What are the Benefits of Providing High-Quality Industrial PPE?

From the days of the industrial revolution till now, industrial safety has been getting more vital, and rightly so! The safety of the employees is of utmost importance. People find it hard to believe that PPEs are considered the last line of defense against hazards & potential risks. It's true! Hence, the PPE used by the employees should be of high quality. What does high quality mean? Is there any standard for it? Or does high quality just means the use of durable material and buying from reputed brands? This article will primarily focus on the definition of high-quality industrial PPE and its benefits.

What does high-quality industrial PPE mean?

The definition of High-quality industrial PPE can be subjective. But, in this article, we will try to incorporate all the definitions into a single one for the sake of simplicity. High-quality industrial PPE refers to all different types of personal protective equipment that are designed according to the OSHA standards (or the local standards) that either help in minimizing exposure to the hazard, reducing the impact of the mishap, protecting the individual from hazards or providing a layer of protection against the hazards. The most commonly used high-quality industrial PPE & their role are -

1. Safety Goggles or Glasses - According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 20,000 people caught an eye injury in 2020, resulting in days away from work. The two main reasons for eye injuries are chemical splashes & small solid particles. Splashes are a genuine hazard in industries that deal with liquids. Also, there’s always a chance of dust and small solid particles damaging the eye, so donning high-quality safety goggles help in protecting the eyes.
2. Face shield - Many jobs demand full face protection, where there is a chance of radiation exposure. Ensure that the worker’s face is completely protected with a face shield is used. Face shields become vital when there’s a high risk of flying debris. They are considered much more comfortable to wear, and commonly donned over safety goggles as an extra layer of protection, especially in high-risk jobs. For more details, check out our article on face protection PPE.
3. Hard Hats or Safety Helmets - They are often categorized as mandatory PPE in industries and protect an individual from head injuries that may occur due to slip, trip & fall. Depending upon the risk analysis, a safety helmet of the appropriate rating should be chosen. These head protection PPE should be capable of bracing the impact, especially of falling objects.
4. Safety Shoes - Another mandatory PPE in the industry, there protect an individual’s feet from falling objects, impact, sharp objects, and even electrical hazards. Based on the risk assessment, appropriate safety shoes should be chosen.
   
5. Respirators - There are often used by employees when there is a high risk of chemical vapors or gases, dust, and pathogens. The selection of respirators is crucial, and a proper risk assessment will help you choose one.
6. Safety gloves - Whenever employees deal with chemicals, or there’s a risk of chemical splashes, safety gloves must be donned to ensure that there isn’t any case of a hand injury. There are special types of gloves available that help in maintaining grip and protection from burns & high temperatures.
7. Protective Clothing - The PPE which covers the body, for example, aprons, full-body suits, and coveralls, are categorized under protective clothing. They help in protecting from extreme temperatures, fire, splashes, and spillages.

While there are many other types of PPEs such as hearing protection PPE, fall protection PPE, and many more, the most commonly used ones are mentioned. Once the role of PPE is decided, in simpler terms, high-quality PPE ensures that for its given rating, it provides complete protection.

Do you want to know how to choose PPE to protect your ears? For more information check out our article on ear protection PPE.

How does one identify high-quality PPE?

The first check is to verify which standards have been met by the manufacturer. It helps you to understand the build quality & the strictness in the verification of the same. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, N95 & KN95 respirators were popularized for protection against the coronavirus. The only difference between these two respirators was the standard they adhered to. N95 respirators were regulated under US standards, and KN95 respirators followed Chinese standards. In the US, the standards are set by OSHA.

The second check is to verify the build quality, use of durable materials and design of the PPE. While this can be a tough task, industrial safety experts can help with it. Additionally, one can add more factors such as the comfort factor of PPE while working. These two checks help in identifying gaps between the assumed quality of the PPE & high-quality PPE.

Just the provision of high-quality PPE is not the task of the employer only. They must ensure that the employees have been provided adequate training on various aspects of PPE. Proper use & maintenance of PPE will help the PPE to protect at crucial moments. For example, if a person doesn’t wear the chin strap of the helmet, then during the impact of a fall, the helmet may not provide any type of protection.

Employers should provide workers with appropriate PPE, train them on proper use and maintenance, and ensure that it is regularly inspected and replaced as needed to ensure continued protection.

What are the benefits of providing high-quality industrial PPE for your employees?

The provision of high-quality industrial PPE has the following benefits -

Safety 

Every industry always focuses on improving safety as an utmost priority. To protect their workforce from any work-related hazards & risks, the provision of high-quality industrial PPE is a must. Also, the severity of the injuries will drastically reduce.

Comfort

High-quality PPE not only enhances safety but also provides the best possible comfort when compared due to their low-quality counterparts. It helps the personnel to work longer hours without losing efficiency.

Productivity  

Some studies have proven that a safe workplace has increased productivity. Due to the use of high-quality PPE, people feel safe & comfortable working more efficiently. The collective morale of employees also increases, thus reducing absentees & increasing productivity. Moreover, the reduced lost work time due to injuries is an obvious added advantage.

Rules & regulation 

Many industries have to strictly follow certain local rules & regulations, which may have strict instructions that need to be complied with. They may require the use of high-quality PPE, or else the industries may face strict legal actions or fines.    

Reduced costs

While one may feel that investing in high-quality PPE is a costly affair, one looks into the amount paid as fines to authorities due to non-compliance, medical bills for treating workplace injuries, and the biggest headache for industries aka worker’s compensation claims. The provision of high-quality PPE will completely eradicate the causes of these issues.

Conclusion

Overall, the main purpose of the provision of high-quality PPE is to ensure that the safety of the industrial workplace is enhanced such that all the local rules & regulations are complied such as it helps in enhancing comfort & productivity as well as reducing the costs incurred to the industry due to incidents.