPE the result could have been much different.
The unit had signs on it indicating not to remove the cover, several people were working together yet no one noticed, and the site had been reviewed during a job briefing. A totally avoidable situation…………That sign on the unit had been there so long no one even noticed it was there…..the “wall paper” syndrome. . The employee was given thirty days off without pay as punishment. The supervisor was terminated.
The types of PPE are many and range from simple ear plugs to full body suits with breathing apparatus all depending on what type of hazards need to be protected against. For construction activity it is likely that everyone on the job site wear a hardhat, safety glasses, gloves, and sturdy shoes with a definite heel. You'll often see the basic requirements posted at the entrance to the site.
Further PPE may be required for specific jobs: If you are required to use a torch, heat resistant gloves, an apron, welding goggles might be required. If you are required to work at heights, a fall harness might be required. If you are painting a breathing mask might be required......there are as many variations as there are tasks to be done.
Actual requirements are typically developed as a result of things that happened to individuals, analysis of the tasks they do and the need to protect those working around hazardous activities. A welder might be required to have a flameproof curtain around his work to protect others, a person in a confined space might have special breathing apparatus, whose fresh air intake could not be compromised by hazardous fumes in it's surroundings. Many rules are established after the fact to prevent injuries from occurring again.
The punishment for failing to comply with PPE requirements can vary greatly depending on the company or activity being performed. The greatest penalty is the loss of a life, limb or perhaps an eye, or someones hearing. One persons failure could lead to injury of someone or many other persons.
I consider compliance with PPE rules as a condition of employment. If you want to work at my company, we do not compromise on safety. Each employee receives training on what is required, how and when to utilize PPE and the least punishment a person might receive for non-compliance would be a verbal warning, some companies might give a written warning; rarely will there be a third time. Failure to enforce safety rules can have a huge effect on bottom line dollars. Insurance is very expensive, injuries cost companies a great deal of money in productivity and delays in construction to say nothing about impact to the injured person or their family.
This is a very serious topic and if a person has reservations about his/her willingness or ability to comply with PPE and/or other safety requirements, perhaps a different career choice might be considered. Life and limb are too precious to compromise.
Good luck with your future endeavors and be safe,
Don Knapik
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