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| Is it Time to Review Your PPE Training Program? |
You should never assume your employees understand why a particular piece of personal protective equipment (PPE) is to be used, never mind how to use, inspect, maintain and store it.
Even long-term employees may never have been taught how to properly wear or care for their PPE, and may be too embarrassed to ask if they have a question.
What Should PPE Training Include?
At a minimum, all employees should receive training that covers:
- An overview of when and what PPE must be worn and why it should be worn,
- Where to find PPE,
- How to fit and wear PPE,
- How to inspect, care for, store and maintain PPE, and
- How to report defective PPE and how to obtain replacements.
When is PPE Training Required?
The basic trigger points for PPE training include:
- At the time of the initial hire and assignment to a work area that requires the use of PPE,
- When there have been changes in an employee's duties or the employee transfers to an area that requires the use PPE for which they have not been trained,
- When there have been changes in equipment, work processes or procedures that now require PPE or a change in the type of PPE, and
- When an employee is observed not wearing required PPE or not wearing it properly and the reason is because the employee doesn't understand how to wear it.
In some cases, regulations require annual refresher training even if there have been no changes, such as the use of respirators and hearing protection.
You'll also want to do periodic formal refresher training with your employees about the PPE requirements, even if nothing changes. These don't have to be long sessions, just quick reminders of key points, problems or questions that have come up since the last session.
Create your PPE training program with Safety Smart's safety talks, eLearning, safety meeting packages and even puzzles.
Need access to additional resources on this topic? Try SafetySmart today and get immediate access to safety talks, presentations and more. Sign up for a free 14-day trial now. |
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| Cops are used to seeing people try to get away with carrying oversized objects on vehicles, but this situation had to be a first for this officer. More than half of this car was protruding over the back of the pickup truck, with only some metal strapping securing it. The driver was trying to get this vehicle to the scrap yard the inexpensive way instead of calling a tow truck. The ticket he received was undoubtedly costlier than a tow. (Naval Safety Center) |
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| University Makes Safety Enhancements Following Fatality |
The University of Wisconsin-Madison says it has made several important safety enhancements after 40-year-old electrician Brad Krause died while working in an attic at the campus in July 2011.
The investigation determined that:
- Krause was working in a workspace that allowed for limited mobility and field of view.
- The supply power was not properly isolated before servicing equipment.
- Equipment was being worked on in an energized state and power isolation best practices and PPE use in the field were not adhered to. For example, at the time he was electrocuted, Krause was not wearing the electrically insulated gloves he'd been issued.
The university has committed to reviewing the electrical shop's existing electrical safety and PPE policies and evaluating and performing written hazard assessments for selecting PPE equipment and use of PPE by shop employees.
It will also conduct more frequent refresher safety training and include a review of personal protective gear and demonstration of its proper use.
Supervisors and campus safety directors will also document a minimum of 12 work-practice observations to evaluate compliance with health and safety requirements.
Finally, the university will arrange for first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training for electrical shop employers.
"We're committed to do whatever is needed to avoid a recurrence of a situation like this," says John Harrod, director of the university's Physical Plant Department.
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Related story: Construction Company Director Risked Workers' Lives
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