Drop into the Safety Clinic
September 1st 2009

What hearing protection should we be issuing, and how do I know if a respirator fits, are a few of the questions that 3M will answering at Health and Safety '09 North

Diversified technology company 3M is encouraging visitors to come along to Stand 76 to participate in the 3M Safety Clinic at this year's Health and Safety 09 show in Bolton. We spoke to Jim Kennedy, sales development Manager for 3M and asked him to give us an insight into the show and highlight some of the questions 3M is hoping to tackle.

Why has 3M decided to exhibit at the Health and Safety 09 regional shows? It is hugely important that we meet our existing and potential customers face to face and the Health and Safety 09 exhibitions present the ideal opportunity to achieve this.

Why should visitors come and visit the 3M Safety Clinic? As we are one of the leading suppliers of personal protective equipment (PPE), advice will be available from 3M safety specialists on all aspect such as Fit Testing, product selection, maintenance of products and pandemic preparedness.

We already offer this advice through the 3M helpline which deals with all calls on an individual basis - we talk with customers to understand both the hazard and the environment and help to find solutions for each issue. By coming to the 3M Safety Clinic, visitors will be able to see this process in action and ask any questions they may have - we will try and answer all questions asked to the best of our ability! Our full range of PPE including powered air respirators, coveralls, eyewear, disposable respirators and hearing protection, incorporating the Peltor and E.A.R brands will also be on display.

What do you see as the biggest change in health and safety over the years? Compliance. As legislation has matured and been refined over the years, compliance has steadily risen. In many companies, they strive for more than legal compliance – some see that as the minimum requirement - and aim instead for best practice.

Whatever a company's needs, we can assist them with their requirements and ensure their employees are protected appropriately.

How do you think health and safety could be improved? Education is the key to understanding.

There is still a lot of work to be done around informing, instructing and educating the workforce regarding many hazards within the workplace. At 3M we understand this and our aim, as a global manufacturer of PPE, is to help keep people safe at work and provide advice and support to health and safety managers. To do this we have to invest a lot of time in research and development and provide a value added service around education and training, which we are looking forward to demonstrating at the show.

What are the most common questions that you and your team get asked with regards to PPE? In the past we have answered questions regarding product selection, maintenance and workforce training. More recently, in the current economic climate, we have increasingly been asked for ways to save money and are offering advice on ways to stretch budgets without compromising on quality or performance.

PPE can seem like a minefield to employers as they get swamped with all the different equipment on offer and confused by the varying levels of protection offered against different hazards. This is why we are looking forward to speaking to people at Health and Safety 09 on all aspects of PPE – providing them with the opportunity to raise any questions or concerns they may have.

How does a company know what hearing protection they should be issuing? The current regulations – the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 (Noise Regulations 2005) - state that workers must be provided with hearing protection on request when noise levels reach or exceed 80dB(A). It is compulsory when levels reach 85dB (A). At 3M, we provide expert hearing advice and have hearing conservation specialists who offer a wide range of guidance and support from understanding the regulations to various aspects of noise hazards and the damage that can be caused to the ear. We feel this information is essential to provide customers with the support they need to carry out their jobs safely.

We offer a Hearing Noise Level Check service, where a representative visits the workplace and uses a meter to measure noise within the environment to help the company understand its noise levels. This provides further information to allow them to select appropriate hearing protection – and again, we can advise on this.

We also continue to present our hearing conservation presentation to support health and safety managers as they educate and train their workforce on the importance of protecting their hearing.

And how do you know if a respirator fits? Firstly it is essential that the appropriate respiratory protective equipment (RPE) is selected in terms of adequate levels of protection and suitability to the job.

Secondly, if the respirator is of a 'tightly fitting' design it should be checked whether it fits. This can be achieved by conducting a Fit Test.

Our experts can advise on product choice and compatibility and also offer Fit Testing as an additional service. We will be demonstrating this as part of the 3M Safety Clinic in Bolton.

If you have a question, visit the 3M Safety Clinic on Stand 76 or call the 3M Health and Safety Helpline on the number below.

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