Safety Awakening – “All PPE Is Not Created Equal”
January 2, 2015 No Comments“All PPE Is Not Created Equal”
Some PPE (personal protective equipment) is high quality products that far exceed the minimum requirements of the applicable standard. While other PPE are cheaply made foreign imports that fall well short of your county’s safety regulations.
Here are a few tips to consider when purchasing your PPE:
- Buy products from larger vendors like Grainger.com
- Don’t purchase PPE from Harbor Freight or similar discount stores
- Buy products that are manufactured in your own country
- Don’t buy the “cheapest” product, buy the “best”
- Ask the vendor for a free sample that you and your employees can try out before purchasing
- Ask the vendor what specific standards the product meets (usually there’s an ANSI standard that applies)
- Ask the vendor what models they feel are the most protective
- Pay a little more for adjustable products – one size does not fit all
- Do your own PPE torture tests to determine for yourself which model is the most protective and durable
- Ask your competitors what types of PPE they’ve found to be best
Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish when it comes to buying PPE. Remember that these products are intended to protect your employee’s lives and health. Buy PPE that you’d feel comfortable having your children wear if they worked at your facility.
Awakenings