Personal
Protective
Equipment - PPE
Learning Lite
PPE…..The last defense!
• Why is personal
protective equipment
(PPE) important?
• We all know the answer,
right? All together now:
“Because it protects
workers from injury!”
• But why do we have to
wear it?
• We need to wear it when
not all risk can be
removed from our
working environment
• So…simply put…It’s our
last defense
Why Workers Resist Wearing PPE
• PPE is a component in at
least two of the top-ten
violations according to HSE
figures: fall protection and
respiratory protection
• In 2006 Kimberly-Clark
Professional conducted a
survey among attendees of a
US National Safety Council
Congress, asking if
respondents had ever
observed workers failing to
wear PPE when they should
have. Eighty-seven percent
said that they had
Why Workers Resist Wearing PPE
• The reasons?
• PPE was
uncomfortable
(according to 62%
of respondents)
• PPE was not
necessary for the
task
• PPE was too hot
• PPE was
unattractive looking
Do we all do it… all of the time?
• We hear comments like
these on site…
• “Wear your PPE because it
says so in the safety rule
book”
• “Do as you are told”
• “It costs a lot of money”
• “You were trained to do it,
so do it”
• These comments don’t
work and don’t help
• We need to look at why
people do the things they
do…. what drives people’s
behaviour
What If…
• We were to tell you that you
can now decide whether or not
to wear your PPE
• Wearing your PPE was entirely
your own decision
• The impacts of not wearing
your PPE were entirely your
own risk
• There would not be any
support for any injury that
would have been avoided by
wearing PPE
That question answered…
• We know that when a choice is
presented we tend to choose
the right thing to do
• Most people would elect to
wear there PPE if given the
choice
• So….
…why don’t people wear it then?
Personal Perception of
Risk
and
Time vs Risk
I forgot it
It’s only a 5 minute job
It’s in the site cabin – don’t have time to get it
What can you do?...Lead by example
• Walk the Talk
• SHOW your peers and co-workers that
you are not above the rules and
regulations by using PPE in your
workplace wherever it is required
• SHOW your workers where to obtain
the appropriate PPE and take the time
to SHOW them how to don and use it
correctly
• EXPLAIN to them that their
contribution and hard work is valued
and that remaining injury free is
everyone’s priority
• Recognise people for doing the right
thing
What can you do?...Why we work safe…
• Try setting up a “Why I Work
Safe” board somewhere on
site
• This is a board that the
workforce can pin up pictures
of their loved ones to SHOW
as a reminder - every time they
walk by - to work safe and go
home safe
• It serves as a visual reminder
and reinforces the message.
• It can be a picture of their car,
cat, child, husband, wife or
anything …. Really!
We are all wearing it… now what?
• Make sure you SHOW
each worker how to;
• Properly maintain and
store their PPE
• Inspect PPE for wear,
tear, and malfunctions
• Get it replaced
• Let them know that PPE
won’t work if it’s broken,
in disrepair, or not cared
for properly
What did we learn?
• Until now, you might have thought that telling your
workers to wear PPE was the best or only way
• We must form partnerships with individuals in
order to foster the efficient and safe work
environment
• One critical element in the context of that
environment is an effective PPE program
• Understanding why people do the things they do,
helps us to work with them to understand what
needs to change and ultimately to change it
• While the art of verbal persuasion can be a
valuable tool SHOWING your workers by setting
an example and conducting effective training can
go a long way in achieving success
• Visible reminders of why we want and need to
worksafe and what’s important to us will help