Let’s take the mystery out of choosing the right glove size … in two easy steps!

Step 1: Wrap a soft tape measure around the widest part of your hand.

Step 2: Compare the measurement with the chart below. This is a general guideline used by most glove manufacturers.

Note: If your size is in between two measurements, choose the lower size. Work gloves should fit snug. Again, this is a general guideline.

Now that you have figured out your size, check out this selection of gloves for hard working women… all sized especially for women!

Some items such as our entire line of tool pouches, tool belts in colors such as black, green, royal blue,and red, pink suspenders, and our newly added pink ribbon hard hats, you will only find at www.CharmandHammer.com. We carry these exclusively for hard working women.

Whether you are a woman working in industries such as agriculture, auto, construction, entertainment, work zones, shipyards, chemicals, restaurant or food processing, our online store offers safety equipment and work gear for you. Women electricians – may we suggest our exclusive custom made pink electrician’s tool pouch. You won’t find it anywhere else as this is an exclusive item only available at http://www.CharmandHammer.com. Or perhaps you are looking for the most unique gift for that special hard working woman: how about these custom made, exclusive, special order pink leather saddle bags. Dental hygienists – are you looking for a pair of safety glasses that won’t slide down your nose? Try these Crews Duece safety glasses -these are not ordinary Duece safety glasses, they are specially sized for smaller faces. Habitat for Humanity and WomenBuild volunteers- You have come to the right place. Try our exclusively designed women’s tool pouches. They are perfect for DIYers and weekend warriors, but heavy duty enough to be on any job site everyday of the week. Is your tool belt too heavy? Try our exclusive pink suspenders only available at http://www.charmandhammer.com – you won’t find these anywhere else. And we actually stock women’s fall protection gear for immediate shipment, because when you need fall protection there is no time to wait. We have the number one women’s safety harness – Ms. Miller.

Charm and Hammer has the largest variety of women’s safety products you will find anywhere on the planet – speaking of the planet – we ship worldwide! Yes all over the world. We’ve shipped to so many countries; it is easier to name the ones we have not shipped to. Where do you live? I bet we have shipped women’s safety gear and a pink tool belt to your town or city nearby. We also ship to US Military address (APO/FPO) as well as Hawaii, Alaska the US Virgin Islands and yes we have even shipped to the US Embassy in Russia. Okay only once, but how many companies can say that even once! We have shipped over ten thousand safety equipment and women’s workwear orders since 2002.

We have appeared in the Style section of the Wall Street Journal, The Dallas Fort Worth Construction News, and the Who’s Who in Safety Directory of Workplace Magazine. Charmandhammer.com was featured in a magazine in Japan. Unfortunately the only words we can read are the title of the article (Help Protect Women with the Right PPE) and the name of our website (lol). If you are able to translate it we would sincerely appreciate your effort. Over the years, we have been featured in Builder Magazine, BLR, National Safety Council’s Health and Safety Magazine, and an occasional guest columnist in Lift and Access Magazine , and a variety of articles and feature products in other trade magazines. We don’t always toot our own horn, because, after all, that is a man thing, right?

We are a 100% U.S. women owned small business. And we like to find other businesses that are like us. Small businesses such as our safety vest manufacturer that employs a handicap shelter and the hard hat manufacturer that gives fifty cents from EVERY wholesale order to the local catastrophic care hospital and supports breast cancer awareness organizations. We go out of our way to chose manufacturers that give back to the community. Our purchasing department personnel (me, myself and I) research the vendors and where the products come from. We cannot say that all of our products are made in the US. Rest assured if says it is made in the US, we’ve researched it and chose that product over another vendor for that reason.

