PPE: Fit, Care & the Reasons
PPE is the last line of defence — it's what's left when everything else has already failed. Which is exactly why 'it was in the truck' isn't a place PPE can be. A free talk from Blue Crane Works in Hamilton, Ontario, with a printable sign-in sheet.
How to run it
Read it through once, then talk it — don't recite it. Five minutes at the start of the shift, crew standing where the work happens. Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act requires every employer to provide information, instruction and supervision to protect workers (s. 25(2)(a)). A talk like this, led by a supervisor or someone they trust, is one way to do it, and the sign-in sheet is what proves it happened.
Talk through these points
- Hard hats: inspect the shell and suspension, and replace after any real impact — damage you can't see still kills the rating.
- Eye protection matches the task — impact, dust, or splash are different lenses. Grinding without sealed eyewear is how metal ends up in eyes.
- Hearing: if you have to raise your voice at arm's length, you need protection in. Hearing loss is permanent and it arrives quietly.
- Boots: intact toes, real tread, laced. Footwear failure is a slips-and-crush story waiting for a date.
- Gloves for the task — cut-rated for blades and sheet metal, insulating where needed. And know when gloves near rotating equipment are the hazard.
- Fit is function: PPE that's uncomfortable gets left off, so fix the fit rather than fighting the habit.
Ask the crew
- Whose hard hat has actually taken a hit and is still in service?
- What task this week needs different gloves than we're using?
- Who's got hearing protection in their pocket instead of their ears?
The answers are the real talk. If a question lands on a live hazard, write it down and assign it a name and a date.
Paper it
A talk without a record didn't happen, as far as anyone who asks is concerned. Print these free:
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