Safety is everyone’s responsibility on a jobsite. By wearing the required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), you’re giving yourself the best chance of completing your work without incident – not only returning to work safe the next day, but also returning home without harm.
With the importance of properly used, and supplied, PPE in question, we sat down with Kevin Paul, Safety Director Mazzella Companies, to gain insight on:
- What roles at Mazzella Companies require PPE?
- What PPE does Mazzella Companies offer?
- How do I care for PPE?
- How does Mazzella Companies compare to others in the industry?
- What does “Behaving Safe” mean at Mazzella Companies?
What roles at Mazzella Companies require PPE?
When asked this question, Kevin said that while every role requires some level of PPE, it will depend on the facility, what area you work in, and the individual site requirements. While having a desk job may not call for PPE, if you’re planning on going into the work areas of the shop or warehouse, “the minimum level of PPE is going to be safety glasses with side shields and safety footwear, which would be boots with the metatarsal guard in them to make sure your toe and metatarsal bone are covered.”
Kevin added, “PPE Assessments are performed in work areas to assess hazards and understand control measures needed and using PPE is one way to help control a hazard”, going on to say, “a lot of times we’re deferring to the manufacturer and OSHA, but at certain points we might have to step it up a little and become more stringent because we’re having maybe more injuries or trends within our own operations. At other times we may be performing work at a site, and they may have their own site requirements that might go above and beyond even what Mazzella Companies says. We always lean on what’s most stringent.”
When it comes to these offsite visits and their individual safety requirements, it’s important for anyone planning to make that visit, whether it be an Account Manager, Engineer, Product Manager, or Video Producer, to coordinate with their site contact on what site-specific PPE will be required, and to make time for any relevant training.
What PPE does Mazzella Companies offer?
Per Kevin, “Anything that Mazzella Companies requires you to wear, we’re going to provide you with it,” going on to say “providing it won’t only be just giving it to you, we’re also going to make sure you have the knowledge and understanding of how to use it, care for it, and maintain it.”
Mazzella Companies Offers:
Foot Protection
Aligning with OSHA standards, all safety footwear must meet ASTM F2413 standards, which means it must have toe and metatarsal guards. Anyone who is in the shop, warehouse, parts, and field personnel with regularly assigned duties should be wearing this foot protection. Office workers and visitors who are going to be within the proximity of the work or not simply being escorted through the shop, warehouse, or field are also required to wear them. Currently, Mazzella Companies will pay up to $200 for safety footwear every 12 months and has a national account with Red Wing Footwear, offering a 15% discount.
Safety Glasses
Safety glasses, with side shields, that means meeting ANSI Z-87.1-2003 standards with “high impact lenses” are required to be worn by all team members, subcontractors, and visitors while on Mazzella Companies’ properties, always, as described below:
- At field locations, in shops and warehouses, except in approved, designated, striped safety zones.
- In all yard work zones or by everyone when in the vicinity of loading or unloading equipment, performing mechanic or maintenance work, test stand operations, operating equipment such as forklifts, welding, or any type of work which has the potential to inflict an eye injury.
- In any office, restroom, or any other building while performing any type of work where a potential eye injury may be present.
- Visitors and other team members who do not visit plant regularly will be provided with glasses. In the absence of approved prescription safety glasses, “over the glass” type safety glasses or goggles, must be worn over the non-safety glasses until approved prescription safety glasses are obtained.
- Workers assisting welders must wear absorbent safety glasses that protect the wearer from ultraviolet (UV) and/or infrared rays (IR).
- Dark shaded lens (sunglasses) darker than a #1 shade is prohibited to be worn indoors unless welding or assisting a welder.
- A doctor must support “exceptions for medical reasons” in writing to exempt safety eyewear requirements.
When prescription Safety Glasses are necessary, team members will use an authorization form available to them to bring to any of the store locations on the provided list to get a discount. If the cost of the prescription glasses is more than the allotted amount, then the team member will pay the difference:
- Mazzella Companies will annually pay for or reimburse the following approved corrective lenses, frames, or side shields, and carry case:
- Single Vision – $100
- Bifocal – $170
- Trifocal – $200
Related: What Health and Wellness Benefits Does Mazzella Companies Offer?
Safety Goggles
Chemical splash proof googles are required to be worn during the handling of mixing liquid chemicals, solvents, paints, and/or as recommended by the Safety Data Sheet of the material being handled. Dust proof goggles are required to be worn when blowing equipment down with air or while performing other jobs where safety glasses are not adequate to prevent airborne particles from entering the openings around the lenses and side shields.
Face Shields
Full face shields are required to be worn over safety glasses when operating handheld or stationary grinders with abrasive or wire wheels, while chipping paint or concrete, using power washers, or performing jobs where there is the potential for flying objects striking the face and safety glasses, or when goggles would not provide adequate protection.
Head Protection
Team members must wear protective helmets when working in areas where there is a potential for injury to the head from team member-initiated impact or impact from falling or other moving objects. Helmets need to comply with ANSI Standard Z89.1-1997 Class E to be considered an American National Standard for Industrial Head Protection for Type II head protection or be equally effective.
- Mazzella Companies will provide hardhats.
- Team members must wear protective helmets when working in areas where there is a potential for injury to the head from falling objects.
- Team members must wear protective helmets when working in a lift with objects overhead.
- Hardhats will not be altered in any way.
- Bump caps may not be worn as a substitute in areas where hard hats are required.
