Finding the Right PPE for Your Work Words: Greg BrownPhotos: Malta DynamicsWhen it comes to PPE, one thing’s for sure: safety isn’t one size fits all. The work you’re doing, where you’re doing it, and even what time of year it is, can all make a big difference in what gear actually works. Price, comfort, and job performance all play a role, too. What feels perfect to one crew member might drive another crazy. Finding the right PPE for your work takes a little testing, a little patience, and a lot of honest feedback from the people wearing it every day. Your Best Workers Give You the Best InputIf you want to know what gloves actually hold up, which glasses don’t fog, or which harnesses are worth the money, ask your best workers. They’ll tell you exactly what works and what doesn’t. But here’s the funny thing: once you ask for opinions, you’ll get all you can handle and then some. You can buy 60 different varieties of gloves and safety glasses and still have one guy say, “I don’t like any of these.” Then, finally, when you find the one everyone likes, poof, you can’t find it anywhere. If that’s ever happened to you, you’re not alone. Changing Habits, One Helmet at a TimeAt Malta Dynamics, we’ve been introducing modern safety helmets to replace the old-style hard hats. The benefits are real: chinstraps, better fit, and higher protection standards for folks working at height. But you can bet the guy who’s worn the same hard hat for 20 years suddenly has a lot to say about his new helmet. Some feedback is helpful, some ... not so much. But all of it means your team cares. When people start engaging in what they wear for safety, you’ve already taken a big step toward building a true safety culture. Make Safety a PartnershipTaking an active role in helping employees work efficiently and comfortably, while maintaining high safety standards, goes a long way. Good people notice when leadership listens. They take more pride in their work when they feel like their voice matters. That’s how we approach things at Malta Dynamics. The feedback we get from the field, from the guys cutting block, setting scaffolding, or hanging steel, drives how we design and improve our products.Some of our best innovations have started with a mason saying, “You know what would make this better?” So keep the conversation going. Ask questions, listen to your crews, and stay open to feedback. Finding the right PPE isn’t just about what’s in stock; it’s about finding what really works for the people building the job. And if you’ve got thoughts on how to make safety gear better, we’re all ears. Field-tested and field-approved, that’s how we do it.About: Safety Library
