Page 37 - Occupational Health & Safety, November/December 2019

contact with live electrical circuits
■ Puncture resistance (to protect the bottom of the foot) from
sharp penetrating objects
Any safety footwear provider can claim its products are safe
and offer the protective properties required for the task at hand, but it’s important to verify that they are ASTM-compliant. Make sure your provider has followed the current, most up-to-date test- ing and performance requirements and can provide a Certificate of Conformance.
What to Look for in a PPE Solutions Provider
Ensuring worker safety starts with finding a PPE provider that can provide complete and effective head-to-toe solutions. Here are some key signs that a potential candidate will be able to meet your workers’ needs.
Its product shipments are moving. While getting products to and from your operations can pose challenges, a provider should be able to ship PPE product to any location within a few days of being ordered.
It offers a wide variety of PPE. Your equipment provider should always have a breadth of products available. If it can supply a wide range of head-to-toe workwear offerings, it will minimize the time, money and energy you need to spend searching for solutions.
Its products meet or exceed evolving safety standards. Safety standards generally change every three to five years and provide a set of minimum requirements that PPE must pass during testing. The PPE partner should consistently update its assortment with the latest up-to-code, lab-tested and field-proven materials.
A solutions-first, product-second mindset. If a provider puts the emphasis on products more than the safety of your workers, it may not be the right fit for you. A good partner should form a close strategic relationship with you, help determine the biggest safety risks for your workers and provide ongoing solutions and educa- tion to mitigate those risks.
Reducing, rather than adding, more work for your com- pany. The best providers simplify the entire process. Look for a provider that offers a digital platform that helps streamline the ordering process.
A true one-stop shop. The provider can offer everything from original product designs and raw goods sourcing to quality manu- facturing, testing, distribution and service.
It is important for anyone responsible for workers’ health and safety to understand how to select the right PPE for the job. By knowing what to look for in head-to-toe PPE—and what you should expect from a qualified provider—you’ll be able to keep your focus on key business activities, and most importantly, keep your workers safe on the job.
Jim Bailey is managing director for the Americas for Red Wing Shoe Company, overseeing the sales and operations for the energy sector.
REFERENCES
1. https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/eyefaceprotection/index.html 2. https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/eyeandface/faqs.html 3. https://www.bls.gov/iif/soii-data.htm
4. https://www.assp.org
www.ohsonline.com
Circle 11 on card.
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