How to Enforce PPE Use on Construction Sites

In a perfect world, each person on every construction site would understand and comply with personal protective equipment (PPE) regulations.

However, as any foreman, WorkSafe officer, or site manager will tell you, this is far from a perfect world and nobody is perfect. This means that effective enforcement of PPE use is a necessary part of health and safety protocols in industrial workplaces. 

This article is hardly specific to construction sites, in fact, as warehouses, mines, and roadworks are all further examples of situations where PPE is essential. 

As you stock up on all your hardware and site supplies from Timberfix (TFX), take the time to consider how you will use such equipment to ensure the safety of your team. 

As an experienced safety equipment supplier, we’re passionate about keeping you and your team safe at work, so that you can return home to family and friends. 

All it takes is proper signage, constant education and teamwork to achieve a safe workplace. Barring freak accidents, this should keep your business out of harm’s way and your people safe on site. 

Signage

Our range of signage includes everything from danger and fire warnings to traffic signs, banners, flags, and security signs. 

If there is a hazard in your workplace, then there is a sign to go with it. Of course, there is the possibility of using too many signs and confusing the matter, but there is always the danger of having too little signage. 

These simple additions to any work site are important to remind even the most seasoned veterans of surrounding hazards, but they’re even more important for inexperienced personnel. 

If a visitor walks on site and doesn’t know to look out for traffic or to avoid entering an area, then the results could be catastrophic. Some clear signage may be all your site needs to ensure that these kinds of situations don’t happen.

Education

Of course, before anyone starts wandering around your site, they are likely to undertake an induction. This session will inform visitors and new staff of how things operate on site and the steps they can take to protect themselves and those around them. 

Proper education should outline where protective equipment is stored, how to use it and the importance of doing so. Induction will also provide evacuation plans, a list of hazards to look out for such as live power lines and exclusion zones, plus site rules and how to report an incident. 

If everyone who enters a worksite is put through an induction, then everyone else on site can be confident in each other’s ability to avoid any incidents. 

Mandatory induction also ensures that everyone is aware of the correct PPE and removes some liability from those in charge. 

Teamwork

So long as you have included the correct signage, and informed personnel of the correct PPE, its whereabouts and how to use it, then your worksite is sure to be on the right side of safety. 

The only ingredient left to enforce PPE use on your construction site is a strong sense of teamwork. 

With so many dangers present on the work site, it is everyone's responsibility to keep others else safe. Constantly reinforcing this fact and fostering a close-knit team will be key to maintaining watertight safety standards. 

If you need more information on how to enforce PPE on construction sites, or to learn more about our range of PPE, get in touch with TFX. 

Our online store has everything you need to secure a construction site and our support team is ready to guide you in the right direction.