Personal Protective Equipment

SENOJ

Our warehouse environment requires heavy lifting to 70 lbs. It is rare but occassionally employees must lift 55 or more pounds. A few employees are requesting back braces for lifting. As a Tennessee employer, are we obligated to provide the braces and if so, would you give me some direction on policy. If we provide them can we discipline fore non-compliance? I would appreciate it if someone would share a policy on PPE and your experience.

safety

We used to have one heavy item in our warehouse environment and we had a policy that required back braces to lift this product. We provided the PPE and if not used we issued discipline. That product is no longer here so the policy is gone also. In our plant safety rules we require proper lifting techniques along with a statement that if an item is too heavy one must get help with the lifting process. If I were you I would do some research on back braces. There are differing opinions on their use and effectiveness. If used improperly they can give one a false sense of security and can be detrimental.

Balloonman

DON"T DO IT!
Those back belts have actually been shown to cause more problems then they allegedly solve.
Proper lifting technique training, and designating a 2 person lift at certain weights will do you better.
The problem with the belts, is they can cause a slight increase in blood pressure, and can aid in decreasing muscle tone....... and if you use them at work all the time you are more likely to suffer an injury while lifting away from work.
DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!
My $0.02 worth!
DJ The Balloonman