5 Ways a Colorful Workplace Can Improve Safety

The only thing most of us add to our workwear is dirt and sweat! But some safety managers say that adding a splash of color to PPE can tell you a lot about a person. Here are five ways a colorful workplace can improve safety beyond traditional color-coding safety standards.

By M.B. Sutherland, Sr. Safety Writer, Magid

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Indicate Level of Training

Use colorful markings on hard hats to indicate specialties like first aid training or the ability to drive a forklift. This allows your workers to quickly ask someone for help even if they don’t know them. Other companies use different colored hard hats to indicate visitors, management, and hourly employees.

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Designate the Right PPE for the Job

Colorful PPE helps you to not only spot whether a worker is wearing PPE, but also if they’re wearing the proper PPE for their particular job. Some work gloves feature color shields with the ANSI cut level visible on the back of the hand. This makes it easy for you to see if your workers are using the right level of cut protection for the job they’re doing.

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Indicate Inspections Due

Safety managers in the construction and electrical industries use color as a visual warning sign. After a 6-month wear time when inspections are due, managers switch the color of electrical gloves and fall protection equipment. If they see a worker wearing the previously assigned color, they know that PPE isn’t up to date.

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Identify a Worker’s Role

Use PPE color to signify workers’ jobs or work areas. For example, the food industry uses different colored lab coats and beard nets to identify if a worker works with cooked food or raw food. This helps prevent cross-contamination.

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Spot Damaged PPE

A splash of color can actually help workers identify that their PPE is damaged. New designs incorporate bright-colored glove liners, so when the glove is cut or ripped, the liner shows through to alert workers of the defect. This makes it easier for your workers to spot and replace damaged PPE—increasing both safety and compliance.