SAFETY EQUIPMENT

Equip Your Crew for Safety, Ensure Jobsite Hazard Protection

Whether you’re doing a home improvement project in your backyard, working around chemical hazards, or doing repairs at the top of an oil rig, the right equipment can make your work easier and safer. From safety glasses to hard hats and earplugs, having the proper protective gear ensures you're prepared for any workplace challenge.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is what we at PK Safety have a great deal of experience in, and you can find what you’re looking for across an array of categories for nearly every type of industry. An effective workplace safety culture begins with teamwork. Achieving this requires cooperation between employers and employees to promote and maintain a healthy work environment.

PK Safety has been home to worker safety specialists for over 70 years, and many of us have firsthand experience working in hazardous industries. We’ve had decades to perfect our work and home safety knowledge and vet the safety supplies that we sell.

If you don’t know what safety gear will work best for your business, our safety experts are always available to answer your questions and point you in the right direction. Our commitment to quality helps prevent accidents and ensures you can protect your team effectively.

We’re even a Factory Authorized Service Center for BW Honeywell gas monitors, and we keep RKI and RAE Systems factory-trained, certified technicians on our staff. Browse our extensive range of equipment today, contact us with any of your questions, and start creating a safer workspace at your facility. 

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is PPE?

PPE is the broad term for all of the equipment that workers wear to minimize their exposure to dangerous hazards. PPE can be clothing items, tools with safer designs, and devices that can monitor a worksite’s air quality and alert workers to hazards.

One of the most crucial parts of a safe workplace is having employees who are trained not only in their roles, responsibilities, and basic housekeeping but also in the proper usage of PPE. Employees should know which equipment is necessary; when that equipment needs to be used; how to put on, take off, adjust, and wear the PPE; the limitations of what it can and can’t protect against; and the proper care, maintenance, lifespan, and disposal of the equipment.

Employers should make sure that their team members know and can demonstrate this training before they’re allowed to work and should document this training. If there are changes in the workplace, types of required PPE, or maintenance procedures, retraining should be done.

What are the most common PPE supplies?

Examples of common PPE include gloves, boots, safety glasses, earmuffs, hard hats, earplugs, respirators, and full-body suits. There are many different kinds of safety equipment, so you’ll have to choose the best possible PPE for your job.

Your job isn’t over once you get the gear and distribute it. Working conditions can change over time, so periodically reassessing the facility for changes is crucial. This will include reviewing recent and past injuries and illnesses to look for trends and ways that work conditions, equipment, and operating procedures could be improved. Any PPE that’s old or worn out should be removed from service and replaced. 

All hazard assessments should be documented: This documentation should include identification of the workplace, the name of the person conducting the assessment, the date of the assessment, and identification of the document certifying that the assessment was completed. 

You should also have a PPE program. This program should address the on-site hazards, the selection, maintenance, and PPE usage, how employees are trained, and a way to monitor the program for results and effectiveness.

What are the different types of personal protective equipment?

OSHA requires that many categories of PPE meet your industry’s ANSI standards or an equivalent metric for eye, face, head, and foot protection, and while there aren’t specific hand protection requirements laid out, OSHA offers general recommendations for gloves based on jobs. 

All PPE, clothing, and equipment should be safely designed and well-constructed: PK Safety offers equipment with the latest technology from trusted, thoroughly vetted, and popular PPE brands like BW, 3M, MCR, and more, and we partner with local suppliers around the U.S. to source as much of our equipment from home as possible. With reliable delivery and a commitment to service excellence, we ensure you get the protection you need when you need it.

If your job requires several different types of PPE, for example, eye protection that also needs to work with a respirator, or a face mask that needs to work with an employee’s eyeglasses, make sure that the gear you choose is compatible so that the protection remains effective. 

A lot of PPE clothing comes in multiple sizes, so pick the right size for each worker or have a range of sizes and fits available to make sure everyone can get what they need. 

What is PPE used for? 

Worksites need to follow a control hierarchy for worker safety: if the hazard can be eliminated, substituted, isolated, or worked around, those are preferable options. However, for worksites where the potential dangers can’t be avoided, safety gear is necessary for everyone involved.

Before you purchase any PPE, perform a hazard assessment of your facility, which can include a facility walkthrough to note potential hazards and basic layout, along with a review of the history of illnesses or injuries. Some potential hazards to look out for can include impact, penetration, compression, chemical, electrical, temperature, dust, light, or biological hazards.

Once this assessment is complete, organize and analyze the data to determine which types of PPE you require. There are different types of equipment and levels of protection offered, so you’ll need to conduct research and maybe get some help from safety experts in order to know exactly what you need.

While no equipment offers a guarantee of safety, having it with you can reduce your risk of serious injuries and time off work, as well as make the job easier and more comfortable.