Personal protective equipment (PPE) can mean the difference between life and death for oil and gas workers and correct selection and use is a must to ensure compliance.
“There are a few ways to improve PPE compliance,” says Adil Afzal, Marketing Manager at MSA Safety. “We like to use the term ‘conform’, not ‘confine’.”
The first key to improve PPE compliance is ensuring that the equipment is comfortable. Afzal explains that it should “adapt to the user’s body, and not cause any obstructions in their work.” Otherwise, workers might be less inclined to actually use PPE.
“One of the biggest hurdles in ensuring compliance with PPE is that it’s not well fitting, or it’s not suited for the application,” Afzal adds.
PPE that does not fit properly is more than a slight discomfort—it can create hazardous situations. “A very common sight in the workplace is a harness worn with loose chest and leg straps to avoid feelings of restriction ”” he says. “So you can imagine if somebody takes a fall in this condition they can end up causing serious injuries to their body.”
To address this issue, MSA has developed a racing style harness that achieves exceptional comfort and fit for long hours on the job so workers can focus on the task at hand. The patent-pending RaceFLEXTM connection reduces the feeling of restriction and need for harness adjustment for improved worker mobility.
Finally, Afzal notes the importance of inspection and adhering to the manufacturer’s guidelines for the same, ensuring that PPE is fit for use before actually being used. In the absence of an appropriate inspection program, equipment could receive wear and tear without the user’s knowledge, and ultimately might fail on the job.
To learn more about the future of smart technologies in improving compliance rates, about other major work-at-height risks and how to mitigate them, join us for our webinar: “Fall Protection Solutions for Frequently Encountered Work at Height Challenges”, with speakers from industry experts at MSA Safety.
