BY MARIETE F. PACHECO
SAFETY’S NEW NORMAL
Mariete F. Pacheco, MBA, PMP is managing director at FRW Services Ltd.
HOW PPE PROCUREMENT HAS EVOLVED SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN It has been a unique and challenging time for nearly all industries these last two years. During this time, businesses have had to pivot their operations, with many needing to add new personal protective equipment (PPE) to their EHS toolkit to keep employees safe. The greatest investment an organization can make is in keeping employees safe and certainly this has been demonstrated time and time again during the pandemic. Initially, the highest COVID-19 case counts came from food processing plants and warehouses; both of which are designed for maximum efficiency and product safety, not employee wellbeing. These first major outbreaks resulted in many operations having to be shut down due to employees being unable to safely operate the business. During the onset of the pandemic, the focus was on securing PPE as quickly as possible. Quantity over quality was the rule. This led to poor quality, unregulated products flooding the market caused by a surge in non-traditional PPE manufacturers beginning production to meet explosive demand. This panicked production, although well intentioned, drove 18 JUNE 2022
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prices to never-before-seen levels and further exacerbated the shortage. The result was stockpiling for some organizations while others went without any product at all. As organizations adapted to the onslaught, subsequent coronavirus waves combined with learning from government and industry experts. The result was greater knowledge both in terms of business needs but also regarding PPE standards. From ASTM for disposable surgical masks to NIOSH for N95 respirators, PPE standards had become commonplace beyond medical environments. Procurement professionals were now becoming authorities in PPE and had developed partnerships with reputable suppliers. INVENTORY MANAGEMENT As COVID-19 waves ebb and flow, it will be paramount for organizations to optimize PPE usage from a risk management perspective to mitigate inventory risk from obsolescence or shortages. Procurement must manage a fine balance between how much to order and how much to use. Since most PPE has expiry dates, it is critical to invest in inventory management practices to ensure
stock is rotated. This can help to avoid exposure to non-conforming or poor performing products (for example, expired N95 respirators have lower filtration protection and no longer fit as tightly due to the loss of elastic integrity). Considerations may include dual sourcing, prioritizing product by job task, investing in reusable PPE or partnering with domestic manufacturers. Diversifying the supplier base with multiple providers reduces the risk that comes with not having inventory. As well, having backup suppliers may also help support cost management strategies. A common best practice is optimizing PPE use in healthcare. This is done by aligning the risk profile of employees with the PPE available. For example, in higher risk environments, N95 respirators are used in conjunction with other products such as gloves, goggles or face shields, whereas lower risk environments may only see the use of standard disposable surgical masks. The greater the risk, the greater the protection coverage. Lastly, to combat the need for additional storage space for large stockpiles of PPE, more organizations are looking to make the shift
from disposable to reusable PPE. This can include N95 respirators, which have interchangeable filter cartridges, face shields and goggles that can be wiped down or sanitized between uses or the laundering of garments such as gowns and gloves. The challenges with re-usable PPE include more complex supply chains, additional product complexity, and the need for additional services such as the laundering of products. These services often need to be outsourced. This not only offers a consistent supply of PPE but also provides a sustainably focused solution which many organizations are searching for, as corporate sustainable reports become more pervasive. This year, organizations continue to face ongoing supply chain challenges, from long lead times to raw materials shortages. PPE procurement is no longer at the crisis level we saw in 2020. However, there remains rolling shortages. These have thankfully been offset by countless new domestic manufacturers across Canada and much of North America. The ongoing need, regardless of the industry, continues to be the procurement of masks. This is due SUPPLY PROFESSIONAL
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