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Ensuring the safety of employees is a priority for any business, and this involves, in particular, personal protective equipment (PPE). However, despite legal obligations, the consistent use of PPE remains a challenge.
How can companies communicate effectively internally to change behaviour? Nicolas Mercier, Europe Key Account Manager at Delta Plus, shares some insights.
Ensuring the safety of employees is a priority for any business, and this involves, in particular, personal protective equipment (PPE). However, despite legal obligations, the consistent use of PPE remains a challenge.
How can companies communicate effectively internally to change behaviour? Nicolas Mercier, Europe Key Account Manager at Delta Plus, shares some insights.
Expertise
Update 08.04.26
During his many visits to Delta Plus’s clients, Nicolas Mercier has observed a consistent trend regarding companies’ willingness to communicate about the use of PPE in order to minimise risks.
Safety has indeed become a top priority in most companies, particularly in large corporations. This is achieved through various media:
Everywhere, clear signage remains a key tool:
Some companies also run regular email campaigns aimed at their employees to remind them of the risks and the best practices to follow.
The variety of communication channels and the repetition of messages are undoubtedly important for reaching employees widely and on a daily basis.
However, whilst a daily feature of the workplace, signage is not always sufficient and can sometimes become ‘invisible’ through sheer habit.
According to Nicolas Mercier, “the most effective way to ensure systematic use remains mandatory requirements and regular monitoring by QHSE managers."
To avoid penalties, regular awareness-raising is also essential. Sharing concrete examples of accidents often has an impact on employees.
At Delta Plus, prevention goes beyond simply selling PPE: “We support our customers by offering training and technical workshops. The aim is clear: to ensure risks are fully understood and to encourage the wearing of PPE.”
Companies must also tailor their communication to different profiles:
Dedicated sessions can be organised for each group: “Younger generations are often more receptive to safety issues,” notes Nicolas Mercier.
For others, it is sometimes comfort, overconfidence or changing habits that pose a problem.
For example, with the advent of smartphones and tablets, we see many operators regularly removing their gloves.
Here too, manufacturers have a role to play in adapting PPE to new uses, for example with touchscreen-compatible gloves.
Feedback from the field is therefore invaluable: “When a customer reports a problem to us, we try to develop a suitable product. PPE must be comfortable, easy to put on, take off and maintain. Otherwise, it won’t be worn,” acknowledges Nicolas Mercier.
Communication is therefore not limited to internal exchanges, but also involves regular dialogue between manufacturers and users.
Would you like to improve internal communication about PPE within your company?
Contact our experts to organise a technical workshop at your site.
Discover the benefits of a site audit by our occupational safety experts to select the PPE best suited to your teams’ needs.
How can we raise awareness about wearing PPE?
Raising awareness involves regular training combining theory and practice, with concrete examples of accidents prevented thanks to PPE. It is also important to involve teams in the choice of equipment to encourage acceptance and to organise visual campaigns reminding staff of safety guidelines.
What are the 5 key reasons for wearing PPE?
The 5 main reasons are:
This PPE is the last line of defence against risks that cannot be eliminated by other means of collective protection.
