Here’s one employer that takes personal protective equipment (PPE) very seriously and does everything possible to encourage employees to do likewise.
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CSX is one of the nation’s leading transportation suppliers. Its transportation network encompasses about 21,000 miles of track in 23 states, the District of Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec.
Barry Morton is the former head of employee safety and now serves as general manager of REDI—the CSX Railroad Education & Development Institute. Morton explains, “Virtually all of our operating department positions—conductors and engineers on the train as well as trackmen, carmen, and utility workers on the mechanical side—require some form of hand, eye, or hearing protection.”
Like most employers, CSX works hard to ensure that employees comply with PPE rules, both those imposed by the company and by regulators, including OSHA. “My belief is that people have to be intrinsically motivated to use PPE,” Morton explains. That means they need to go beyond compliance to understand the value of protection for its own sake.
PPE and other safety topics are addressed in mailings to employees’ homes, another way to build intrinsic motivation. Adds Morton, “We look at safety as a personal, family issue. We want employees to understand that they need to wear their eye protection so that they can enjoy the baseball game or ballet recital their child is involved in. We tell them that their ability to live the life they want is affected by what they do at work and at home.”
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The CSX safety team has built a number of checkpoints into the workday to confirm that employees are wearing their PPE. For example, protective gear is covered during job safety briefings that occur before every shift. It’s a quick check to ensure that employees know what’s expected in terms of tools and protection.
PPE also figures into operational tests mandated by the Federal Railroad Administration. The agency requires that supervisors conduct daily observations of employees on the job. Internal CSX requirements go even further.
CSX employees who work alone (solo workers) are trained to conduct personal job safety briefings before starting to work. There are also pretask briefings throughout the day as tasks change. And PPE is addressed in-depth during quarterly safety training.
Other Best Practices
The conventional wisdom is that when employees are involved in PPE selection, they are more likely to reliably use it. With that in mind, CSX maintains an active PPE committee that includes representatives from departments such as safety, purchasing, human performance, and industrial hygiene.
“We use a single vendor (distributor), which is very important so we can ensure our quality and supply.” Morton says the distributor representative attends PPE committee meetings, reviews new products, and discusses any issues.
Once the PPE committee and safety department have approved new equipment, employees participate in trials of the gear. “People like being consulted; they want to have a voice,” says Morton.
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CSX looks for other ways to encourage use of PPE. Upon their completion of annual safety training, the company provides employees with a new pair of steel-toed safety boots. Workers choose online from more than 25 styles, and the boots are shipped to their homes. Morton says the railroad has seen a definite correlation between the boot program and reductions in foot and ankle injuries. “We really feel it’s a nice thing to do for our employees, but it has a great safety benefit as well.”
The railroad continues to encourage workers to make the right and safe choices. Adds Morton, “We’re not completely there yet on intrinsic motivation. But our folks know that there will be no corners cut, whether because it’s the right thing to do or because of our culture.”