Even with personal protective equipment (PPE), workplace injuries can happen. But it is still important for your employer to give you the correct PPE. This is one of their obligations when creating a safe workplace environment. Even though your employer can’t prevent all injuries, failing to provide PPE could be a clear sign of negligence, meaning they made those injuries more likely.
One thing to keep in mind, though, is that your employer does have to give you the appropriate PPE for the situation. Even if they give you equipment, if it doesn’t work correctly or isn’t up to the task, it could still be an example of negligence – and it may still lead to injury.
2 important examples
One example is if you are going to be working around asbestos. Your employer may tell you just to wear a neck gaiter or a dust mask like a carpenter would wear in their shop. While these masks can filter out some dust and debris, they cannot filter out asbestos particles, which are microscopic. You need to have a proper respirator, and asbestos masks typically have a 100 rating: P-100, N-100 or R-100.
Another example is if you’re welding. Your boss may tell you that you should just put on a pair of sunglasses, which will work as eye protection to do a quick welding job. But the Occupational Safety and Health Administration specifically states that “ordinary sunglasses are not designed to provide the level of radiation protection required for welding.” If your employer refuses to give you the correct welding mask, perhaps because it is much more expensive than sunglasses, you can still suffer lifelong eye damage on the job.
If you have suffered harm in a workplace injury, especially if you think your employer was negligent, take the time to carefully look into all of your legal options.