First of all, what is PPE? Personal Protection Equipment, otherwise known as PPE, is used to control physical and health related hazards in the workplace. It is always best to eliminate a workplace hazard. When they cannot be satisfactorily eliminated, items such as gloves, safety glasses, earplugs, and steel-toed shoes help to minimize or eliminate the risk of the hazard. Specialized PPE may include respirators, hard hats, welding shields, or protective aprons.
What PPE is used? Each workplace conducts a hazard assessment and determines its requirements based on the hazard potential. At Molded Dimensions Inc., heat is used to cure both our rubber and polyurethane molded product. For this reason, heat resistant gloves are worn by workers to prevent contact with hot surfaces such as molds or hot tables. Several other types of PPE are required for our workers, including safety glasses, earplugs, and steel-toed shoes.
Does PPE get worn out? Yes. The simplest thing, like scratches on safety glasses, can tell us to replace our PPE. Heat resistant gloves, over time, become worn and begin to provide less insulation. Something workers often times do not replace frequently enough are their safety shoes. Safety shoes need to not only protect toes from hazards, they also need to provide good support like our other daily footwear. Workers stand and walk throughout much of their day. Proper support is needed to prevent foot and leg pain, as well as long term back issues.
What is the worker’s responsibility? The worker should participate in training offered by the employer, properly wear and maintain the PPE, as well as speak up when there is a need to repair or replace PPE. Additionally, workers should first lead by example and wear the PPE religiously, but also encourage fellow coworkers to do so.
During a walk through our shop at Molded Dimensions Inc, you will see our workers wisely use their PPE. Safety is our number one goal, and our injury goal is always zero!
