Personal Safety Equipment: How to Promote Compliance on Construction Sites

Construction sites pose a lot of danger to the workers. In simple terms, accidents, injuries and illnesses occur often due to the exposure of the personnel to the harsh conditions. The hazards include the heavy equipment, dropping objects, falling from elevated platforms and even general pollution from dust, soil and construction materials. Therefore, it is important to implement essential safety measures and provide your employees with personal protective equipment (PPE). In addition, use the tips outlined below to promote compliance with PPE use.

Acquire Suitable PPE

It is essential to purchase suitable personal protective equipment for your construction employees. Simply speaking, you should not acquire the needed gear while only contemplating legal requirements and industry standards for worksite safety. Instead, look for products that will be comfortable for long-term wear during work hours.

This will reduce the chances of the workers taking off the wear and devices while on the site. For instance, when choosing protective clothes or shoes, you should think about breathability and sweat-wicking to minimise discomfort on hot days. For the best results, consult the individuals who will be using the gear before finalising the decision.

Provide Proper Training

Using some types of safety equipment can be challenging. Moreover, if the gear is used incorrectly, it will not work as expected. This could increase the risk of significant injuries during an emergency. Also, if the equipment is not utilised correctly, there might be discomfort, leading to non-compliance. Therefore, you should engage a specialist to provide training on equipment like fall-protection systems like harnesses.

Consider Enforcement

There should be policies in place for your workplace on the usage of the provided personal protective equipment. In addition, you must have a method for enforcing the use of the equipment on the construction site. There are different approaches that you can use. For instance, you can post signage around sites where certain types of equipment are required. Also, you can have someone restrict entry to people without the right PPE. In addition, other consequences can be established for workers who take off the gear within the construction site.

Inspect and Replace PPE

Finally, it is advisable to have the personal safety equipment inspected on a regular basis. You can have each individual check on the condition of their assigned items and report if there is damage. However, organising for a general check-up of all the items is also possible. Some pieces of equipment can be repaired and usage can continue. However, when dealing with delicate items like harnesses, replacement is critical if there is damage. 

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