For women who prefer pink, we carry hard hats in a variety of shades of pink: some call the hot pink, neon or hi-vis, but we prefer good old fashion hot pink hard hat – this is our best seller. Other pink hard hats include light pink , although some refer to the light pink as barbie doll pink, bubblegum or pale pink. There is even a manufacturer that calls it palace rose (fit for a queen don’t you agree?) . Then there is the vented pink hard hat , I would call this pink a lavender pink. Who know there were so many shades of pink hard hats. We didn’t always carry pink, in fact we refused to carry pink safety equipment at first. We did not think people would take us seriously. But after years of countless requests to carry pink, we thought perhaps pink was in. So we added pink, purple and every color in the rainbow and then some. Much to our surprise, pink is in and so is red, black, purple and did I mention purple – yes our purple hard hat is gaining in popularity. In fact our purple tool belt and hard hat gift set out sells all the other tool belt gift sets. Some women aren’t afraid of wearing bold colors that designate them as a different gender on the job. Though we realize that does not represent every woman on the job site. So we offer the typical safety equipment – still sized and designed for women of course just not in the bold colors. We aim to fit all women – we mean real women and real women’s sizes – not just men’s stuff in smaller sizes.

Safety gear is important for your protection, as well as for comfort in your work environment. Our range of safety gear includes women’s workwear (women’s coveralls, women’s overalls, women’s work tees); ergonomics (knee pads, back supports, wrist supports, knee supports, ankle supports, suspenders, anti vibe gloves, impact gloves); head protection (hard hats, bump caps, baseball caps, bandanas); respiratory protection (half mask respirators with dual cartridges or filters and N95 dust masks or filtering face pieces as they are officially named); hearing protection (corded, uncorded, and banded ear plugs, foldable ear muffs, pink hearing protection-ear muffs); hand protection (work gloves, welding gloves, nitrile gloves, Kevlar gloves, leather gloves, micro suede and machine washable gloves), eye and face protection (safety glasses, safety goggles and faceshields); women’s fall arrest harness (Ms. Miller Fall Protection Harness, one leg and two leg shock absorbing lanyards for 100% fall protection); accessories such as leather studded belts, belt buckes (pewter, trades, rhinestud belt buckles), working women patches, rosie the riveter patches, I love (heart) power tools patches; seasonal accessories (miracool bandannas for summer or heat stress relief and hand warmers for winter or cold stress relief). Our selection of safety equipment is also designed to suit your industrial work environment, whether you work in a factory, a stable, a construction site or a zoo. Okay, sometimes we all feel like we work in a zoo (lol).

Safety includes more than just the type of equipment and protective gear you need. You also need safety compliant training. We have partnered with 360training.com to offer you the best of both worlds. Online courses make job training safe, secure and convenient. With these e-learning solutions, you can train anytime in the comfort of your own home or office, during lunch, whenever you can squeeze it into your day or night and at your own pace. Sample many of the online courses for free. It just doesn’t get any more convenient than online training courses.

Of course if you have any questions at all, we can help. We (that includes me, myself and I again) have been in the construction industry for over 25 years. Safety is our (my) business. We are authorized distributers for the largest manufacturers, including MSA, Bullard, 3M, Occunomix, Ergodyne, Ironclad, Sperian, Uvex, Miller, Perfect Fit, and so many more. Check out our line card for the full list of manufacturers and brands we distribute. If you are not sure of something or your are looking for a particular safety product please do not hesitate to contact us (me). If we don’t have the answer we will point you in the right direction.

I offer you a personal welcome to our newly redesigned website! We hope you like it as much as we do. If you find something that isn’t quite right or you land on the oops! page, while we are ironing out some of those wrinkes…please feel free to use our contact us page as we appreciate everyone’s feedback.

Thank you for visiting http://www.charmandhammer.com Safety Gear for Hard Working Women, we hope you find what you are looking for. And of course feel free to drop us an email or call anytime! Bookmark http://www.charmandhammer.com to your favorites, because we are constantly adding new products.

Terri Piasecki, President

Peak Safety & Supply Inc.

CharmandHammer.com Exclusive Pink Ribbon Gear for Hard Working Women!

