Page 39 - OHS, January/February 2022

PPE is an Essential Part of Any Safety Program
Safety should always be priority number one for both workers and managers alike. ThThe key to keeping workers safe is to avoid injuries in the fifirst place. To do this, organizations need to adopt a culture of safety. ThThis can be done by establishing cultural guidelines that empower employees to make the right decisions and build an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect. Consider that a worker is injured on the job every seven seconds in the U.S., according to the National Safety Council, and nearly all of those incidents, 98 percent, occur because of unsafe practices.
To establish a culture of behavior-based safety, organizations should integrate safety management into the company’s core values. A systematic approach is necessary and will likely involve updating machinery and equipment or updating the work environment. In addition, it is important to examine work schedules and employee utilization to avoid workers being too tired on the job. Lastly, a full-featured education and training program is critical to teach employees - no matter how many years of experience they have - on how to perform their tasks in a way that reduces workplace hazards and prioritizes safety.
PPE is the final line of defense when it comes to worker safety. It is the fail-safe for when all other safety precautions fail. Hand protection equipment is one of the most important pieces of PPE because it helps protects workers’ livelihoods - their hands. Manufacturers are making strides in developing gloves
and sleeves that are stronger, lighter, more breathable and more comfortable to wear than ever before.
While PPE might be the last line of defense, it doesn’t mean it is less important. PPE is an essential part of any safety program because we are all human and accidents are bound to happen—it is the thing that needs to go right when everything else has gone wrong.
Having the correct hand protection equipment can be the difference between workers suffering a career-ending injury and being able to work another day. When workers take all reasonable precautions, operate in a culture of safety and have the right PPE for the right job, the risk of injury can be substantially reduced.
Rahil Hasan is the Director Customer Marketing at Honeywell. REFERENCES
1. https://ohsonline.com/articles/2018/08/01/take-matters-into-your- own-hands.aspx?m=1
2. https://www.ishn.com/articles/105011-more-than-half-of-all-injuries- involve-the-hands
3. https://sps.honeywell.com/us/en/products/safety/hand-protection/ gloves/coreshield-double
4. https://sps.honeywell.com/us/en/products/safety/hand-protection/ gloves/flextril-nitrile-chemical-gloves?utm_source=ad_digital&utm_ medium=print&utm_campaign=flextril-21_09-apac-en&utm_term=wshasia_ award&utm_content=ad-digital_publication
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 | Occupational Health & Safety 35
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