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Safety equipment and supplies represent one of the largest and most diverse segments of manufacturing industries. Choosing the right safety equipment and supplies is an enormous task. The wrong safety equipment can make the difference between a safe, efficient work force, and a workplace mired in accident, injuries, and low productivity. But safety equipment and supplies are not just a good idea, they are required by federal law. Safety compliance standards have been in place since 1971, when the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ((OSHA) was formed to ensure that safety procedures are established in workplaces everywhere.

The most common type of safety equipment and supplies are known as personal protective equipment. Personal protective equipment refers to safety equipment used by individual workers on a regular basis. Safety vests, hardhats, eye goggles, respirators, safety harnesses, back supports, protective work clothes and boots are all kinds of personal protective equipment. Each item of personal protective equipment is usually worn in conjunction with one another, creating a set of safety equipment whose consistent use should be enforced.

A second category of safety equipment and supplies is described as emergency response items. Emergency response items, unlike personal protective equipment, are not used on a daily basis, but rather only during urgent situations that may occur at workplace sites. Workplace related emergencies are almost as diverse as the equipment used to contain them. The most common types of emergency response items are first aid kits, special spill absorption products, and spill containment equipment such as eye wash stations and drench showers.

Other safety equipment and supplies may include training manuals, safety videos, and instructive safety posters that remind workers of their role in actively preventing injury or accidents. Companies can help prevent workplace related injury by providing their employees with the most up-to-date training and making sure that a safety plan is in place at all times.