Charm and Hamer.com is proud to announce that we have established our newest link to help further causes for women’s health!  Our newest shopping category includes pink ribbon gear for hard working women!!  We have gathered up the products that give back to various organizations and put them in one convenient place… our “pink ribbon safety gear for hard working women” category! Pink Ribbon Hard Hats, Pink Ribbon Tool Belts, Pink Ribbon Gloves, even  Pink Ribbon Safety Glasses are all for women!!  We are so excited about these products, we have decided to create some of our own so CharmandHammer.com can help the cause too!  

Once we decided on the items, it was time to find an organization to support!! It didn’t take us long.    Living in North Carolina for the past five years,  I have followed Kay Yow’s story.  She was the ultimate hard working woman.  

“ The late Kay Yow, former North Carolina State University head women’s basketball coach, was a past president and founding member of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), and a galvanizing voice for the Association. Yow was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987, and passed away on January 24, 2009, after facing her third bout with the disease. In her 38 years as a head coach at the college-level, Yow was one of only six Division I head women’s basketball mentors to achieve 700 career victories. Yow was also the head coach of the 1988 US Olympic Team that won the gold medal in Seoul.”  You can find more about Kay Yow and The Kay Yow WBCA Cancer Fund® at www.wbca.org/kayyowwbcacancerfund.asp.

Other Pink Ribbon gear offered on CharmandHammer.com where the manufacturers donate to various causes:

Rosie the Riveter We Can Cure It!  Breast Cancer tee shirts and nightshirts are all the rage – the manufacturer donates a portion of these proceeds to Project Woman Coalition (www.projectwoman.org) . 

Next  is the Tomboy Tools Pink for a Purpose  13oz Hammer! This year, Tomboy Tools teamed up with Avon Walk for Breast Cancer (www.avonwalk.org). Walkers visiting Tomboy Tools’  ”Tool School 101 Tent” in the Wellness Village can participate in various “How To” demonstrations.  $1.00 from each hammer goes to The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer!  We can’t say enough about the quality of these hammers and for only $14.95each ! Wow! What a bargain!

 The newest addition to the Safety Gear market is the Vision for a Cause Safety Eyewear!  The manufacturer of these donates a portion of the proceeds from the Eva Pink Ribbon Safety Glasses to the American Cancer Society to help find a cure for Breast Cancer.  We carry the petite, sized for women with ever so slightly pink tinted lens and pink ribbons on the temples!!  These are professional grade safety glasses, they meet ANSI Z87.1+ (the plus means “high impact” standards).  What could be better?

Finally, economical chore gloves – we found these and quickly scooped them  up!  Available in three women’s sizes, Small (6), Medium (7), and Large(8).  This manufacturer donates a portion of the proceeds to benefit www.BeBrightPink.org!

We were so excited to gather up all these products, we hope you like them too!

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The term Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund®, the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund® logo and the image of Coach Kay Yow are trademarks of the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Foundation, Inc. The Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Foundation, Inc. is a partner of The V Foundation for Cancer Research.

Keep in mind, charmandhammer.com does allow exchanges (and refunds) for any purchases so long as the items are new and unused with product tags attached (if applicable).  So if you inadvertently purchase the wrong size, know that they can be exchanged for a different size hassle free!

These are all "small" gloves marketed for women or small hands.

Womens General Purpose Welding Gloves Comparison

 

Note that there is not a huge difference in sizing of  these women’s welding gloves – but there is a difference…. the Weldas on the left is slightly larger than the other two, but is the only one that is tapered somewhat. 

Fortunately, there is one harness available for women. Introduced by Miller Fall Protection (Sperian) in 1998, the Ms. Miller is the ONLY full-body harness on the market specifically designed to fit women. It was designed by two female engineers and is quite different than standard men’s fall protection harnesses. The Ms. Miller is modeled after a rock climber’s harness.

