BOS EH-1020 Unit III Proposal

PPE: WHY WORKERS WON’T WEAR IT

COLUMBIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY

PPE: Why Workers Won’t Wear It

The Topic

Safety professionals all across the world try to express the importance of wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) needed for the job that an employee is trying to complete, but some employees refuse to wear their PPE. Wearing PPE is a very easy and necessary thing for workers to do in order to protect themselves from hazards that they encounter on the job. Workers sometimes do not understand that PPE is the last line of defense to protect them from on the job hazards.

The controversy

The negative effects of not wearing PPE far outweigh the negative effects of wearing PPE, but employees continue to come up with excuses as to why they are not wearing their PPE when confronted by safety professionals and supervision. As a result of not wearing the proper PPE for the job, employees are severely injured all across the United States daily and those injuries could have been prevented or not as severe if the proper PPE was being worn.

Pro Side of the Controversy

Wearing safety glasses can prevent an eye injury that can severely injure or even blind a worker. Wearing gloves can protect a worker hands from being cut. Hearing protection can protect a worker from acquiring hearing loss or even from becoming deaf. Steel toe footwear can protect a worker from having toes and feet cut or smashed due to something falling on them. All these types of PPE protect workers in their own way, but they are continued to not be worn by workers daily.

Con Side of the Controversy

Wearing PPE can be cumbersome sometimes to workers who are trying to perform a task in a timely manner. There are five reasons that workers give most often when confronted about not wearing required PPE. Workers consistently do not wear PPE when required and when asked why they are not wearing the proper PPE, one of the reasons they state for not wearing PPE is that the PPE is not comfortable and/or does not fit properly. They often use the excuse that they did not know PPE was required. Workers also say they did not have to time to don the correct PPE or it slows them down. Workers also do not believe that they will be injured and they sometimes use the excuse that they forgot to put the PPE on.

Tentative Thesis Statement

Safety professionals should continue to encourage, educate, and enforce the use of personal protective equipment.

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