Dan Jackson's Safety Supply Buying Checklist: 7 Mistakes I've Made (So You Don't Have To)

Buying safety supplies sounds simple until the first time you protect someone with the wrong product. I’ve spent nine years buying PPE and processing roughly 300 orders for my team. The paperwork from my first few years is messy, but by my own rough accounting, I burned somewhere around $16,000 on bad hard hats, non-compliant glasses, and boots that didn’t fit. Actually, I never tracked the number precisely. I just remember enough of the mistakes to keep a list.

This checklist is for people who buy PPE for other people. If you’re only buying your own work boots, you probably don’t need it. If you’re setting up a crew of five to fifty with hard hats, glasses, gloves, and boots, keep reading.

One honest limitation up front: my experience is mostly in construction and general industry. If you’re doing hazmat or firefighting, go deeper with a specialist. I’m not going to pretend my lessons automatically transfer to every hazard class.

1. Do the hazard review before you open a supplier tab

The first mistake is starting with products instead of work tasks. I know that sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how often a request comes in as “I need twenty pairs of safety glasses” with no mention of what the crew is actually doing. More precisely, that happens on a weekly basis in some organizations.

OSHA requires a workplace assessment under 29 CFR 1910.132. Your PPE selection isn’t a matter of preference; it’s based on the hazards actually present in the work area. That assessment should happen before you browse any catalog.

Ask what people are doing and what can hurt them. For hard hats, are workers under suspended loads, hitting their heads on overhead steel, or working near electrical lines? Different answers lead to different types and classes. If you skip this step, you end up with something that looks right but is only “a hard hat” in a generic sense.

2. Check the compliance label, not just the brand

I like Jackson Safety products, and I’ve put a lot of them into rotation. Jackson Safety cowboy hard hats are a real option if a crew wants that silhouette, but you still need to verify the label. I once received a box of cowboy-style hard hats from another supplier that didn’t have ANSI/ISEA Z89.1 markings. They went straight back. No matter how good a safety hat looks, the certification is what makes it a hard hat.

Hard hats aren’t one-size-fits-all, either. Look for ANSI/ISEA Z89.1 and the type/class mark. That label explains what the shell was tested for. The same goes for safety glasses: ANSI Z87.1 is the usual U.S. baseline, but not every frame and lens carry it. If you don’t see the marking, don’t assume.

Core rule for step 2: if the product doesn’t have a visible compliance label, move on. It doesn’t matter if the listing says “meets OSHA standards” or “industrial grade.” The marking is the proof.

3. Buy the right size, then buy the right fit

Fit is the most underrated part of PPE. I once placed an order for 120 hard hats in a single M/L size. It was easier to fill out the form, but it wasn’t smart. Three people couldn’t get the suspension to sit right, and two more found the whole thing uncomfortable. We had to reorder suspension parts and pay extra shipping.

What actually helps:

• Order sample sizes first, or at least one unit of each size range.
• Have 2-3 crew members test the hard hat or glasses for an hour, not just put them on for ten seconds.
• Check that adjustments work while wearing gloves.
• For glasses, check the field of view and whether they fog up in your conditions.

That last one is the sort of thing you don’t catch in a spec sheet. A lens can meet every optical standard and still be foggy enough that people stop wearing it. And if people stop wearing it, the compliance paperwork doesn’t matter.

4. Work boots are more than “steel toe”

I get asked a lot, “Are Ariat work boots good?” My honest answer: sometimes, for certain jobs. They’re comfort-first boots, and plenty of models carry the needed safety ratings. But you have to check the specific model, not the brand reputation.

In the U.S., the footwear standard is ASTM F2413. The label should show whether the boot offers toe protection, puncture-resistance plates, metatarsal protection, or electrical hazard protection. If you only buy “steel toe,” you might miss puncture protection that your crew needs. You might also buy a boot that isn’t rated for electrical work when that’s exactly the risk on site.

The other part is fitting. Searching “work boots near me” is a sensible move because fit varies so much between brands and even between models from the same brand. I’ve had crews order the same size from two different models and end up with one pair that pinches and another that feels half a size too big. A local store lets people test and figure out what actually works. For replacements later, online is faster, but only after you know your team’s sizes in that specific boot.

My rule now is to buy the first pair in person when I can and check the ASTM label inside the boot. Pictures in a listing don’t always show the rating, and sometimes a “safety toe” boot has no rating at all. It’s a red flag when a listing says “composite toe” but doesn’t show the ASTM marking.

5. Match PPE to the actual task, including glass work

A generic kit doesn’t cover everything. I learned this the hard way on a job that included installing a glass pool fence. That sounds like a simple outdoor project, but handling glass panels means sharp edges, potential cuts, and pieces of broken glass. Standard leather work gloves weren’t enough.

If you’re ordering PPE for work involving glass—whether that’s a pool fence, window replacement, or storefront glass—think about cut-resistant gloves with an appropriate cut-resistance rating, and eye protection rated for impact. Side shields help when glass chips are flying. Depending on the dust from drilling, you might also need a respirator even outdoors. The point isn’t to invent extra steps; it’s to identify the hazards of the task.

On that glass fence job, I didn’t add cut-resistant gloves to the order because I was focused on the usual hard hat, glasses, and boots. Don’t do what I did. Look at the material being handled, not just the job title.

6. Get samples and write down the details

Here’s a story that still hurts. I ordered about $3,200 worth of replacement safety glasses for our team. I confirmed the frame matched our existing pairs, and it did. Then the shipment arrived, and we handed out the glasses. A few days later, somebody put an old pair next to a new pair and said, “Why are the lenses a different color?”

I had checked the frame and overlooked the lens tint. The old pairs had a different visible light transmission. It was my mistake, and it meant the new glasses couldn’t be used in the same areas as the old ones. $3,200 in inventory, straight to the back of the shelf. Actually, not straight to the trash—we used them for a lower-light indoor area. But it still wasted a big chunk of the order.

The lesson: never rely on “it looks close enough.” Ask for a sample, hold it next to the current product, and note the specs in your order. If you don’t know the exact spec, ask the supplier. That’s what they’re for.

7. Plan for replacement before you need it

This is the step almost everyone forgets. PPE wears out. Hard hat suspension systems sag. Lenses get scratched. Boot soles flatten. But I don’t see many teams tracking when equipment should be retired.

I don’t have hard data on industry-wide replacement rates, but from our own spreadsheets, I’d say most hard hats we retire have visible sun damage or wear by year three. Some are replaced earlier after impacts. The exact timing depends on the manufacturer and conditions, so don’t take my number as gospel. Check your own gear and write down the dates.

Set a simple replacement reminder: quarterly inspection, annual retirement, and immediate replacement after any impact or damage. This isn’t a way to sell more PPE. It’s the difference between protection on paper and protection in practice.

Bottom line: you don’t have to repeat my mistakes

If you remember nothing else: start with the hazard, confirm the compliance labels, test the fit, and put replacement dates on your calendar.

I still kick myself for the $3,200 glasses order and a few other buying decisions that should have been smarter. But those mistakes taught me to use this checklist, and it has saved us far more than the cost of a bad order. I’d rather you learn it here than from your own invoice.

— Dan Jackson, safety supplies buyer and recovering shortcut-taker