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Why is personal protective equipment (PPE) important in construction?

In this blog, I’ll Walk you through three critical points:

  1. Why PPE is crucial.
  2. How we designed ours at Lean Built.
  3. How PPE ties into your company image and marketing.

Let’s get one thing straight: I’m psycho about this. You might be thinking, “Jason, I love your other content—we’re practically homies—but I’m not with you on the PPE thing.” Let me explain.

Why It Really Matters:

I’ve run multiple projects as a superintendent with zero tolerance on PPE. If someone didn’t wear their safety glasses, they were respectfully sent to a safe area. Over a two-year period with up to 380 workers on-site, I only had to send 20 people home. That’s not a lot.

Why? Because people are smart.

If we can trust them with forklifts and cranes, we can trust them with safety glasses. But here’s the deal: safety glasses are not just about the eyes. They’re a leading indicator. If someone won’t wear glasses, they probably won’t wear fall protection or use a seatbelt in a lift.

How we do one thing is how we do everything. PPE sets the tone and mindset for the whole team.

Look Like Pros, Act Like Pros:

General Patton once said his troops got beat because they didn’t look, act, or train like soldiers. Same goes for construction. Once you cross that gate onto the job site, it’s full gear: hard hat, safety glasses, hearing protection (if needed), vest, workwear, and boots.

It’s about mindset.

That’s why personal protective equipment needs to be intentionally designed—unless your company already has a solid system. Companies like Hensel Phelps use hard hat colors to indicate tenure. I love that approach. And in this blog, I’ll walk you through exactly how we do it at Lean Built.

Our PPE at Lean Built:

At Lean Built, we went with sleek, black Cask-style hard hats with built-in glasses, breathable materials, and our branding. They look sharp. We issue gloves, cool glasses, high-quality vests, and proper boots.

The result? When people see our team, they say, “Where can I get PPE like that?”
Whether it’s LeanTakt, Lean Super, or Lean Built—we look excellent.

Design It with Purpose:

Ask yourself:

  • Should your hard hats come in different colors for seniority?
  • Do your vest, gloves, and glasses match your brand and purpose?
  • Are you planning for prescription eyewear?
  • Does your team look like a unit?

The PPE should be functional and reflect your brand identity.

PPE Is Part of Your Marketing:

Yes, you read that right.

If you’re investing in a website, logo, social media, and signage—why would you not include PPE as part of your marketing strategy? It shows identity. It shows pride. And how you wear your PPE tells people how you approach your work.

So, you might still be thinking, “J Money, this is a bit much.” But I promise—it’s not. PPE is a big deal, and I hope it becomes a big deal to you too.

Let’s intentionally design our PPE. It’ll make a huge difference.

Key Takeaway:

Personal protective equipment isn’t just about safety—it’s a reflection of your company’s culture, mindset, and brand. When designed intentionally, PPE sets the tone for professionalism, trust, and team pride on every project site.

If you want to learn more we have:

-Takt Virtual Training: (Click here)
-Check out our Youtube channel for more info: (Click here) 
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Click here) 
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Click here)
-The Takt Book: (Click here)

Discover Jason’s Expertise:

Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction IST. As the company’s owner and principal consultant, he’s dedicated to taking construction to new heights. With a wealth of industry experience, he’s crafted the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp – intensive training programs engineered to cultivate top-tier leaders capable of steering their teams towards success. Jason’s vision? To expand his training initiatives across the nation, empowering construction firms to soar to unprecedented levels of excellence.

 

 

On we go