Keep in mind two major differences of the female body are the chest and pelvic areas. The Ms. Miller design addresses both of these differences quite adequately and is offered in a variety of sizes from XXSmall to XXLarge based on height, weight and waist measurements. In lieu of a cross chest style harness, this uniquely designed harness keeps shoulder straps at the side and away from the chest.

Though men have inquired about the comfort of this harness for them, the Ms. Miller is not recommended for men, as it is specifically designed for a woman’s body, particularly in the hip and pelvic area. As such, it distributes fall forces much differently than standard (men’s) harnesses. Support straps were added to the front of the harness connecting the leg straps to the waist strap. This reduces the outward forces or spread eagle, wishbone effect. In addition, the waist pad and leg pads relieve stress on the lower back.

The Ms. Miller meets ANSI A10.32, Z359.1 and CZA Z259.10-06 specifications.

FAQ:   Provided by Miller Fall Protection’s Tech Support

Q1: Are all other harnesses dangerous for women?  No. However they may not fit as well and may not have the features to eliminate stress on the lower hip/back area during a fall.

Q2: Is it easy to put on  the Ms. Miller?   Yes! Very Easy! Step through waist, raise shoulder straps, buckle the legs and chest straps. The leg straps utilize offset slotted mating buckles and the shoulder straps use friction buckles.

Q3: Where should the chest straps be worn? What is the recommended location?  The chest strap should be in the mid chest area, the same as recommended for other harnesses.  Use the chest strap to keep shoulder straps on shoulders – do not over tighten (adjust to shorten). Shoulder straps should stay at sides rather than coming up front of the torso.

Submitted by Terri Piasecki, Attendee & Speaker on behalf of NAWIC

As requested, I attended the first Women’s PPE Needs: Strategy and Planning Meeting for a National Survey. This was a meeting held at the USDOL MSHA offices located in Arlington, Virginia on June 20th, 2006 from 9am to 4:30pm. Other groups, agencies and manufacturers represented at this meeting include: US Dept of Labor (DOL), National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (CDC NIOSH), Dept of Health and Human Services Office of Women’s Health (DHHS OWH), California OSHA (CAL OSHA), Women in Mining (MSHA), Dept of Veteran’s Affairs (DAV), NASA, National Institute of Health Office of Research on Women’s Health (NIH ORWH), National Firefighter’s Association, HealthCare Industry, Police & Military, 3M technical service and more. The main objectives of this meeting was to gather as much information as possible about women’s personal protective equipment and the need for a national survey encompassing as many professions as possible; discuss a cost effective plan for launching and conducting the survey; determine what as a result of the survey will be done (i.e., publications, recommendations, etc). Attached is the background information provided to us by USDOL/MSHA in preparation for the meeting.

I have enclosed information I presented to the group on behalf of NAWIC. The construction industry is a small part of the sector needing personal protective equipment. The healthcare industry and food industry are just a couple of examples of other occupations where women are the majority and still in need of better fitting personal protective equipment. . Homeland security issues present an even more urgent need to provide appropriately fitting gear to first responders who are not the average (male) size!

A number of speakers presented information regarding women’s occupational health and safety issues. I have included copies of the agenda and presentations that were provided to us. Not to recap all of the speakers but a few points should be noted. Unlike the Cal OSHA survey conducted two years ago which is still being analyzed, this survey will be a national representation, and will include small stature men and a broader range of occupations where PPE is required. The Cal OSHA Survey was only women in construction and firefighting. Ms. Cuta, 3M OH&ESD Technical Service representative, discussed the steps NIOSH took in updating the anthropometric fit of respirators. NIOSH recently revised the size requirements used by manufacturers to better fit respirators. Linda Tapp of Crown Safety and Ms. Abrams, Women in Mining offered a vast array of safety issues pertaining to women. For instance, chemical absorption and ergonomics are significant issues for women especially while pregnant. Many of the attendees also offered their expertise commenting on other issues such as poorly fitted bullet proof vests for both police and military. Women’s torsos are much shorter than average men’s which makes is very uncomfortable if not impossible for women to sit while wearing these vests. On the other hand, the firefighters association has taken steps to ensure turn out gear is now sized for women, as well as stipulated that women’s firefighter footwear is made with a woman’s mold. There is still however, an issue with properly fitted SCBA’s for women, since fire departments must order all the same manufacturer SCBA’s for the entire crew.

