Adopting new PPE

Responding is M.B. Sutherland, senior safety writer, Magid, Romeoville, IL.

Concerns over personal protective equipment in general, but especially for hand and arm protection, often center around compliance. That’s because most injuries happen when employees neglect to wear their PPE.

But it might be more accurate to talk about adoption.

Safety pros we partner with tell us that they have a two-pronged problem in getting workers to adopt new PPE. Tenured workers tend to resist change and want the tried-and-true products they’re used to. Newer workers tend to make snap judgments about new products and quickly give up on something new.

So, the first step in compliance may be getting workers to give new products a chance. You can make this more likely in three ways:
Find what’s new. Each passing year brings new technologies and material constructions that make PPE cooler, lighter and more comfortable. If workers are removing their gloves or pushing up their sleeves, it’s likely because of either discomfort or PPE getting in the way of the job. Cut- and impact-resistant materials are lighter and more comfortable than previous generations, while also being highly protective. And many products are designed with the job in mind, with special palm coatings and features that actually assist with working in oily or wet environments. If some of your workers are PPE-resistant, there’s probably something better out there to try.
Try wear-testing/PPE evaluation. Pick some team members with enthusiasm for trying new things and ask them to wear-test some new selections on the job. Or ask your entire team to participate to generate more enthusiasm. (Be sure you’re willing to purchase any of the products being tested so you don’t run the risk of telling people they can’t have the most popular choice.) Use a simple form to gather feedback on overall impression, comfort, usability, etc. Once the majority has spoken, you can remind any noncompliant workers that they helped to choose that gear.
Demonstrate. Those incredibly light and cool materials often seem too good to be true to people who haven’t experienced them. Many safety pros say distrust in a new technology is one of their main obstacles to adoption. The best response to, “How can that possibly protect me?” is “Let me show you!” Your safety supplier should be able to perform edge-testing – the process of filling a glove or sleeve with a proxy material such as closed-cell foam and running it over a real job hazard in your facility, such as a sharp edge. Once you’ve determined that a glove or sleeve works in your environment, invite your workers to witness an edge-testing demonstration for themselves with the real applications and equipment they use every day.

The secret to compliance and willing adoption of new PPE is education and empowerment. If everyone is bought into your safety culture and PPE choices, you get a facility full of assistant safety managers who are committed to doing the right thing to keep everyone safe.

Editor's note: This article represents the independent views of the author and should not be considered a National Safety Council endorsement.