Personal Protective Equipment: The Pains of Staying Pain-Free
What PPE challenges are professionals facing, and how can they be solved?
- By Cindy Pauley
- Mar 01, 2023
When asked if personal protective equipment (PPE) is painful, most people immediately think of physical pain. But what about other pains, such as training challenges, purchasing problems and compliance issues? Pain doesn’t always have to be physical—nor does it have to be negative.
PPE pain can be caused by frustration in acquiring the right PPE, getting the right fit for employees or finding PPE that isn’t too hot or too binding. Pain felt by management can be from worker PPE non-compliance, or it can be as simple as cost. That same pain, however, can improve worker protection and build trust that the employer has workers’ best interests at heart.
The J. J. Keller Center for Market Insights sought to learn more about PPE challenges, or “pain points,” experienced by safety professionals seeking to protect workers while meeting OSHA requirements. The July 2022 online results from nearly 200 safety contacts revealed some interesting findings.
More than 90 percent of manufacturing company leaders “often or sometimes” have issues with their employees following proper PPE protocols. Reasons given included inadequate training, task hindrances, sizing, heat stress and supply-chain disruptions. To better understand some of these pitfalls, let’s digest the survey results from three frames of reference: PPE stigma, cost and the program.
The PPE Stigma
When asked why there was resistance to wearing PPE, employees didn’t think it was necessary, didn’t know it was required or felt PPE is overprotective or made the job more difficult. Alarmingly, some employees stated they just weren’t interested in wearing it.
PPE stigmas are best combatted with facts. Employees must be given applicable, relatable, real-world examples of injuries that occurred because of a lack of PPE. I’ve often explained to participants in my classes that OSHA regulations have been written in someone’s blood. Following it up with a plea to not let those sacrifices be for nothing has had an amazing impact.
The Cost of PPE
PPE can be costly, without a doubt. Recent supply chain issues have only compounded the problem with a whopping 71 percent of survey respondents experiencing delays in the past year. Supply chain issues resulted in difficulty finding stock, delivery issues and backorders and astronomical prices. However, the costs of not having PPE can be far more costly—from medical bills and lost time to insurance increases and, in some cases, litigation.
This article originally appeared in the March 1, 2023 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.