At this point of the survey, it is still in the discovering stages. Much of the meeting was spent collecting information from various speakers as well as reviewing the CAL OSHA survey that was completed a few years ago in California as a basis for the formulation of this survey. All of those at the meeting were asked to review the preliminary survey and provide comments over time. The PPE subcommittee will do much of the work via email or other means of long distance communication. They anticipate at least another year or more before the survey is ready for distribution. The long range goal is to have the survey completely analyzed within five to seven years at a cost of one billion dollars.

As for funding this project, the subcommittee is counting on raising the funds for the project. They are accepting donations from manufacturers, both public and private agencies and associations, as well as individuals on all levels. They are researching the cost and options for conducting the survey, though at this point, the US DOL/Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) seems to be the direction they are going, from distribution to analyzing. They intend to survey about 5000 women and small stature men. I indicated to them at the time, that as just a member of NAWIC I didn’t have the authority to pledge financing but I was certain that NAWIC would assist circulating the survey to members and the NAWIC tradeswomen committee.

It was a pleasure representing NAWIC at this meeting and I truly appreciate the opportunity. Thank you!

Respectfully submitted,

Terri M. Piasecki
NAWIC Member,
Chapter 92, Raleigh

Intro –
Terri Piasecki, Owner of http://www.CharmandHammer.com Safety Gear for Hard Working Women, Representing National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC). Background includes: 25+ years in the construction industry; 6+ years in construction safety, 10+ years as a member of NAWIC.

Considerations
• If an employer must supply special equipment for women that is different than men or what they are already buying, this creates another obstacle for women gaining employment, especially in non traditional work such as construction. It is a short sighted view of course, but the fact is that many perceive this as a viable issue.
• Reaching tradeswomen for a survey will be a challenge since they are in the field most of the day and are not sitting behind a desk on a computer. Networking with tradeswomen associations such as NAWIC, Chicago Women in the Trades, NNET, etc. will be necessary to reach these women.
• The population in general has actually gotten larger, individually, since the size charts were established in the early days. Making products smaller to fit women is going to be a challenge.
• Finally, if a survey such as this takes more than five or more years to develop, implement and analyze, manufacturers will have an excuse to wait to revise the sizing options. Will this survey impede the progress already underway?

