Talk about the nightmare that no business wants to experience: a workplace accident. Yet, in the U.S. alone, over 5,000 fatal work injuries were recorded last year, and 2.6 million nonfatal injuries were reported across private industries. These aren’t just numbers, they represent real people, real families, and real consequences for businesses.
Welcome to the new world. As industries evolve with new technology, so do workplace risks, and organizations must keep up with the ever changing standards or risk workers safety and negatively impact the company’s reputation.
For companies, keeping up with the safety standard calls for a regular PPE Risk Assessment which we’ll discuss in this blog.
Why the Need for PPE Risk Assessment?
While having PPE is important, simply stocking won’t do. Protection needs to match the risks workers face—are they handling hazardous chemicals, working at a construction site, or exposed to infectious diseases? Each work environment demands specific ongoing protection, and risk assessment is key to ensuring PPE remains effective.
Beyond being a smart safety measure, regular assessment helps ensure legal compliance. For example, regulations like OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) exist to ensure businesses protect their workers. Ignoring these standards doesn’t just put employees at risk—it opens the door to hefty fines, lawsuits, and, worst of all, preventable accidents.
How To Conduct a PPE Risk Assessment for Your Workplace
Step 1: Identify Workplace Hazards
Before you even think about PPE, you need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture—your workplace hazards. Break down the different hazards types based on the context of your industry. For example, in a construction site, workers might be exposed to physical hazards like falling objects or heavy machinery instead of chemical hazards often associated with factories.
To make things a bit clearer, we categorize these hazards into four main types:
- Physical Risks: These include things like machinery, falling objects, etc. If something can hit, cut, or crush, it’s a physical risk.
- Chemical Risks: Anything that irritates the skin, lungs, or eyes-think toxic chemicals, fumes, or solvents.
- Biological Risks: Medical facilities, labs, and even cleaning services can expose workers to infectious diseases or harmful bacteria.
- Ergonomic Risks: These are more subtle but still important. Repetitive movements, awkward lifting, or poor workstation setups can cause long-term injuries.
Step 2: Evaluate the Level of Risk
Some hazards might need immediate attention, while others are less pressing. To avoid trial and error, you can rely on tools like the Hazard Identification Checklist. This way, you have a clear framework to categorize and assess hazards systematically.
Tool ready, assess both the severity and the likelihood of each hazard. For instance, if a worker is exposed to high-voltage machinery, the severity is obviously high—it could cause serious injury or even death. But, if the likelihood of exposure is low because workers are trained and protective barriers are in place, that risk might fall into a medium category.
On the flip side, something like repetitive strain injuries might have a medium likelihood of occurring but a low severity in the short term—though it could lead to chronic conditions over time. Once you’ve assessed the hazards, you can then classify them using a Risk Matrix of low, medium risk and high risk.
Make sure to involve your employees in this step. They’re the ones working directly with the hazards, so they’re your best source of insight. Have them share their observations and incorporate it into your evaluations.
Step 3: Determine the Appropriate PPE for Each Hazard
This is where you take action on matching PPE to the hazards and risk levels you’ve identified your workers face. Here’s a quick breakdown of common PPE and when to use it:
- Gloves: Used for handling chemicals, sharp objects, or biohazards. Choose chemical-resistant gloves for toxic substances and cut-resistant gloves for sharp tools.
- Goggles/Face Shields: Protect eyes from flying debris, chemicals, or infectious agents. Face shields provide extra protection for high-risk tasks.
- Helmets: Necessary for construction or any job with risk of head injury from falling objects.
- Masks/Respirators: Use for airborne contaminants like dust, fumes, or pathogens. Choose N95 respirators for serious exposure.
- Hearing Protection: Essential when exposed to high noise levels to prevent hearing damage.
When also choosing PPE, don’t neglect comfort, fit, and compatibility as an ill-fitting gear can lead to poor protection. You also want to make sure the equipment is comfortable enough to wear for extended periods and that it fits well with other PPE to avoid any discomfort.
Step 4: Implement and Provide Training on PPE Usage
Choosing the right PPE is only half the battle—ensuring workers know how to use it properly is just as important. Employees need training on when and how to wear their protective gear, as well as how to maintain it to ensure long-term effectiveness.
That said, key training topics should include proper donning and doffing techniques to prevent contamination, storage and maintenance practices to extend PPE lifespan, and how to identify defects before equipment fails. Workers shouldn’t have to rely solely on scheduled inspections to recognize damaged PPE—knowing when gear needs to be replaced can prevent accidents and save costs.
Since training can sometimes feel repetitive, you can mix up learning methods. A combination of hands-on demonstrations, video tutorials, and regular refresher courses would keep employees engaged during training sessions.
Step 5: Monitor and Review PPE Effectiveness
So far we’ve seen that selecting the right PPE for the job isn’t a one-and-done solution, you must also regularly monitor and review its effectiveness. That’s why regular audits are essential. A designated safety team member should routinely inspect whether PPE is being used correctly and remains in good condition. This helps catch potential safety gaps before they put workers at risk or affect the company’s reputation.
Employee feedback is just as important. Workers wear PPE daily, and if it’s uncomfortable or difficult to use, they’re less likely to wear it properly—compromising their safety. Always encourage open feedback and use them to make practical safety changes.
With safety regulations constantly evolving, organizations must stay updated on the latest standards. Subscribing to safety bulletins from organizations like OSHA and ANSI and attending industry conferences are great ways to stay informed. Work environments change, new hazards emerge, and PPE requirements shift over time. The companies that stay proactive with continuous reviews don’t just remain compliant, they create safer workplaces for their employees every day.
Building A Safe Workspace
At the end of the day, workplace safety isn’t just about PPE—it’s about having the right processes in place to assess risks and protect workers. From identifying hazards and evaluating risks to selecting the right PPE, providing proper training, and conducting regular reviews, every step plays a crucial role in keeping employees safe and ensuring compliance.
But here’s the thing: you don’t have to navigate it alone.
That’s where International Supply Partners comes in. More than just a supplier, we provide expert guidance on regulatory changes and offer PPE solutions tailored to your industry’s specific needs.
What does that mean for you? A safer workforce, compliance with the latest safety standards, access to high-quality PPE with faster lead times, and cost savings along the way.
Ready to strengthen your PPE strategy? Partner with International Supply Partners today.