How to get at-risk workers to wear light eye protection

A lot of people ask me how they can make it more likely that their at-risk workers wear the basic PPE, especially light eye protection.

I'm not a fan of blanket policies, but if you have them, the worst thing you can do is not to stand by them. So...

The first thing you should do when trying to make it more likely that people wear light eye protection when working... is to make working without light eye protection less likely.

Everyday that the person works without light eye protection, their behaviour is reinforced. The longer the reinforcement history, the more the company is supporting the undesired behaviour.

And perhaps therefore, you should start with an apology.

"I'm sorry that we have allowed you to work for so long without wearing light eye protection. I know that it would feel weird for you to just start to wear light eye protection as you are so used to working with out it, and that's on us, however, we'd like to start a fresh. So tomorrow, I can only allow you to work, if you wear your light eye protection, OK?"

Then, you could help to remove some obstacles in the next conversation...

"Do you have any glasses? Can I get you a comfortable pair? Would you like a neck chord?"

Then, don't expect it to happen, that would be going against their reinforcement history, you'll have to help them, by perhaps, standing there and reminding them.

You'll have to do this until you create an alternative reinforcement history to counter the one you already have for this person.

But you'll probably just get frustrated and do a safety stand down as that'll be less work and more reinforcing for you...