Hand Protection
Gloves are required to be worn when performing work, which may expose the hands to extreme temperatures, cuts, and abrasions, thermal burns, or exposure to chemicals.
- Heat resistant gloves must be worn when handling hot bearings, races, or other materials or objects that have been heated beyond ambient temperatures.
- Insulated gloves will be worn to prevent frostbite in extreme cold climates.
- Welding gloves made of leather or other heat resistant materials shall be worn when performing arc welding or oxy/gas cutting.
- Leather gloves will be worn when working with sharp materials or when handling rigging equipment.
- Cloth gloves are recommended for handling objects or materials to protect against minor blisters and dirt.
- Kevlar gloves offer the highest degree of protection for resistance to cut hazards.
- Chemical resistant gloves are to be worn when handling chemicals that specify gloves as personal protection equipment when handling.
- Persons assigned to working with chemicals, i.e., solvent vats, shall be issues their own individual gloves for hygiene purposes.
- A Safety Data Sheet with specific chemicals and glove type needed is available.
Hearing Protection
Hearing protection is available and required to be worn by all team members, subcontractors, and visitors in posted “High Noise” areas. Warning signs will be posted in areas known or suspected to have noise levels exceeding 85 bDA either constantly or intermittently. When signs are not posted, team members will wear hearing protection when performing tasks whereby noise caused by machinery, tools, etc., prevents normal conversations to be heard clearly.
OSHA regulation [29 CFR 1910.95(i)(1)] states that Employers shall make hearing protectors available to all team members exposed to an eight-hour time-weight-average (TWA) of 85 decibels or greater at no cost to the employee. Although the facility may not have decibel levels that exceed the TWA, hearing protection is still available should any shorter task exceed that level.
Types:
- Modified ear plugs
- Usually made of plastic or silicone rubber. They’re available in a variety of shapes and sizes and are usually characterized by one or more ribs or contours. They are considered multiple use – therefore they must be cleaned up and properly stored after each use.
- Custom-molded earplugs
- Generally made of plastic and are designed from a molded wax insert of the wearer’s ears. They are considered multiple use but cannot be switched ear to ear.
- Self-molded earplugs
- Generally made of mineral down or plastic foam and are molded or formed by the wearer. Generally, one-size-fits-all and they may be either single or multiple use.
- Earmuffs
- Designed to be multiple use and may be designed to be worn with the harness over or behind the head, or below the chin. They are generally more comfortable but may not provide as much protection because they only sit over the ears, rather than directly in the ear canal.
| Tool | Decibels |
|---|---|
| Pneumatic Precision Drill | 119 |
| Hammer Drill | 114 |
| Chain Saw | 110 |
| Spray Painter | 105 |
| Hand Drill | 98 |
| NIOSH Recommended Exposure Limit | 85 |
| Normal Conversation | 60 |
| Whisper | 30 |
How do I care for PPE?
When it comes to how to care for PPE, Kevin says that providing proper training in the use and care of equipment is key, “Outside of just wearing it, we want to know you’re comfortable with wearing it, there aren’t any medical conditions that may keep you from wearing it correctly, and that you’re trained in how to wear it properly.”
Training in how to wear is a blended approach with the manufacturer’s instructions being available as well as in-person training to answer questions or adjust fit. “We always want to make sure we’ve got a program in place to not only train someone initially, but any time retraining might be needed to reinforce”, says Kevin.
Training includes reviewing manufacturer information and what PPE is necessary depending on the job with team members as well as how to properly put on, wear, adjust, and remove PPE, how to clean and maintain PPE in a sanitary and reliable condition, the limitations of the PPE, the useful life and disposal of PPE, and reporting and replacing defective or damaged PPE.
Top Care Instructions
- Inspect any PPE prior to each use for any holes or cracks and cleanliness.
- Do not store PPE where sun or other producers of heat are present.
- Do not share or alter PPE.
- Report and properly discard defective equipment immediately.
How does Mazzella Companies compare to others in the industry on PPE?
Kevin says, “we’re very competitive and in some cases a little higher than that in terms of what we provide team members”. That extra length is achieved through leaning on others in the industry for safety equipment allotments, researching supplying business’ selections and prices, making sure the stipend given for the PPE is going to offer team members not only a cost-effective piece of equipment, but also a selection to choose from.
As Kevin put it, “we know a lot of people are on their feet the majority of their day and we want to make sure that the boot you’re wearing is comfortable and won’t result in back injuries or foot aches down the road.”
What does “Behaving Safe” mean at Mazzella Companies?
Ultimately, PPE is the last resort, and using the hierarchy of controls is paramount, “We’re trying to move towards a shift where we’re eliminating the hazards or substituting them with something less severe. If we can’t stop something, like sparks coming back and hitting us in the face, then we’ll require that face mask.”
Kevin went on to share that he sees behaving safe as more than properly using PPE at work, he really wants what team members learn on the job to translate to how they behave outside of work. “When you go home and do your weed whacking, does it make sense to put on hearing or eye protection? We hope you connect those dots and say, ‘what are the potential hazards at home?’, and use what you know to prevent yourself or loved ones from hurting themselves.”
Conclusion
While not every role at Mazzella Companies will require PPE, every team member has it available to them if they find their role in and around shop, warehouse, and field sites that require it – along with training, “We don’t want to just show what our policy says, we want to educate people on the ‘why’ behind the policies, and more importantly practice what we preach.”
