Making the case for personal protective equipment

Want to give your personal protective equipment (PPE) sales efforts an energy boost for today’s highly competitive marketplace? The International Safety Equipment Association’s (ISEA) new Making the Case for Safety Equipment Toolkit is your vitamin pack.

The toolkit is a resource of information and ideas to help distributors convince their customers and prospects in the heavy construction industry about the value of investing in PPE to prevent injuries, save lives and, importantly, to reduce costs at the same time.

“Our 2002 survey shows that PPE usage rates in heavy construction remain dangerously low, ranging from a high of 76 percent for hardhats down to 40 percent for respiratory protection and face shields,” said Joe Walker, ISEA marketing communications advisor. “With some two million workers in heavy construction, this means that hundreds of thousands are under protected. And it exposes their employers to damage that poor safety performance can inflict on their businesses. At the same time, the situation gives distributors an opportunity to make the case for PPE.”

Here’s what’s included in the toolkit:

Employer’s Roadmap to PPE
It explains the role of PPE in workplace safety, outlines steps a construction company should take to make PPE part of its safety program, and provides an extensive resource of contact points at associations, unions, government agencies, insurance companies, trade publications, and trade shows involved with construction worker safety.

PPE at Work
It gives guidance on undertaking a job site audit and equipping workers with proper PPE for 14 tasks common to the heavy construction industry, and includes a 10-page guide to help those responsible for worker safety select the right PPE for various hazard exposures.

Cost Benefits of PPE
It uses data and anecdotal information to make the business case for PPE, and includes a powerful formula to calculate the damage a seemingly minor workplace injury will do to a company’s bottom line.

PPE Testimonials
These give examples of published articles on the importance of safety equipment in preventing injuries and saving lives.

Additional ISEA Resources
This includes ISEA’s new cost-benefit brochure (Personal Protective Equipment: An Investment in Your Workers’ and Company’s Future), the latest edition of ISEA’s Protection Update newsletter for the construction industry, the Safety & Personal Protective Equipment Buyer’s Guide, and the high-visibility and hearing-protection product guides. 

Toolkit User’s Guide
It explains the kit and provides tips on how to get the most out of it with customers.

“These are essential tools that distributors can put to work immediately to grow their businesses,” Walker said. “If you don’t have this kit and use it, your competitors who do will be at a distinct advantage. “As time goes along, we will provide kit holders with regular updates, and new tools as they become available. For example, the next tool will be a Safety Officer’s Pocket Guide to PPE, followed by a Worker’s Pocket Guide to PPE in Spanish as well as English.”

The full-color kit comes in binder and self-loading CD-ROM to take on the road, and users are encouraged to reproduce all pages as handouts. While the kit is geared toward the construction industry, most of the components are readily usable with other PPE customer audiences. One CD comes with each binder kit ordered, or the CDs may be ordered separately.

Put the “Making the Case” kit and tools to work by ordering one for each salesperson. The kit comes with a money-back guarantee; distributors who are not completely satisfied may return the kit to ISEA within 30 days to receive a full refund.

The prices of the binder toolkit (including one CD and 25 copies of ISEA’s new PPE cost-benefit brochure) are $59.95 for one, $109.95 for two and $149.95 for three. The prices of the CD-ROM sold separately are $19.95 for one, $35.95 for two and $48.95 for three. Discounts on larger quantities are available by contacting ISEA.

An order form and more information on the Making the Case for Safety Equipment Toolkit may be obtained by calling Walker at ISEA, (703) 525-1695. An order form also may be found on ISEA’s Partnership for Worker Protection Web site (go to www.safetyequipment.org and click on the Partnership icon) or may be obtained by putting “Making the Case Toolkit Order Form” into the subject line of your e-mail to jwalker@safetyequipment.org. 

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