PPE is designed to provide long-lasting protection for your staff. Unfortunately, however, no PPE has yet been designed that can last forever. As CHARNAUD® always reminds our customers, each item of your protective equipment has a specific maintenance and replacement cycle, which must be closely followed if you want to maximise its effectiveness and lifespan. The consequences of failure to follow ppe maintenance and replacement procedures often reach further than you may think. Not only is it a safety hazard, but it can also affect your bottom line.

The Importance of Proper PPE Care Practice

Simply put, PPE that is not maintained or replaced at the required intervals, wears out quickly and fails more easily. Worn-out, non-functioning PPE can lead to staff injuries. In some cases, these could be serious or even fatal, presenting an obvious human cost to poor PPE care. But improper PPE care practice can also lead to immediate and long-term financial costs, such as productivity lapses, income loss, and high staff turnover, among others. For this reason, it is crucial to maintain your PPE properly and replace it at the right time.

Read our blog for more tips and advice on all varieties of PPE.

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The Main Hidden Costs of Employee Injuries

If your team is not properly protected in the line of duty and ends up sustaining injuries, your business is likely to incur the following financial costs:

  • Productivity loss: Injuries lead to downtime and staff shortages, both of which play havoc with your business’s productivity.
  • Replacement recruitment and training: If you need to replace injured staff, either temporarily or permanently, you will incur additional costs as you recruit and train them.
  • Reputation damage and staff turnover: If a staff member suffers an injury that you could have prevented by providing well-maintained PPE, your reputation as an employer and a business in good standing will suffer. You could lose customers, as well as talented staff, meaning even further losses in income.
  • Administrative and legal costs: If a staff member is injured on the job, you may have to deal with compensation claims and legal disputes, as well as the administrative expenses involved with incident reports, inspections and other regulatory tasks.

In short, it is really not worth it to let your PPE lapse. Always follow the manufacturer’s directions when it comes to maintenance and replacement.

Get in Touch with CHARNAUD® Today

CHARNAUD® is a supplier of high-quality PPE for a variety of professions. If you are looking for complete protection for your team, whether you operate in the fire-fighting, electrical, metalwork, maintenance, or cold storage industries, feel free to browse through CHARNAUD®’s product lines, or contact us for advice. We are sure to have the right protective workwear for you.

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