Better Safe Than Sorry: Safety Equipment

But the dangers associated with flying debris, equipment parts and sharp mower blades, and hearing loss from loud machinery are as real as those associated with race car drivers and test pilots. Add that to an environment where workers are holding their employers more responsible for their well-being, and landscape contractors are finding it is in their best interest to stock safety equipment.

Most contractors agree that eye care is at the top of the safety list. "Safety glasses are the most important items to use," said Joe Munie, president, Outdoor Services, Fairview Hts., Ill. "We require safety glasses to be used on almost every job site."

Munie explained that since the bulk of his clients are industrial operations, taking the safety requirements of those operations outside to the landscape keeps his employees thinking about safety. "Many of our clients require safety glasses for their employees when work is being performed, so we are able to make a consistent work environment by requiring our employees do likewise," he added.

Besides providing safety glasses, it is equally important to make sure that the employees actually use the equipment. Safety glasses have an "uncool" reputation (remember eighth grade shop class?), so contractors often have a difficult time getting their employees to wear them.

"One of the problems we face is men tend to try and be ‘macho’ and wearing safety gear, especially glasses gets in the way of that look," related Bill Adams, CEO, Southern Landscape Professionals, Willow Springs, N.C. "So we have tried to compromise and give them a look that is ‘cool’ while providing the protection they need."

"If guys are resisting the glasses because of the look, remind them that they could look like a dork with no eyes," added Dwayne Galloway, owner, Lawn Butler, Regina, Saskatchewan.

Galloway provides his employees with a plain set of safety glasses and lets employees use their own, more stylish types if they so choose. "A few of my guys have their own, which is fine as long as they meet the safety standards," he added.

"The key to glasses and getting the employees to wear them is allowing them to pick them out," noted Adams. "If we spend $4 on generic glasses, our employees won’t wear them. Instead, we let them select something more fashionable and comfortable - something they’ll be more likely to wear.

"Most of these guys use safety glasses for sunglasses anyway, so by making them comfortable, they will wear the equipment," Adams added.

Southern Landscape Professionals provides its employees with one pair of safety glasses per quarter, replacing older pairs that get scratched with use. "We’ll buy one pair," he said. "If they lose their glasses or break them more often, they are responsible for the replacement.

"We feel that we can replace them quarterly because scratches do happen, and it is best to make sure the employee can see all the time," Adams explained.

For Mark McCoy, owner, McCoy’s Landscaping, Marion, Ohio, providing one pair of safety glasses is enough, and he doesn’t worry about style. "We provide the safety glasses, and I explain to our employees how important it is that they wear them," he said.

"I’ll hold up my hand and ask them to count my fingers," he noted. "Then I’ll tell them to imagine a day when they can’t see to do that. Many of these guys have families and we instill the importance of their eyes, not only to them as individuals, but to their families.

"If they still resist, I tell them to take a look at their families, because they are running the risk of not seeing those people ever again," McCoy explained.

Much of the resistance to wearing safety glasses comes from contractors that believe that they are less than attractive.

The additional cost of "stylish" safety glasses was worth it for Steve Jancics, operations manager, J.R. Thomas, Cincinnati, Ohio. "They are like the sunglasses that many people wear on the streets today, but they are actually safety glasses so they offer the necessary protection," he said.

"They cost just a few dollars more, and we have no problem getting the employees to wear them," he added. "Why buy something that is just going to sit there and not be used? If a person is not going to use it and not be protected, then who cares if you paid $5 or $10 for it?"

EAR PROTECTION. Hearing loss usually occurs over time, and by the time a worker realizes he needs ear plugs, the damage is done. Therefore, landscape contractors should provide appropriate protection and make sure the workers actually use it.

There are three basic styles of hearing protection that contractors use: ear muffs, ear bands and ear plugs. Most contractors opt for either the muffs or the plugs and allow employees to select their preference.

"Our maintenance division uses the muffs while our landscape division uses ear plugs almost exclusively," Adams said. "The muffs tend to filter out more noise, but they also restrict some of the sounds that workers need to hear."

For instance, skid-steer operators do not use ear muffs because they need to hear directions, other workers and other vehicles in the area.

"Each piece of equipment in our shop comes with a set of ear muffs," Jancics said, adding that he likes hanging them on the handles or safety bar. "Those muffs stay with the machine and are stored in a place that is very conspicuous so the operator has no excuse for not using them.

Jancics added that the company keeps a full supply of ear plugs on hand for employees who wish to use them instead of the muffs. "Once again, we provide the necessary equipment for our employees to complete their work safely," he said.

FOOT PROTECTION. While landscape contractors realize the importance of a good, solid shoe fit, they do not agree on the need for steel-toed work boots. Here, the need depends on the task the employee is performing - those lifting items that can be dropped on their feet should consider steel toes.

Southern Landscape Professionals requires all employees wear steel-toed boots. "They must have them and wear them before they can work for us," Adams said.

However, at J.R. Thomas Landscaping, steel toes are not required, and for many tasks, they are discouraged. "We do a lot of bending over and planting and mulching," said Jancics. "We have found that steel toes tend to cut into workers’ feet, which causes more problems than they are worth.

