Safety Gear Compliance Failures
A recent survey from the National Safety Council (NSC) congress found that 85 percent of safety professionals have observed non-compliance with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) regulations at their companies.
For welders, especially in southern states, this should come as no surprise. Welding is a hot activity even without any protective equipment. Add the helmet, beanie, gloves, jacket, boots, full-length pants and a hot summer day, and you’ve got a downright unbearable environment. In fact, fifty-seven percent of the safety professionals responded that their co-workers did not wear their PPE because it was uncomfortable.
Yet suffering a severe burn is surely a lot more uncomfortable than wearing a good pair of gloves or protective long sleeves. However, the number one reason people don’t wear PPE – “An accident won’t happen to me” – explains the gap in that logic.
Do you think more people would wear Personal Protective Equipment if it were more comfortable – even if they maintain the belief that an accident won’t happen to them?
What has been your experience at work? Do your co-workers risk injury for the sake of comfort? If you’re one of the people who doesn’t follow proper protective equipment guidelines, do you feel that wearing all the required safety gear would impact your ability to perform your job?
Please share your thoughts on this topic by posting a comment below.
Average (Not Rated)
April 6th, 2007 at 5:28 pm
I just started learning about welding, and the damage that it can cause if you are not wearing PPE. I have heared many welder’s say,”that it is really uncomfortable to wear them on hot summer days.” But they do understand why it is needed to wear them. They would like it to be more comfortable. However, it’s better to be uncomfortable than to have burn.
April 10th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
DUDE WEAR YOUR PPE, THOSE BURNS DONT FEEL GOOD AT ALL!!! TRUST ME DONE IT MANY TIMES AND CHANGED MY MIND ABOUT PPE!!!!!!!!!
April 27th, 2007 at 10:28 pm
I am a Header Welder. I have been welding since 1995 ,not a very long time,but long enough to see a man die before my eyes and another to leave work blind in one eye two hours after he got to work. The man who lost his eye was useing saftey glasses but not a grind shield a nine inch grind disk fragmented need I go on. We all know PPE is not foolproof. It will cut your chances of injury at least 85%(This precentage number is a guess on my part,but I bet it is real close). Be sure to use your PPE at all times. Go home looking the same as you did when you got there. SAFE TO GO TO WORK.
June 2nd, 2007 at 7:42 pm
U should not leave to a jobsite without your PPE just think about it for a minute …. u want to make it home to see your kids , wife ,girlfriend then i would suggest to wear it yes when it is hot and uncomfortable but live with it ..i work with a lot of old school guys that refuse to wear the stuff but as a superviser i give them 2 chances to protect themselves if i come buy a second time they r sent home and if the next day they refuse they loose there job period safty is the #1 priority with me and all employers know that accidents cost us all either in financial or the lost of a good man/women so make the right choice and wear the PPE it is your life