How to Motivate Your Employees to Wear Their Safety Gear
Safety gear, also known as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), is vital to the safety of employees. When used appropriately, workers reduce their exposure to hazards and can better mitigate workplace risk. However, they may object if the gear is uncomfortable or unsightly, so enforcing PPE use can be challenging.
Here are our tips to help you enforce the use of safety gear in your workplace.
Educate Employees on the Importance of Wearing Safety Gear
When employees understand why safety gear is important, they will be more likely to wear it.
In training and everyday work, discuss the risks associated with not wearing PPE. Use real-life stories of accidents to show the devastating consequences. Make sure your reasoning and examples are applicable to each job role to help emphasise individual accountability.
Demonstrate How to Wear Safety Gear
All workplaces should provide regular training so everyone can understand how and when to wear PPE.
Senior management should model the correct and appropriate use of safety gear to show that it must be worn properly for everyone’s benefit. If you won’t wear PPE, why should they?
Develop and Enforce Policies
Internal policies should be implemented that outline PPE expectations and responsibilities. These policies should be easily accessible – for example, printed on posters around the workplace.
Once these policies are visible, employee familiarity will increase, and means of enforcement, such as spot checks, can be better applied.
Additionally, employers can stimulate internal motivation by developing a hazard analysis system. Each employee can then analyse what safety gear may be required to mitigate each risk. This relays the message that safety isn’t just a rule, it’s a collective responsibility to get everyone home safely.
Get Employees’ Input in Choosing the Right Safety Gear
Choosing the right safety gear means finding the best protection offering the most comfort. If you show employees you’re aware of and responsive to their opinions, they will appreciate feeling valued, and will be more likely to comply with your policies.
Ask and listen to your employees’ preferences when choosing safety gear. Let them trial different designs and colours from, for example, our comprehensive range of safety products.
It’s equally important to address complaints promptly, and to openly communicate to find the best solution. For example, if an employee has a latex allergy, ensure they have access to non-latex gloves, such as nitrile or neoprene options.
Why Choose Alpha Cleaning Supplies?
As a local family business catering to your needs for over a decade, at Alpha we take pride in offering exceptional service and great value for money in workplace supplies. Starting out as cleaners, we take quality and safety provision personally, and have expanded our services to become a leading commercial supplier for all areas of your business.
For more information on our range of products, and to see how we can help your business, don’t hesitate to contact us today on (08) 9414 8777 or online.