Many manufacturers are addressing the demand: -Though many manufacturers do not indicate which items are for women due to their perceived political correctness issues.
• AOSafety – the first major manufacturer to launch a line of women’s gear….directly targeting women, albeit “diy” women… but it’s a start!
• N95 disposables with adjustable straps (not stapled) for a better fit, others offer s-m-l sizes.
• Other facepieces (half mask) are offered small-med-large, some are semi universal. (And as we saw of the 3M rep, NIOSH has revised the respirator size chart)
• A Variety of Smaller Safety Glasses whose purpose is to fit smaller faces are readily available by almost every major manufacturer. Other safety glasses are designed with multiple adjusting points…brow bar, nosepiece, lens angle adjustment and temple length adjustment …the purpose is to universalize one piece of equipment…make it so that one style fits a wider variety of faces, small and large.
• Small Hard Hats are available, as are XLarge. (Only one manufacturer makes them) However, the standard size hard hat fits 40 head size increments from 6-1/2 to 8 which does a really good job at fitting most female users. Still some do need the small, but they are VERY few…. Probably not enough to warrant more manufacturers to make them or even distributors to stock them because they must be ordered by the case.
• Most fall protection manufacturers have models available for smaller workers, some recommend the crossover chest styles are women, though they don’t actually say they are for women in the catalogs (again a politically correct issue perceived by manufacturers). And of course, Ms. Miller the only fall protection harness specifically for women, has been available for several years.
• XXS, XS, & Small welding gloves are available for general purpose. Though no knowledge of welding helmets made for smaller heads/faces is available. Kiln gloves are still not available in size small (temp in excess of 1500 degrees F) but some items such as this are physically impossible to produce smaller due to the bulk of material required.
• Variety of sizes of ergonomic equipment (back supports, wrist supports, kneepads, etc). Back Supports are available from a 23” waist.
• A variety of Work Gloves, Police Gloves, Extrication Gloves, Mechanics Gloves, Ergonomic Support Gloves, Womens’ Impact, & Anti Vibe Gloves are all manufactured starting from a hand size of 6” and up. (Women’s sizing starts at 6”~measured around the widest part of the hand excluding the thumb).
• Variety of Earplugs targeting smaller ear canals are now on widely available.
• SCBAs with adjustable frames for different length torsos are manufactured, but the distribution channels make it nearly impossible for women to access. These are needed by several occupations other than firefighters, such as hazard waste remediation.

What is needed?
Footwear – but employers are not required to purchase workboots for employees. There are many manufacturers marketing workboots to women but they are really made on a men’s last (mold). To determine this, look for dual sizing charts in product descriptions. After a woman wears a man’s boot for several years, her foot will not fit into a women’s.

Issue with Safety Vests: ANSI requires a certain amount of square inches of hi viz background material and striping (depending on the ANSI Class), which prevents the manufacture of size small vests with ANSI certifications. Petite employees, so small that the smallest ANSI vest doesn’t fit, should not be placed directing traffic, working around heavy equipment or other areas where ANSI class vests are required. Safety should be put ahead of political correctness. Agencies and employers should be allowed to require minimum size (height/weight) of a worker to be allowed in hi viz required positions. If the smallest safety vest is still grossly oversized, it should be okay to say that the worker is just too small to be in that position without fear of a political correct issue (especially in government employers).

Other
PPE in general…the more user friendly the better, the more universal the better. Not everyone purchasing safety equipment is an employee! Employers are required to train employees how to use equipment… but this is the DIY generation. There are so many people are out there trying to educate themselves about respiratory protection, there needs to be consumer guidelines readily available.

Conclusion – The problem is plagued by many issues ~ but the biggest is distribution.
Not all women in need of PPE are in one locale. Geographically, they are spread across the globe! Which makes it difficult for local supply houses to stock inventory that isn’t going to move for a long time, especially when they are required to purchase by case, bulk or volume quantity. Manufacturers need to relax minimum order requirements for products sized outside of the average range.

The main manufacturers reach local supply houses via wholesale distributors. In most cases, the wholesalers stock volumes of products that move quickly. In general, wholesale distributors– don’t stock slower moving inventory (i.e. out of the ordinary sized gear) especially where a volume requirement is necessary. Most products are available via special order but a waiting period known as lead time, can be as long as 3 or 4 weeks.

Smaller, specialized manufacturers, are actually making ppe for women, but in general, they don’t go through the large wholesale distributors for various reasons. Their products never reach the majority of the local supply houses. Often times women’s sized item (or products for the diverse workforce) are discontinued because it is too difficult to market without a viable supply route.

Every industry has a different supply channel. For example, the scenario described above, applies in general to the MRO and construction industry suppliers. Government, Firefighters, and first responders all have different supply routes that also have obstacles to getting a variety of gear for diverse sizes.

Thank you for the opportunity to participate at this meeting on behalf of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC).

With over 25 years experience in the construction industry and over six years focusing exclusively on safety, I noticed that workers did not wear personal protective equipment nearly enough. From hand protection and eye protection to major equipment like fall protection, I constantly saw a battle between employers and employees in regard to safety gear.