"When steel toes are needed, they should be worn, but we prefer our employees to use simple work boots," Jancics added.

HAND PROTECTION. Many companies provide gloves to employees for protection from scrapes and cuts. Simple knit gloves are inexpensive, and can be used for basic protection from minor abrasions. However, stronger leather and leather palm gloves offer better protection and tend to last longer.

"When you work with rocks and other abrasives, string gloves fall apart," said Ross Kaye, safety products manager, Gempler’s, Janesville, Wis. "A stronger glove will give you more protection and will last longer."

Kaye said there is no correlation between the weight of gloves and the tasks they are best used for. "Using gloves is a personal preference," Kaye said. "It is better to provide a variety of choices to the user and to let him select which ones he likes the best."

While landscape contractors realize the need for gloves for hauling items, many are still learning the importance of using gloves when handling pesticides and fertilizers, Kaye said.

"These will keep the [products] off your hands," he said. "Even if you are using dry fertilizer, that fertilizer becomes wet when you sweat. If you wipe your brow with fertilizer-coated hands, you run the risk of getting it into your eyes.

"A simple, 4-mil disposable glove will help keep the employee safe from any potential danger," Kaye added.

BACK SUPPORT. Weightlifters have used back support belts for years. Weightlifting belts are designed to support the lower back when an individual is lifting heavy objects. Only in recent years, however, has the weightlifting belt made its way into the workplace.

Yet the landscape contractor industry is still not 100 percent sold on the idea. Some companies, such as Southern Landscape Professionals, provide all employees with back support belts. Others, such as Lawn Butler, leave it up to individuals to make the purchase.

"We had employees try five different belts," Adams said. "They selected a fairly wide belt which gives them the support they need when lifting heavy items."

Adams said he was surprised by his employees’ selection of the wide belt because it weighed more than a lightweight one the company considered. "We thought for sure the smaller belt would be their choice, but they claimed it tended to pinch them when they lifted with it on," he said.

"That shows you the importance of letting your employees decide what equipment is best for them," he added. "Had we gone out and bought the one we thought was best, our employees would have been unhappy with it, and probably wouldn’t have used it.

"Instead, we listened to them, made the appropriate choice, and they are using the equipment properly."

Southern Landscape Professional’s employees are required to use the belts when lifting any object that weighs more than 15 pounds. "It just makes sense, an additional security measure," Adams said.

SUN PROTECTION. Every pair of sunglasses sold in the United States is required to have some level of ultraviolet ray protection. Safety glasses that double as sunglasses should provide employees with protection from harmful sun rays as well.

However, protecting skin from melanoma is a different story.

Landscape contractors spend the bulk of their time outside in the sun, facing dangerous rays day in and day out. While most contractors do not provide their employees with sunscreen lotions, there are ways they can ensure their employees take proper measures to maintain healthy skin.

Hats are one way. J.R. Thomas Landscaping provides hats as part of its uniform. With today’s haircuts growing shorter and shorter scalps are more susceptible to sunburn, and a hat can offer inexpensive protection against sunburn on an employee’s face and head. The protection doubles as advertising when the company’s logo appears on the front of the hat.

Comfortable shirts also shield workers from the sun. Many contractors are not allowing their employees to remove their shirts on a job site. While this is usually policy for professional reasons, a secondary benefit is additional sun protection for the employees. Some contractors’ uniforms include T-shirts, which allow sweat to dissipate so employees stay cooler.

When considering T-shirts, think about color as well. The darker the color, the more heat the shirt will absorb. While that may not be a concern in Seattle in March, a summer day in Kansas can get very hot - hot enough to overheat even fit landscape employees.

FIRST AID. Though safety equipment is designed to protect employees, accidents do happen. First aid kits should be a part of all safety inventories.

At Southern Landscape Professionals every employee is provided with two first aid kits. One is sealed, and never opened unless there is a serious emergency. The other can be opened and used as needed.

"The kit that is opened is replenished every evening that something is removed from it," Adams explained. "The second kit is there just to ensure we stay in compliance with OSHA regulations."

Adams explained that when a bandage is removed from a first aid kit, that kit is no longer a complete kit - for the remainder of that day that crew is technically violating OSHA requirements. "By keeping the spare kit unopened, we are always in compliance."

While most contractors will not go to that extreme, having a first aid kit on every truck will ensure prompt first aid when necessary, and prevent small mishaps from becoming larger ones.

STORAGE AND SPARES. Sure enough, no matter how carefully you plan, inevitably an employee will misplace or forget his hearing protection or safety glasses at least once. Keeping a spare pair on the trucks will help maintain a level of protection when an employee fails to keep up his end of the safety bargain.

In addition, replacements should be available at the office, where employees have the opportunity to replenish ear plugs, bandages, or scratched and cracked lenses.

"Our managers carry spare items in their vehicles, so they can provide it to workers they see using equipment without them," Munie said. "We also have a secretary who comes in at 6:30 every morning, and she has access to anything that a crew might need."

Availability of equipment to employees is crucial. Safety glasses do no good if they are locked up or sitting on a truck seat. Ear protection doesn’t save hearing sitting in a glove box.

The only way the safety equipment can do its job is if it is available for proper use. Anything less is a waste of money, and a risk to both the employee and the employer.