Saturday, August 29, 2009

LOOK BEYOND PPE STANDARDS

Knowing that the PPE you selected contains an ANSI sticker and believing it is the most appropriate for your hazards are first steps. You need to find out how it protects and what are the risks when hazards are more extreme than the ANSI tests. ANSI administers consensus performance standards for most PPE. An ANSI sticker on a product is your assurance that it has been tested to the ANSI standard and passed.

But ANSI standards only test products under laboratory conditions to hypothetical hazards designed to emulate what might happen in the work place. So you need to know exactly how any PPE you are considering works and if and how it can minimize your risk when hazards are different or more severe than lab conditions.

For example, most protective caps appear to be alike, and most if not all contain an ANSI sticker. But if you look beyond the obvious, you will see significant design and performance differences between the brands you may be considering. The optimum protective cap designs have smooth crowns and as many suspension "points" as possible to spread and manage impact force more effectively. But a lot of caps contain reinforcing ribs or ridges in the shells and have 4 or 6 point suspensions. Only the top quality head protection on the market has a smooth crown and an 8 point impact energy control system. Both designs are tested to the ANSI standard and both designs pass, but because the absolute test results are never made public, you never know if one design just sort of passed while the other passed with flying colors. You just know both passed.

The basic impact test for protective caps involves a ball being dropped squarely in the center of the cap. To pass the test the cap shell and suspension must work together to attenuate impact force to an exceptional level. The ribs and ridges in caps with that design reinforce the shell where the drop ball hits to compensate for their 4 or 6 point suspensions. But in real life, falling objects are rarely if ever smooth round balls striking precisely in the center of the cap. If the hazard is a wrench, or screw driver that hits off center, the ribs and ridges can become "catch basins" that can trap the object which concentrates force and over powers the suspension. So a design built for performance in the lab can create unforeseen hazards and increase risk in the workplace.

Because the very essence of risk management is to eliminate risk whenever possible, choosing the top quality protective cap design, with a smooth crown and 8 point impact energy control system, eliminates the risks caused by ribbed caps design and increases the likelihood that the cap will perform better in real life because of the ability of the 8 point suspension to manage impact force better. Two products, both with ANSI stickers, but with different performance functions and capabilities. There is much more than meets the eye like this with all types of PPE. As we detail the different product types, we will make the differences clear.

As part of your OSHA suggested PPE Buying Decision Process, you need to make sure you don't just settle for the minimum. Ask questions, probe deeper, find out exactly how and why the PPE you are considering works. Pay particular attention to performance features and make a determination of the products ability to reduce risk under your working conditions. Ask for samples. Put the products side-by-side and compare them. Try them out. It is a big decision and looking beyond the obvious will pay huge dividends.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

ESTABLISH CHOICE CRITERIA

A lot of PPE is similar in appearance. Even the most conscientious buying decision maker has difficulty sorting it all out. What should you look for? How do you tell the difference? What is the value of the differences, if any? If you follow the OSHA guide lines, once you determine the "type" of PPE for your hazards, the next step is to learn as much as you can about what is available in that type of protection.

Trade journal advertising and Directories, the Internet, your sources of supply will all make you aware of the manufacturers of each type of PPE. Their literature will give you a general idea about the features, benefits and value of their brands, but spending the time to sit down and talk with the producers and distributors of the brands you are interested in is critical to the process.

Although different brands of PPE products may seem alike, there are significant differences in design, material, comfort and performance. Have each potential source tell you their "story". If they don't have a "story", dismiss them out of hand. If all they can offer is a "deal" or a lower purchase price, scratch them off of your list. Your PPE budget is not a savings account. It is an investment in reducing injuries and injury costs and only top performing products can produce a return on that investment.

As you listen to each "brand story", you will become aware of various features that are "must have's" and "would be nice to have" for your operation. Those things eventually become the "buying decision choice criteria" you specify. Once your choice criteria are set, instead of specifying a specific brand, you can state to your buying department that "no matter what brand it is, it MUST have this set of features, benefits and values." And don't forget to add "No substitutes" to your requisitions.

Monday, August 3, 2009

FITTING AND COMFORT ARE IMPORTANT

OSHA studies, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics Work Injury Reports, show that roughly 40% of those injured were not wearing the PPE provided to them, and the other 60% were wearing PPE that proved to be inadequate for the hazards present. The percentages vary according to the type of PPE in question, but the "40/60" ratio is a good representation for eye, face, head and hand injuries.

Why don't employees wear PPE that is provided free of charge by their employer? There is some resistance because they think it is not needed, or it isn't "macho", to wear it, or they don't like the way it looks, but most of the resistance is because the worker doesn't like the way it feels (it is too hot, too heavy) and it keeps them from doing their jobs productively.

Most complaints about "feel" are because the PPE was not or could not be adjusted properly for an individual fit and feel. Either the equipment did not contain enough adjustment features, or the buyer was not aware of them and the employees were not trained properly in how to make the protective device fit properly. Once again, trying to save a couple of dollars on the purchase price by selecting cheap ill-fitting PPE that can not be adjusted for a comfortable fit, is a big mistake. The most expensive PPE is that which is not worn. That is something all buying decision makers need to keep in mind and comfort and fitting capabilities should be right after protective capabilities among choice criteria.

The buying decision process also contributes to the 60% of PPE that proved to be inadequate for the hazards. When an accident and injury occurs, there is usually an in depth investigation of what the injured worker was doing, his or her working conditions, the hazards present, the PPE worn in terms of its performance, but no one ever looks at why and how that particular PPE device was selected in the first place. Did the buying decision makers works through the OSHA suggested selection process? Or did they go for a straight re buy (what we always used), or they bought something that was on "sale" (to save a few bucks), or they bought whatever had the lowest purchase price (thinking they were reducing cost) or did they just not do the due diligence to make sure they selected the most appropriate PPE for the hazards present?

You know, the OSHA Appendix to its revised PPE Rule, clearly states that "price shall not be the determining factor" in selecting PPE for an identified hazard. But unfortunately it so often is in todays PPE buying decision process. Comfort, fit, and making sure they are "must haves" in a PPE buying decision process, are important factors in any successful PPE Program.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

PURCHASE PRICE vs COST AND ROI

Not knowing the differences among what is available usually leads to purchasing what has the cheapest purchase price. That stems from the mindset that PPE is a regulatory expense that should be minimized. But the truth is, PPE should be an investment in reducing costs with an ROI on a par with any other cost cutting measures an employer may be pursuing.

Lost time injuries cost close to $50,000 each today. Non-lost times injuries close to $5,000 and even First Aid cases about $500 each. Investing in quality PPE sufficient to reduce any of those costs even marginally will return the purchase price many times over. Downtime is another major cost. Comfortable, well fitting PPE, helps workers stay on the job longer and produce more. Again, spending a few dollars for design, comfort and fitting features will be returned many times over. An investment in quality PPE also helps to reduce Workers Comp insurance premiums and all of the costs involved with it.

Yes, every company wants to reduce costs. But with PPE it is important to recognize and understand which costs are the target. Do you want to try to save a couple of bucks on the purchase price of a protective cap for example, or do you want to invest that extra couple of bucks in a protective cap that is more likely to prevent or reduce an injury, more likely to be worn because it fits properly, more likely to help the wearer be more productive because it is more comfortable and that reduces the cost of Workers Comp insurance?