20 Canadian Occupational Safety www.cos-mag.com
I
n 2014, Sanjel, a large global energy service
company, implemented vending machines for
personal protective equipment (PPE) in its North
American locations. The company, which has 4,500
employees worldwide, was looking for ways to not
only effi ciently keep workers protected, but also to
reduce costs.
"Because this is unfortunately the kind of stuff that walks
away, we needed to make sure we controlled it, so having
these vending machines where we can hold our employees
accountable has reduced usage and gives us better control,"
says Siobhan Chinnery, vice-president, corporate supply
chain at Sanjel in Calgary.
With the distribution of product carefully controlled,
employees using PPE — including gloves — from a
vending machine tend to be more careful about the selected
equipment, are less likely to make
poor choices and are more likely to
reuse equipment where possible.
"This can represent a signifi cant
cost-saving in the long run," says
Julie McFater, marketing and com-
munications manager at Superior
Glove Works in Acton, Ont. "A prop-
erly instituted PPE vending program
can save you up to 40 per cent in
increased effi ciency, productivity and
inventory."
Vending machines are just one of the
many options available for reducing
the cost of hand protection — at the
same time as properly protecting
workers' hands.
An effective way to reduce both inju-
ries and the costs of hand protection is
to select the right gloves. That means
taking the time to analyze the job haz-
ards and choose a safety glove that best
protects against the hazard and its sever-
ity, says Wayne Wood, associate director
of university safety (EHS) at McGill
University in Montreal.
For example, leather protects well
against cuts, abrasions, heat and
cold, provides some insulation and is
not conductive. But it is not a good
barrier against anything wet. Gloves
made of neoprene or Nitrile provide
good protection to a lab worker who
is handling a wide range of chemicals.
Wood says glove selection is
always a balancing act. In addition
selecting the right gloves,
properly maintaining them
can lead to savings
equipment, are less likely to make
poor choices and are more likely to
reuse equipment where possible.
"This can represent a signifi cant
I
n 2014, Sanjel, a large global energy service
company, implemented vending machines for
personal protective equipment (PPE) in its North
protecting
hand
protection
costs
By Linda Johnson
