Posted By Coshh Assessor Any tips for persuading employees to wear their hand and eye protection when working with irritant chemicals? Particularly the ones who have been doing the job for x number of years and it's never done them any harm. But please don't say enforcement by management or I'll cry.

Posted By Tim Get your handkerchief out then. You will have to discipline them. Doesn't your H&S law make it an offence for employees not to co-operate with H&S measures? Tim

Posted By Mike Miller Discipline or sack the worst offender, the rest will fall into line. Works every time. Mike

Posted By Martyn Hendrie I agree with Adrian's sentiments about involving the workforce in the choice of PPE; informing/demonstrating to them the need for the PPE and once fully aware disciplining those who don't comply. I would add that, in trying to change a culture, you should also praise/commend those who are setting a good example. Peer pressure is a strong factor in most workgroups. If the group leaders can be converted the rest are likely to follow.

Posted By Raymond Rapp Clearly there are different views of how to encourage employees, it is a case of reward v discipline. I fall strongly on the side of reward with discipline as a last resort. In my opinion those who resort to discipline first are indicative of a 'weak' management, who do not understand their staff. It is human nature to resist enforcement, persuasion is likely to yield better results. Ray

Posted By Robert Paterson There is a good video out about wearing PPE when handling chemicals. You can get it from a company called Paragon Training. I think ROSPA has a similar type video. HSE do a chemical risk video as well. Might be worth your while to arrange hire of the video and arrange a viewing for your employees. Hope that helps. Sometimes it is a good idea to come from a human prespective rather than a legalistic one but sometimes the latter has to be applied eventually. Susan Sweeney Paragon Training Britannia House Leagrave Road Luton Bedfordshire LU3 1RJ Sorry don't have phone number Regards Robert Paterson

Posted By Coshh Assessor Thanks all for the helpful suggestions (although some of you did make me cry). The point about employee involvement is a very relevant one - safety "reps" appointed by management, without training, and having no interest or appreciation. But that's another subject ...

Posted By Adrian Watson Dear Raymond, I was not criticising you, but making comment on your post. However, if I came across as being rude or arrogant I apologise. Regards Adrian Watson

Posted By Karen Todd Could you introduce some kind of bonus system? Some companies have a safety bonus (say £25/week) and if at any time during that week someone breaks safety rules, doesn't wear PPE, etc then they do not get the bonus. The bonus could be collective, so that any one person not wearing PPE etc could cause the entire workforce not to get their safety bonus. This works because the members of the workforce will soon remind anyone not wearing PPE to get it put on quickly before they are seen and everyone loses their bonus. Some bonuses encompass safety/timekeeping/sickness etc in the one bonus so that in a week if you are late, off sick, or do not wear PPE then those are all reasons for the company not to pay the bonus. In a previous company I worked for, you were allowed up to 5 minutes of lateness before your bonus got taken off you, this could be either 1 minute per day or 5 minutes all at once. Another system I have seen, and introduced in another company, was a ticket system. You have a small A6 ticket book in triplicate - managers, foremen and chargehands all get a ticket book. The top copy gets issued to the employee, the second copy goes in their personnel file and the third stays in the ticket book, or whatever. These tickets say something at the top like, "You have been given an official warning because you are not:" and then there is a list of boxes to tick, e.g. Not wearing (the correct) eye protection. Then at the bottom it says, "Any subsequent warning may result in the commencement of disciplinary proceedings". This actually worked quite well. Some people unfortunately behave like traffic wardens but I actually needed to issue very few tickets. You will get people who will scrumple the tickets up, but a copy still goes in their file. There was a little resistance and anxiety at first, but before it started the level of wearing PPE was extremely poor and it then became really good. The workforce nicknamed the tickets "Parking Tickets". It also caused some fun. One day 2 workers were about to set off in the van and another worker shouted to them, "Oi, you'd better put your seatbelts on before Karen gives you a parking ticket"! If you e-mail me, I can e-mail you one of the tickets. Regards, Karen

Posted By Ian Lynch As an employeer I can only imagine that you are bound by legalislation to enforce the wearing of this PPE But I do hear your problem as I faced it my self The approch I took was information and education I gave a power point presentation which all employees had to attend and I encluded pictures/ Photos of real victims and much to my supprisethe following day it worked

Posted By Coshh Assessor My problem has now been solved in a most unexpected way. I've been instructed by management not to speak to production workers about health or safety, unless I happen to see something "very dangerous", because it distracts them from their work. However, I will pass on all the suggestions to Mr Nobody in whose remit it now is.

Posted By Raymond Rapp I suspect Coshh Assessor is extracting the urine.. Mr Somebody !