New Legislation Now Requires Certain Employees to Wear Effective Safety Clothing
Every year, new legislation is passed to keep people safe at work, and the Occupational Health & Safety act is no different. Since its promulgation in 1993, it has been updated various times, and new legislation regarding construction and mining has recently been changed. It is now illegal for business owners and managers to allow their employees to do certain tasks without the prescribed safety wear, clothing and equipment.Â
PPE, or personal protective equipment, as it is known, is essential to reduce risk of injury and to keep employees safe, and it is now possible for employers to be held personally responsible if the correct PPE is not applied, or if the current PPE is below standard or ineffective. The safety wear industry is highly regulated, and nobody can afford to make a mistake when it comes to the correct manufacture and application thereof. These laws are there to protect both employees from injury and to protect employers from cost law suits.
It goes without saying that risk is everywhere, and even a relatively small job such as washing a floor has legislation governing it. There is a higher risk of injury in factories and manufacturing environments where heavy machinery or toxic chemicals are used regularly. Other risks can include cutting blades, heat, noisy machinery, falling from heights, being trapped under objects and toxic fumes, to name only a few. It is up to the employer to ensure that a thorough risk assessment is conducted by a professional, and that measures are taken to ensure the safety of the employees. PPE is only to be seen as a last resort after significant risk reduction has been performed and all other possible measures put into place to reduce the risk of injury. PPE includes the wearing of gloves, masks, overalls, and a variety of safety wear clothing. It is imperative that the clothing is made with quality materials and that it can effectively protect the person against the dangers of the job.
The first step in the process of determining which safety wear or clothing will be necessary, is to get a professional to identify all the tasks and processes performed in the business, and they will then identify the risks that accompany any particular task. Professional risk assessors are able to report on all risk factors and the degree of severity for each, as well as make recommendations regarding measures to be taken to safeguard employees. Once the risks have been effectively determined, the necessary safety wear, clothing and equipment can be put into place.
If you would like to know more about risk assessment and PPE, Top 2 Toe will be happy to help!