This issue’s cooperative highlight features Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative.
Paulding Putnam partnered with Fastenal, and came up with a great way of organizing, distributing, and keeping inventory of their personal protective equipment. They call it their “PPE Vending Machine”. The way the system works is that each worker must first enter in their employee number to access the machine. They then can use a code for the desired item which automatically tracks who gets what. It is very convenient for their employees, and some of the equipment that can be found in their machine includes gloves, hard hat bands, eye protection, and even some small tools. They rent the machine for a monthly rate but own the equipment inside. Below is a picture of their system.
So, if your cooperative is looking for a better way to organize, track, and distribute your PPE, maybe the “PPE Vending Machine” would work at your facility.
Thanks to Dee Renollet for providing the information for this issue’s Cooperative Highlight.