I’m a Master at This Job
“If you want to be a master of the job, be eager to learn, be curious. Know that every piece of knowledge enlightens you, every skill makes you special.” — Master’s saying. Personal protective equipment (PPE) are devices that protect individuals against risks when collective protection methods are not available. PPE is classified into 8 main types based on usage areas: Head protectors Face protectors Eye protectors Hearing protectors Hand and arm protectors Foot and leg protectors Body and torso protectors Respiratory system protectors Although PPE are categorized under these main headings, many job-specific features exist within each category. For example, under eye protectors, there are welding goggles as well as plastic laboratory glasses. In our field, we rely on standards to select the correct personal protective equipment. CE (Conformity of Europe) and EN (European Norm) standards explain what the equipment protects us from. In our country, the use of protectors without CE and/or EN standards is prohibited. After this general information, as occupational safety experts, one of the most important issues we observe during site visits is the insufficient use of personal protective equipment. Unfortunately, these are equipment often undervalued in our country but are actually the most affordable and easiest to procure. Because people prioritize personal comfort over safety, a large portion of work accidents occur due to carelessness, ignorance, or overconfidence. Speaking of overconfidence, I want to share an incident we experienced. During a site visit to a company, when I warned one of our masters in his 60s about personal protective equipment, his reaction was as if saying, “I have as much mastery as your age.” While explaining this to him gently and jokingly, I heard in my mind the phrase, “I’m a master at this job.” I cannot disrespect his mastery; my job is to inform you about what needs to be done for occupational safety. As the poet Melih Elhan said: "When a master is lost, one must seek apprenticeship once more, Embrace apprenticeship once more, Enroll in apprenticeship once more." After saying this, we laughed together. The humorous ending of this event spared both me and the master any offense, and in my following visits, I saw that colleagues paid more attention to PPE use. This reminded me that not knowing is not shameful, but not learning is, and it made me happy professionally. A note from the master: “If you want to be a master of the job, learn to be patient, don’t rush. Know that every patience matures you, every goal elevates you.” We took this to heart as we taught and learned. As a country, our people are never ill-intentioned; with proper guidance and information, they easily grasp the importance of rules. Recent studies in our country show a 21% decrease in work accidents in the last five years, demonstrating once again how important occupational safety rules are and how necessary it is to comply with them. Finally, I wish you safe and accident-free days in your working life, where rules are respected and carefully followed... Sezer ATUK Occupational Safety Specialist (C) İZKA JOINT HEALTH and SAFETY UNIT INC.
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