I always asked workers, “Why don’t you wear safety glasses, gloves, etc?” They all had a different answer, but all of the answers shared a common thread. Excuse after excuse, the theme was usually proper fit.

Since most safety gear was made to fi t men, I thought, “If men aren’t happy with the way things fit, what about women?” That’s why in 2004 I started an on line company that provides safety gear and construction clothing for women. Most people can relate to the difficulty of working with gloves that are too large or too small. In addition to poor production, ill-fitting gear presents quite a hazard. Gloves that are too large risk fingers or hands getting caught in or pulled into machinery. Fall protection harnesses that are too large may result in a worker actually falling out of the harness. Safety glasses will slide down if not a snug fit. How does one weld with welding gloves that are hanging off the hand? When safety gear fits comfortably, workers wear it. This is the fundamental objective of every safety program. Most employers provide safety gear, especially gear that is specifically required for the job. However, it is more feasible for an employer to buy a case of gloves or glasses and require everyone to wear the same gear. The problem is one size does not fit everyone.

Some of the manufacturers have addressed this by designing gear that is fully customizable. For instance, safety glasses that can be adjusted five ways will fit a broad range of faces; fall protection harnesses that are calibrated for the weight of the worker incorporate an entirely new engineering design.

For women, the newest trend in work gear is style and color. It started years ago with wraparound safety glasses. Now, stylish and colorful work gear is exploding the marketplace – pink, purple, fuchsia and red to name a few of the popular colors with women.

My company’s biggest sellers are pink hard hats, pink tool belts, pink work gloves and pink safety glasses! Years ago, women in the field wanted to blend in. The new generation demands colors and fit!

Women’s coveralls are now available from two different manufacturers in a variety of colors and patterns. One has a hidden drop seat; the other comes complete with kneepads. Both are designed specifically to fit women. Before these became available, women would have to order men’s coveralls large enough to fit across the chest – but then the arms and legs would be too long.

Employers are encouraged to find a knowledgeable safety supplier, understand that a man’s “small” is not equivalent to a women’s “small,” and be willing to provide a variety of safety gear for their diverse work force. The best way to gain support for a safety program is by empowering employees with some of the decision making. Make personal protective equipment the topic of your next safety meeting. Have various samples available for employees to try. Everyone likes to be a product tester. Let them choose what they want to wear. Reward employees with premium safety gear.

A former safety manager, Terri Piasecki owns Charm and Hammer, an online source of women’s safety gear and construction clothing at http://www.charmandhammer.com

Of course everyone knows management commitment is of utmost importance to any safety program. But words on paper and the real world can be two different scenarios.
Several key ways for management to show their commitment include:
• Allocate appropriate funds to provide the proper safety equipment required on the job (i.e. proper lift equipment, personal protective equipment, tools in good condition, etc.). Safety progress takes a nose dive when the proper tools and equipment are not available.
• Not just attend the safety meeting, be a participant! Management absent from safety meetings sends a message that safety is not important enough for them to take the time.
• Set a good example on site by following proper safety protocol. This includes, wearing appropriate PPE, use proper access to areas, etc. A “do as I say, not as I do” attitude will take your safety program back to the dark ages era!
• Commit to working with other contractors who show a positive safety attitude. If workers point out faults of subcontractors, take action. Subcontractor safety history should be taken seriously. Peer pressure from other contractors works!

How does your management commitment rate? Remember the old saying “seeing is believing”? When employees see management commitment they are more likely to believe it!

All safety programs need periodic review and revisions. Need a new safety program? Check your insurance carrier’s website, chances are they have a free, generic program you can start with. You can then customize it to fit your company’s specific needs according to the type of work you do.

No matter what your history is, resolve to take safety to the next level!

Article contributed by, Terri Piasecki, Owner of Charm and Hammer.com .