In recent unannounced inspections conducted by the central work safety assessment and inspection teams in multiple regions, it was found that although some enterprises have equipped basic personal protective equipment, there are still obvious loopholes in actual use and management. These seemingly minor oversights often become the trigger for accidents. Especially in high-risk operation scenarios, whether the selection, wearing, and maintenance of PPE are in place directly relates to the worker safety of frontline workers.
During the inspections, it was found that although some factories have provided safety helmets for employees, there are cases of overuse, unauthorized modification, or lack of regular inspection. As the core equipment for head protection, the impact resistance of safety helmets will decline over time. If a standardized replacement cycle and scrapping mechanism are not established, the protective effect will be greatly reduced. In addition, some employees take off their helmets for comfort in high-temperature environments, exposing the problem of weak safety awareness.
In noisy environments, the implementation of hearing protection is also not optimistic. Although some enterprises have set up noise warning signs, employees have not worn earplugs or earmuffs for a long time, leading to the accumulation of hearing damage risks. More commonly, employees wear them incorrectly, such as not fully kneading and inserting earplugs into the ear canal, or earmuffs not sealing tightly, making the protective effect ineffective. These problems reflect the lack of PPE use training in enterprises.
In terms of respiratory protection, the inspection team found that some workstations involving dust and harmful gases have the problem of improper selection of protective equipment. For example, using ordinary particulate respirators in organic solvent environments cannot effectively filter volatile chemical substances. In addition, some enterprises have not equipped protective equipment of corresponding levels according to work intensity and environmental concentration, resulting in both insufficient and excessive protection, affecting work efficiency and employee compliance.
Behind these problems is the systematic neglect of PPE management by enterprises. Many units only satisfy the requirement of "having equipment" but ignore the whole-process management of "using correctly, using well, and managing well." From procurement and selection to daily supervision, from training and education to regular evaluation, every link needs end-to-end management. EHS managers should establish PPE usage ledgers and dynamically adjust protection strategies based on job risk assessment results.
PPE is most effective when it is built into everyday management. Regular practice and training should reinforce correct fit and use, while equipment such as lightweight safety helmets, appropriate hearing protection, and efficient respirators should be selected for the actual task. Better comfort and usability improve consistent use and help PPE perform its role as the final layer of protection.
News source:Ministry of Emergency Management of the People's Republic of China, 2026-05-10: 'At 11:40 noon on May 11, CCTV Channel 12 "Emergency Moment" Central Work Safety Assessment and Inspection Unannounced Inspection Special Program 2026-05-10 08:58'. This article only interprets PPE knowledge based on public news topics.
