How to Choose Personal Protective Equipment with SAI Global

How safe are your employees on the job?

5 need-to-know steps when choosing personal protective equipment

A leading standards certifier is urging employers and site managers in the agriculture, construction, resources and manufacturing industries to evaluate the effectiveness of personal protective equipment for their employees. The recommendation comes in an environment where many suppliers and retailers are continuing to offer protective equipment that fails to meet rigorous Australian safety standards.

With many presuming that all safety products such as hard hats, safety glasses, respirator masks, hearing protectors, fall arrestors and safety footwear meet mandatory requirements, the company behind the well-known Five Ticks StandardsMark™ certification, SAI Global, cautions this is not always the case.
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As an expert in health and safety products, Richard Donarski provides five tips to choosing personal protective equipment in the workplace:

1. Ask an expert. While all equipment looks the same, it doesn't necessarily mean that it does the job. For example, a particular respirator mask may only be compatible with certain chemicals or materials. When unsure, ask the supplier and provide them with the exact details of what the equipment will be used for. If ordering online then call or submit an enquiry. Don't take a gamble with your employees, especially when working with dangerous equipment or chemicals.

2. Purchase certified safety equipment only. This equipment will be branded with an appropriate certification mark, the Australian Standard reference, and should include the name of the organisation, the date it was certified and a Certification Licence number. Be aware that not all products that claim to be certified are to an Australian standard. To be safe, look out for the Five Ticks 'Certified Product' StandardsMark™ or enter the Certification Licence number online at http://register.saiglobal.com/ to source further details.

3. Be careful when buying second hand. Do you really know what that piece of equipment has been through? For example, a hard hat may look okay, but if it's been left out in the sun every day, the chances are that its protection is nowhere near the level it should be due to strong UV rays, weakening its shell. Additionally, second hand DIY equipment may come with zero instructions. "They're not the kind of equipment that you want to be playing a guessing game with," Richard says.

4. Double check all sizes. A hard hat or safety harness that's a millimetre too small can be life threatening should an incident occur. Check all sizes with employees before placing orders for products and, once they arrive, test that these fit accordingly. "Manufacturers can work to different sizes, so testing the product on an individual is essential to ensuring it fits appropriately."

5. Renew and evaluate equipment regularly. Setting a calendar reminder to evaluate and renew equipment every few months isn't enough. Some tasks are larger than others and, if an employee has been working on an intense job, then their protective gear may become ineffective at a quicker rate due to wear and tear. Richard recommends evaluating equipment prior to every job rather than per calendar month.

For more information on product certification visit www.saiglobal.com