An employee keeps on refusing to wear the correct PPE. What do you do? 👷♀️⬇️
While most employees understand the importance of wearing the correct PPE – not only for their own personal safety but as a legality – there always seems to be someone that doesn’t think it applies to them.
Frustrating, isn’t it?!
As you probably know, refusing to wear PPE is considered as gross misconduct and they can be dismissed for it. Now this of course is not where you should start the conversation but they need to know it is not a choice.
So, what can you do?
- Have a clear process in place so that when a new employee starts you have a control sheet and record of what was issued and the expectations for when it must be worn. get it right from the start and your make the compliance easier.
- Put up clear signage wherever it is suitable, this may be physical signs or automated reminders on any decides that are used.
- Hold everyone accountable. Managers need to have a critical failure warning if they are not controlling their teams.
- Check the condition of the PPE as far to often when something goes wrong the claim is that the PPE was worn out and not suitable.
Every situation needs to be managed on it’s merit but depending on the conversations you’ve had with your employee to date and the circumstances around them not wearing the correct PPE, you may decide that the best course of action is to let them go.
If this is the decision you have made, it’s important for you to follow correct processes to ensure that there is no come back on you and consulting with an expert HR consultant to get some advice first would be sensible.
We can help, so just get in touch. email us at info@gohr.co.uk
Thinking about PPE in general now, if you’re having to remind your workers about wearing the correct PPE more than you feel you should do, then you need to take action now.
This might involve PPE awareness training, or looking at how your teams are managed and supervised throughout the working day.
This is quite a common issue we see, so don’t stress about it on your own, we can help.
