The body parts protected with PPE are attached to workers who keep your organization running. As an employer, you need to return the favor by providing them with effective PPE and make sure they use it.

PPE is a workplace safety measure that is very important. When you think of it you just imagine goggles, hard hats and steel toed shoes. But, we all know that there is a bigger picture, which includes a commitment to writing comprehensive PPE policies; selecting equipment that is appropriate for the work challenge and has the highest chance of being used; monitoring employee compliance and meeting the OSHA standard requirements.

The importance of PPE or personal protection equipment has been put forward in every OSHA safety training course. You can find the OSHA PPE standard featured in 29 CFR, 1910.132-138. There are general requirements and rules which cover respiratory, eye and face, head, foot, and hand protection.

To help your employees’ avoid hazards and select the best PPE for their protection, OSHA has recommended 4 steps process.

1.Survey the Area: This will help you understand and identify the sources of hazards associated in categories like penetration, impact, rollover, harmful dust, chemical heat, and optical radiation. You will come to know which protection to use.

2.Consider the Sources: Look out for hazard sources that include any processes or machinery in which movement of elements, particles or tools could occur, or where workers could collide with stationary objects. Also seek out the sources of sharp objects, rolling or pinching objects, high temperatures, and electrical hazards and survey the workplace layout.

3.Analyze Data: By analyzing the findings you can estimate the potential for injuries. The reviews should be based on the type and level of risk involved and the seriousness of the potential hazards.

4.Select the Protection: When you select the PPE, it must be based on the procedures that compare the hazards connecting with the environment against the capabilities of the accessible PPE. The equipment must ensure a level of protection much greater than the minimum required. Again the users must be fit enough to use the PPE and must be aware of the warning labels and limitations.

Providing a safe and healthy environment for workers is the responsibility of the employer. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has set standards and regulations for educating and training employees and encouraging constant improvement at work sites. It also guarantees certain rights related to occupational safety of the employees.

The employees have been granted the right to address concerns with their employers and work to improve conditions. Most importantly, workers have the right to refuse work that they regard as unsafe without fearing termination. The employers should have all the information about the workplace safety hazards and what the workers have to do in case of an emergency. OSHA also grants the right of accessing employee exposure data, medical records and hazard testing.

OSHA General Industry courses make workers aware of their rights when it comes to their safety and well being. Employees also have the right to request their employees to correct any hazard even if it is not contained in the set standards of OSHA. If they are concerned about the safety and health of themselves and their fellow workers, the employees are free to approach OSHA anonymously or confidentially or openly request for an overall OSHA inspection. If the employee wishes to keep their complaint anonymous or confidential, they should mention so in the actual complaint.