subject: Ppe Equipment Advice - The Problem Of Storage [print this page] In spite of the fact that today the distribution and implementation of PPE equipment is significantly better than it used to be, there is still a staggering number of accidents which occur in the workplace resulting in employees being forced to take time off work, compensation claims, and much worse.
One of the biggest problems now is not introducing PPE equipment into the workplace, but making sure that it is used and stored in an appropriate way. It is simply not enough to provide employees with access to safety equipment or clothing and assume that that will solve the problem.
An employer's a duty of care extends considerably beyond merely providing PPE clothing or equipment, and must include a range of secondary aspects such as training, monitoring, storage, auditing and so on.
Just focusing on the idea of storage of PPE clothing, tools and equipment for a moment, this has caused a number of problems, although often it is one of the last things considered. How and where clothing and equipment is stored can make a significant difference to the degree of safety it offers, its durability and effectiveness, and the chance that it will actually be used.
For example, if a particular item of clothing such as a hard hat, safety gloves or safety knife is stored at one end of the business, and is needed by an employee at the other end of the business, then it is not impossible to believe that a worker under pressure to meet certain targets will take risks and shortcuts in order to get the job done quickly.
Many accidents in the workplace occur because of this very issue, with employees simply not bothering to make use of the PPE equipment or clothing provided because it is stored an inconvenient distance from where it is actually needed.
On the other hand if a box of safety gloves is provided near where they are likely to be needed this may well improve the chance that employees will wear a pair of safety gloves, but if all of the gloves are simply thrown into a big box together this means that there is less chance that they will fit correctly. A busy worker is unlikely to go through dozens of pairs of gloves to find one that is the perfect fit.
Wearing a pair of safety gloves which are either too small or too large can in itself give rise to risks and problems which could either exacerbate the existing risk, or actually result in additional risks occurring.
So it is very important when choosing or assessing PPE equipment to think very carefully early on about how and where the equipment and clothing will be stored to maximise their effectiveness.
