Streamlining PPE Management: Best Practices for Effective Inventory, Distribution, and Training

Provide, monitor, control and inform: these are the four guidelines for the management of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Managing them daily is not that simple, especially when it comes to guaranteeing the safety of employees, as well as their comfort and long-term commitment.

What does PPE management involve? What are the necessary prerequisites? Find out all the answers in this article.

The contribution of PPE is only ranked 8th in the 9 general principles of prevention, prioritising the reduction of risks at source and organisational aspects before providing Personal Protective Equipment to employees. However, we will see in this article that PPE management is an essential part of occupational risk prevention. The Council Directive 89/656/EEC defines PPE as "equipment designed to be worn or held by the worker to protect him against one or more hazards likely to endanger his safety and health at work".

Employers have legal responsibilities in terms of prevention to guarantee a safe and healthy workplace for their employees.

What is PPE about?

The manufacture, use, maintenance and control of PPE are regulated. According to the EU regulation 2016/425, PPE must have the ‘’CE’’ markings affixed next to the manufacturer's name visibly and indelibly to be compliant with the regulation. Also, a user manual must be provided with the equipment specifying some information, such as the conditions of storage, use, maintenance, and transport, as well as the expiration date of the product. 

PPEs are classified into three categories concerning the level and type of protection: 

• Category I: Simple PPE, intends to protect users from minimal risks (for example gloves, raincoats, etc.);
• Category II: Intermediate PPE, protects users from medium risks, these are risks that may impact vital parts of the body or lead to irreversible injuries (for example safety spectacles and goggles, high-visibility clothing, bump caps, industrial helmets, hearing protection, etc.);
• Category III: Complex PPE, intends to protect the user against any risks of irreversible and fatal damage (for example fall arrest safety harness...).

Therefore, employers need to identify hazards and evaluate and control the risks at their workplace. Hence the importance of hazard identification and risk assessment documentation helps them to provide their teams with the appropriate PPE. 

The employer has other obligations in terms of PPE management:   

• Provide the appropriate PPE individually and free of charge;
• Check the suitability of the PPE to the activities using risk analysis;
• Ensure the appropriate use of the PPE;
• Check the regulatory compliance of the ordered PPE;
• Keep the workers in charge of PPE management informed and up to date;
• Ensure hygiene, good condition and maintenance of the PPE; 
• Inform employees on the availability, instructions and range of actions of the PPE; 
• Train users to wear PPE.

PPE management is a process that must be rigorous to be effective. This management must be carried out in close collaboration with the operational staff, who use this equipment daily.

How to implement this approach?

Understanding the fieldwork

As humans, our most important concern is our safety and health. Therefore, It is crucial to put the human factor at the centre of the prevention process. It is only the operators, who are directly involved, that have an objective perspective of the situation in the field. They are the ones who have truly experienced the vagaries of comfort and accessibility. Their feedback is essential.

Organising focus groups involving managers, the Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) department and operators help to ensure that no important elements are being overlooked (whether it is the regulatory context, financial aspects or experiences in the field). This approach complies with the requirements of ISO 45001 regarding the participation and consultation of employees. The workshop’s objective is to determine which PPE model is best suited to reduce risks without neglecting the operator’s comfort. It is achieved by testing and comparing the different PPE models to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each one of them.

Establishing the testing phase

The testing phase must be carried out in the field and real working conditions. A small group of operators, with various profiles, is chosen to ensure the objectivity and effectiveness of the test. The data analysis is based on the feedback and reactions of each worker, according to their morphology or their age, while taking into account the work environment and their related activities. To have an objective overview, the testing phase must last for several weeks.

Deployment of specific training for PPE use 

Each piece of equipment is dedicated to a well-defined activity: therefore, if there is any change or new feature created,  it must be introduced appropriately to support a potential change of practice and ensure proper use of PPE for maximum efficiency. Some equipment, for example, respiratory protection masks, depends on the user's morphology. Consequently, it is important to train the staff on its use in real conditions or to carry out a "FIT test" to define which model is best suited to the user's morphology.

This training and testing might be expensive, but they will pay off if the PPE is used properly and the operators are comfortable with the equipment. To convince and engage all operators to a change in PPE, demonstrations and practical exercises are also recommended. 

A digital tool for PPE management

Digital support effectiveness has been proven: notification, centralisation, pooling, or securing the information in real-time. It is a real ally to lighten the daily administrative procedures. In the context of PPE management, a dedicated tool provides several benefits:

• Real-time inventory tracking with automatic alerts;
• Orders made directly on mobile or tablet;
• Automatic alerts for training follow-ups and deadlines;
• Online training with digital media (photos, videos, augmented reality...);
• Management of periodic control schedules and expiration dates;
• Supplier evaluation with a digital evaluation grid ;
• Reporting of incidents related to PPE (non-compliance, PPE not adapted, hazardous situation, etc.)

As you can see, choosing a PPE is not just selecting a model from a catalogue! It is a long-term process that requires collaboration with all the company's stakeholders to achieve quality. Dedicated tools can facilitate this study, saving precious time daily.

Go further: