Would you feel safe on a plane that hadn’t had a mechanical check? Or in an elevator that wasn’t regularly serviced? Probably not. We check equipment such as planes and elevators regularly because we know that, over time, wear and tear can put our lives at risk. You need to have the same attitude towards your personal protection equipment (PPE).

 Hard hats, work boots, respirators, safety glasses, and lifelines can all lose their effectiveness over time. That’s why you need to inspect or test your PPE before each use. For example, a strap in your hard hat may have broke without you noticing. If you put the same hard back on the next day and something hits your head, you won’t be fully protected. The only way you’ll know that a strap is broken is if you inspect the hard hat before you use it again.

 You also need to remember that things can happen to your PPE while you aren’t using it. Someone may use your lifeline while you’re at another site. Another crew may come in after hours and accidentally damage the anchor point you have been using. You should never assume PPE is in the same condition in which you left it.

 Remind your workers to check their PPE before each use to make sure it’s capable of doing its job. Regular inspection is the only way to be certain you and your workers are protected.

2-Minute News is the bulletin on construction safety you can read in two
minutes or less! It’s emailed to subscribers in the middle of each month
by the Construction Safety Association of Ontario.