Blitz: PPE Take The Lead

Lead the Way on PPE SafetyYou wear your hard hat, safety boots and glasses. You know your workplace’s health and safety requirements. You understand that personal protective equipment (PPE) is often the last line of defence when it comes to saving your limbs – and your life.

Yet some workers fail to use PPE. In 2018, the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development found that lack of PPE was the second-highest violation on construction projects in Ontario.

“For those who wear your safety gear, ask ‘what value can I offer my colleagues with less experience?’” says Pierre Rouleau, Provincial Construction Health & Safety Coordinator. “Take the lead in helping to protect your colleagues at work. Mentor those who may not understand the life-saving importance of such equipment.

”Starting in early 2020, the ministry will focus on the lack and misuse of PPE at construction workplaces as part of a province-wide health and safety blitz. From January 6 to March 13, 2020, the ministry will raise awareness of requirements for PPE, such as foot, eye, hearing and respiratory devices.

The initiative will be conducted in two phases. The first will focus on education, as the ministry works with the Infrastructure Health & Safety Association to provide resources to workplaces. During the second phase, inspectors will conduct field visits to check whether employers are complying with the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

For more information on the upcoming blitz, visit the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skill Development’s website.

Find resources on using PPE to protect workers by visiting the Infrastructure Health & Safety Association’s PPE webpage