It seems that safety measures such as use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in the construction industry are being given much less importance in this recessionary period. The companies are spending lesser than before on PPE and there is lack of understanding about proper usage of the equipment.

According to a survey commissioned by 3M involving over 100 health and safety managers, the respondents admitted that they were not completely aware of the different levels of PPE to be used under different situations. Around 35% of the managers stated that they were unsure of how to deal with unexpected hazards at work. A similar proportion of the respondents also admitted to not understanding different product specifications and corresponding usage.

These revelations are raising big concerns about the implementation of necessary safety measures at construction work sites. The constantly changing work environment of the industry warrants adequate safety precautions, and unawareness is bound to result in unfortunate accidents.

Vikki Randles, from the Occupational Health and Environmental Safety Division of 3M, expressed concern at the fact that the health and safety managers at big companies are not getting adequate support from the management for the implementation of PPE. He said that the safety culture at the organizations should be strongly promoted and proper information flow should take place to keep the managers aware of their responsibilities. He also stresses that safety personnel should be given regular training and information resources to keep them updated with the correct use of PPE at construction sites.

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