How Does Your Management Tackle Employees Not Using PPE? Let's Share Strategies!

Dear Friends,

Kindly highlight the strategies adopted by your managements on the issue of non-usage of personal protective equipment by employees, please.

Regards,
Kesava Pillai

The following are the major initiatives taken by our management:

1. Implementing the concept of "Safety is Line Management Responsibility."
2. Conducting Safety Audits (Contract Field Safety Audit with severity rating) by Line Engineers & Managers.
3. Safety Observation by Top Management Executives, emphasizing Behavioral Changes.
4. Ensuring the availability of quality PPE to all workers according to job requirements.
5. Conducting Morning TBT in each section, covering all employees, led by the immediate site supervisor or engineer.
6. Imposing penalties on contractors for safety non-compliance.
7. Etc.

Regards,
Dipil Kumar V

Dear Friends,

The Importance of Managerial Strategies for PPE Usage

The importance of a study on managerial strategies for not using PPE will show that most managements are not serious about safety. Most CEOs will find time only to inaugurate a few functions like safety training for senior staff, celebration of Safety Day, etc. They will not be able to find time for safety unless it is a case of fatality. Responsibility for safety is entirely left with safety officers. In some companies, safety officers are even found doing other jobs that have absolutely no connection with safety. The appointment of a safety officer is a statutory requirement, and hence they are there.

Disciplinary Actions for Non-Usage of PPE

Think about how many cases of disciplinary actions are initiated in your company for non-usage of PPE? Disciplinary action has to be initiated not for non-usage of PPE as such. Not using PPE provided for the safety of the employee is a serious misconduct, and as such, disciplinary action is to be initiated for misconduct. Even the union will not be able to stand in the way as it is a safety issue.

Safety Officers have to be serious and convince HRM and executives to realize the importance of safety and change the present strategies to achieve results.

Regards,
Kesava Pillai

Dear Sir, Thank you for the nice reply. Nobody else seems interested in taking part in these discussions. I hope for more participation. I have informed a few of my friends about this CiteHR, and they will be joining us soon. Could you please review my last post and share your thoughts on whether all these initiatives are helpful for bringing about a sustainable change in the SMS?

With regards,
Dipil Kumar V

I include the safety obligations that employees must comply with within their contracts of employment and simply instruct all staff to comply with this lawful instruction. I developed the company's safety policy that the CEO signed, which includes a statement concerning adhering to safety guidelines. Furthermore, under the Federal Australian Safety Act, employees must follow the employer's instructions, which places an obligation upon staff to wear PPE; otherwise, they can be prosecuted. I also include wearing PPE within the staff code of conduct. Lastly, I encourage staff to proactively manage their safety by recognizing and rewarding them for actively supporting the policy.

Considering these issues, I have never experienced a problem with any of my staff (over 400).

Good luck!

This is a very good topic. I strongly agree with Mr. Kesava Pillai. Since I am a safety professional, I can understand the real-time difficulties of implementing safety. Most companies think that the usage of PPE alone ensures safety. However, that is not the case. When an organization truly wants to implement safety, it has to be integrated with their processes (process-oriented safety). Otherwise, the safety officer's role is often seen as just "finding it difficult to kill their duty hours."

Many industries do not involve safety professionals in their process activities or changes. If something goes wrong, the blame usually falls on the safety officer for their perceived inefficiency. This highlights the need for a "mind change of the management" to include safety as a fundamental part of their processes.

Dear Keshav Pillai, I disagree with your point that "I emphasize that the failure of safety management is due to the weakness of the safety staff, their inability to convince management."

The Role of Safety Officers in Indian Companies

Please let me know how many Indian companies appoint Qualified Safety Officers. In my experience, most Indian companies appoint a Safety Officer merely for statutory requirements. However, if they are experts with the necessary skills to persuade management, who will listen to their words? To whom are they supposed to convince to bring about changes/improvements in the safety management system?

Management's Commitment to Safety

Unless management is committed to safety, nothing will change. Even with an Expert Safety Professional in the management team, or else the statutory requirements must change. They should be stringent enough to prevent companies from neglecting safety, which will inevitably lead to change.

Ronald, your post is very insightful. Thank you for sharing the initiatives taken by your management towards safety.

Best regards,

Dipil Kumar V

Dear Friends,

Sandwiched tightly between Top Brass and the teeming masses sits a wild-eyed individual madly singing a safety tune. He's the most misunderstood, maligned, and unsung person in all the world of business. He's the proverbial "SAFETY PROFESSIONAL".

Regards,
Kesava Pillai

Can you make it clear what you wish to convey in simple language?

With regards,

Dipil Kumar V

Safety Practices in Indian Companies vs. MNCs

Thanks for highlighting this issue. Safety is well-followed in MNCs but not as much in Indian companies. I have worked in many companies, both Indian and MNCs, small and large. Here are some things I have learned:

- Safety always percolates from top to bottom.
- Safety should be everybody's responsibility.
- The top management should be committed to safety. If the top boss is committed to Safety/EHS, everything goes well. It's not that safety professionals are unable to convince the management. The top management people are not spoon-fed children; they know everything. Safety is much a matter of common sense.
- I agree that safety professionals must be passionate. They must have proper knowledge of all PPEs available in the market. They should select PPEs that are user-friendly and provide comfort to workers. The sizes are very important. Everything is available in the market for every hazard. However, cost matters, which again depends on the commitment from management.
- All the supervisors and staff members should become role models in front of employees. If they don't use PPEs, how will workers use them? Many times, management people roam on the shop floor without PPEs.
- Safety committees should have participation from workers. In this way, various issues will be solved, but only when the EHS-committed top boss is the chairman.
- Leadership safety tours should be arranged by staff members, not only by EHS specialists. They should go on the shop floor with safety as the only focus. They should identify safe/unsafe behaviors, appreciate the workers for the good things they are doing, and convince the workers to use PPEs as if they are their younger brothers. This type of caring approach helps a lot.
- Involve the workers in various activities like auditing, safety tours, making them responsible for EHS topics, etc.

There are many things to share, but time is constrained.

You can call me on [Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons] if you want to discuss. (In the evening)

Regards,
Sachin Thorat.