Lack of Employee Enforcement is Main Barrier to Road Worker PPE
Use (ISEA)
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International
Safety Equipment Association
ARLINGTON, VA (June 25, 2001) - The main reason road construction
workers do not wear personal protective equipment (PPE) when needed is
because their employers do not require or enforce its use, according to
a new survey of road construction safety leaders.
The International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) commissioned the
research as part of its "Partnership for Worker Protection"
program to raise safety equipment awareness in the road construction industry.
Strategic Marketing Associates (SMA), an Ohio-based research firm that
specializes in the construction industry, conducted the survey.
The survey measured road construction leaders' perceptions about awareness
and use of PPE, including their viewpoints on the barriers that prevent
workers from using it and the effectiveness of various safety measures,
including PPE.
SMA conducted the survey by a combination of faxed-back questionnaires
and telephone interviews. Two hundred fifteen safety leaders took part,
including 111 from the private sector (i.e. construction companies, unions,
insurance underwriters, associations) and 104 from the public sector (i.e.
federal and state highway departments and other regulators, elected officials
and staff). All of the respondents make or influence decisions affecting
road worker safety.
The key finding concerning lack of employer enforcement came in response
to a question that asked those surveyed to consider eight different potential
barriers that may exist between hazard-exposed road workers and their
use of 10 different types of PPE - safety vests, hardhats, fall protection,
safety shoes/boots, earplugs/muffs, safety glasses/goggles, gloves, respiratory
protection, coveralls and face shields.
In all cases except earplugs/muffs and coveralls, the industry leaders
cited "employers don't require/enforce usage" as the number
one barrier. Other barriers the respondents evaluated were "lack
of style/comfort," "hampers job performance," "equipment
not available or not provided," "expense of equipment to employees,"
"laborers aren't informed on importance of equipment," "apathetic,"
and "inattentive."
For earplugs/muffs, "laborers aren't informed
" was
the top barrier, while for coveralls, "lack of style/comfort"
was cited most frequently. Both of those barriers and "hampers job
performance" were cited frequently for other types of PPE, as well.
The respondents perceived "expense of equipment to employees,"
"apathetic" and "inattentive" as less significant
barriers.
Asked about usage levels for various types of PPE when needed, the safety
leaders said that high-visibility apparel (safety vests) and hardhats
are worn regularly in situations where needed about 75 percent of the
time - the highest usage rates they assigned among the 10 types of PPE
evaluated. By contrast, they believe that earplugs/muffs and safety glasses/
goggles are worn only about half the time when needed, and that usage
rates for respiratory protection, protective coveralls and face shields
fall well below that level -- in the 30 to 40 percent range. Between six
and seven out of ten workers wear fall protection, gloves and safety shoes/boots
when needed, the respondents said.
Asked about the importance of various types of PPE in minimizing accident
or injury, the respondents said that safety vests, hardhats, fall protection,
safety shoes, earplugs/muffs and safety glasses/goggles are "highly
important." They consider gloves, respirators, protective coveralls
and face shields "moderately important." "The respondents
did not think that any type of PPE is of low importance," said SMA
President Jim McKeen.
Considering the effectiveness of six different safety measures to minimize
construction zone accidents and injuries, SMA reported that the respondents
believe all of them are "highly important," with "training
and education" receiving the highest rating of all. They ranked the
other measures in descending order or importance as follows: signs/lights,
barriers/cones, PPE, flagger and OSHA compliance.
Commenting on the results, ISEA President Daniel K. Shipp said, "Most
road construction employers want to do the right thing by keeping their
workers safe, and many already recognize the bottom-line benefits of equipping
their workers properly with PPE. We hope that these findings will serve
as a wake-up call on just how far we all have to go to ensure the safety
of road workers, especially in terms of their PPE use. Given the enormous
costs of on-the-job injuries and the virtually incalculable costs of workplace
deaths, there is no good reason why every employee isn't wearing PPE when
he or she needs it."
-- ISEA -
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