E&I Members: How likely are you to recommend E&I Cooperative Services to a peer?
Educational campuses operate more like small cities than businesses. Facilities departments include electricians, HVAC technicians, custodians, grounds crews, warehouse personnel, and operations staff who work in vastly different conditions every day. From slippery cafeteria floors and chemical storage areas to construction projects and outdoor maintenance work, each role faces unique safety risks.
Managing those risks can create significant administrative challenges for procurement and facilities leaders, which is why the MRO tools and products you pick make such a big difference. While you may not think about footwear, for example, the wrong safety shoes put your employees at risk and increase your financial liability. The National Safety Council (NSC) reports that the average cost of workers’ comp claims for accidents now exceeds $47,300.
For educational institutions, procuring the right safety equipment, footwear, and PPE is crucial to creating a scalable safety program. Through E&I’s cooperative contract with schools and universities can access Grainger safety equipment and access volume discounts.
Managing safety programs involves more than just choosing the right PPE or footwear. Facilities managers and procurement teams must also manage allowances, track spending, ensure compliance, and simplify purchasing for employees. Grainger’s safety footwear programs are designed to reduce much of this administrative burden.
Rather than allowing employees to select from an unlimited catalog, institutions can establish approved footwear options based on job classifications and make them available as a punch-out catalog in your e-procurement platform. Custodians can be directed toward approved slip-resistant styles, while electricians can be limited to EH-rated footwear. This helps maintain compliance while simplifying purchasing decisions.
Many educational institutions provide annual footwear allowances or reimbursement programs. Managing these programs manually can require significant staff time. The Grainger safety shoes capabilities can help reduce paperwork. The cooperative agreement through E&I also quantifies cost reduction analysis for purchases to help you track usage and spending against budgets.
One of the most unique features available through Grainger is the Shoemobile program.
Instead of requiring employees to visit retail locations, Grainger can bring a mobile footwear showroom directly to your facility maintenance centers or campus operations hubs. Employees can be professionally fitted onsite and select approved footwear options based on their requirements.
This improves employee participation, helps ensure proper fit, and can significantly reduce returns and exchanges. You need a minimum of 50 employees for a Shoemobile visit.
Safety footwear is only one component of a comprehensive workplace safety strategy. Educational institutions also need reliable access to a broad range of PPE products to minimize exposure to hazards that could cause serious workplace injuries or illnesses.
Grounds crews, parking personnel, transportation teams, and maintenance employees often work near vehicle traffic, loading docks, and active campus roadways. High-visibility apparel helps improve worker visibility and reduce accident risks.
Maintenance and custodial employees frequently work with chemicals, tools, equipment, and machinery. Safety glasses, protective eyewear, and task-specific gloves help reduce exposure to common workplace injuries.
The list of PPEs most campuses keep on hand or need for workers is long, in addition to tools and products you need for MRO.
PPE Category | Common Items |
Hearing Protection | Earplugs, earmuffs, electronic hearing protection |
Respiratory Protection | N95 respirators, disposable dust masks, half-mask respirators, full-face respirators |
Hand Protection | Cut-resistant gloves, nitrile gloves, chemical-resistant gloves, insulated electrical gloves, leather work gloves |
Foot Protection | Steel-toe boots, composite-toe boots, slip-resistant footwear, chemical-resistant boots |
Fall Protection | Full-body harnesses, lanyards, self-retracting lifelines, anchor connectors |
Protective Clothing | High-visibility vests, flame-resistant clothing, disposable coveralls, chemical aprons, welding jackets |
Face Protection | Face shields, welding shields, arc-flash hoods |
Electrical Safety PPE | Arc-flash suits, voltage-rated gloves, dielectric footwear, arc-rated face shields |
Laboratory PPE | Lab coats, chemical-resistant gloves, splash goggles, disposable gowns |
Healthcare PPE | Surgical masks, isolation gowns, examination gloves, face shields |
Emergency Response PPE | Hazmat suits, emergency respirators, protective gloves, emergency eyewear kits |
Food Service PPE | Cut-resistant gloves, disposable gloves, slip-resistant shoes, aprons |
These types of items are not typically one-time purchases, but recurring categories that require ongoing management across multiple departments, facilities, and employee groups.
Through E&I’s cooperative contract with Grainger, educational institutions can access a competitively solicited agreement that simplifies the procurement process while providing access to Grainger’s safety products. Rather than conducting separate solicitations for recurring safety purchases, procurement teams can leverage a cooperative contract that offers reduced costs and simplifies the purchasing process.
View the Grainger contract through E&I Cooperative Services and start saving time and money today.