I Buy Safety Supplies for 400 People. Here’s the Truth About 3M N95 Masks, Push-In Earplugs, and Whether Pepper Spray Is Legal in NYC

It was 4:47 PM on a Tuesday when the request landed in my inbox. Subject line: Pepper spray for the drivers?

I'm the office administrator for a 400-person manufacturing company. I manage our safety supply ordering—roughly $60,000 a year across eight vendors. I report to operations and finance, which means I care about two things: staying compliant and keeping everyone happy. That email could have been a quick yes or no. Instead, it sent me down a rabbit hole and made me rethink how we buy everything from 3M N95 masks to leather welding gloves.

Here's the story. It's not dramatic. But if you're the person stuck with PPE purchasing, you'll probably relate.

When I took over purchasing in 2020, I thought this would be simple

Before 2020, I ordered office supplies. Post-its, toner, coffee. Then I got handed PPE. Honestly? I didn't even know what PPE stood for. I had to learn.

The conventional wisdom in procurement is to always get multiple quotes and buy whatever is cheapest. I used to believe that. After five years and 60-80 orders annually, I've learned the hard way that the lowest quote isn't the same as the lowest total cost. Especially with safety equipment.

Example: we stocked a bargain brand of earplugs once. They were fifteen percent cheaper. Nobody wore them. We threw out two cases and ordered 3M push-in earplugs. Turns out, the best protection is the one people actually use. Simple as that.

3M N95 masks aren't a one-size-fits-all item

The first big order I ever placed was for 3M N95 masks. This was during the pandemic, so demand was extreme. I assumed all N95s were basically the same. They're not.

Here's the thing: a mask that filters particles is not automatically a respirator that fits your employee. If your team needs respiratory protection in a workplace, OSHA has a whole standard—29 CFR 1910.134. That means fit testing, medical evaluations, and training. A box of 3M N95 masks alone is not a respiratory protection program.

I know, I know. It sounds like lawyer-speak. But I only started taking it seriously after I ignored a vendor's warning. We issued masks to a new hire, he failed the fit test, and the safety plan got flagged in an audit. That was a $2,400 mistake, and I still remember it.

If you're just buying masks for DIY projects or occasional dusty work, a 3M N95 mask with NIOSH approval is fine. But for workplace compliance, get a safety professional involved. The mask isn't the program. I should add: my view is from procurement, not industrial hygiene. I just know enough to ask the right questions.

The earplug debate: 3M push-in earplugs vs. a Loop earplugs discount code

One of our assemblers asked if he could use Loop earplugs instead of the standard 3M push-in earplugs. He found a good Loop earplugs discount code, and honestly, Loop earplugs are nice. They're comfortable. They look way better than foam.

But here's the thing: in a hearing protection zone, comfort isn't the only metric. You need a product with a published noise reduction rating and a fit that works for the worker's ear. Our 3M push-in earplugs have an NRR, and we know people can insert them without rolling them down. More importantly, they meet our hearing conservation policy.

I'm not saying Loop is bad. I own a pair for concerts. But a consumer earplug with a discount code is not the same as hearing protection we can document for OSHA. If you need both, talk to your EHS team before swapping. I was one click away from ordering a thousand stylish earplugs before I checked the NRR. So glad I didn't.

Leather welding gloves are not a commodity

Then there are the items people assume are simple. Leather welding gloves, for instance. I used to order the cheapest split-leather gloves I could find. They looked fine.

Then one of our welders showed me the back of his hand. A hot piece of slag had landed on his glove, and the cheap material had burned through. He wasn't seriously hurt—but it was close.

We now buy leather welding gloves from a specialty welding supplier. Different gloves are designed for MIG, TIG, and heavier heat. 3M is our primary PPE vendor for many categories, but I'm okay admitting this isn't their product. It's not a knock on one-stop shopping. It's knowing that some specialties deserve a dedicated source.

Is it legal to carry pepper spray in NYC?

Back to the email. The warehouse supervisor wanted pepper spray for drivers because one had been followed after a late delivery. Scary. I get it.

But the question—is it legal to carry pepper spray in NYC?—doesn't have a simple yes or no. Here's what I found when I checked current guidance. This isn't legal advice, so please verify anything you read here.

• In New York, pepper spray is categorized as a self-defense spray, not a toy you can order casually online.
• NYC has stricter rules. You generally need to be 18 or older, and the canister must be purchased in New York from a licensed seller—often a pharmacy—not shipped from an out-of-state website.
• The canister size limit in NYC is smaller than people expect. I want to say it's under an ounce, but don't quote me on the exact number. It's changed before, and local agencies sometimes word it differently.

So no, we didn't add pepper spray to the PPE catalog. It's not PPE. It didn't belong in our safety program. I sent the supervisor the relevant links and suggested he talk to the drivers about what's actually permitted.

Dodged a bullet there. If I had just answered “sure, it’s legal,” someone could have bought a bigger canister from a questionable source and landed themselves in trouble.

What I'd tell anyone ordering safety supplies

After all of that, here are the lessons that stuck:

1. Compliance beats convenience. Whether it's a 3M N95 mask or an earplug, the right product is the one that meets the standard for the hazard. If you don't know the standard, find someone who does.
2. Let the people who wear the gear weigh in. We switched from foam earplugs to 3M push-in earplugs after workers said they couldn't stand rolling foam. Same cost category, much better adoption.
3. Know what you're not. I'm an admin buyer. I can compare prices and manage vendors, but I'm not a safety engineer and I'm not a lawyer. For pepper spray in NYC and for specialty gear like leather welding gloves, I defer to people with actual credentials.

And if you're looking for a Loop earplugs discount code, keep that separate from workplace hearing protection. There's a time for stylish earplugs and a time for rated ones. They're not the same.

At the end of the day, my job is to make sure the invoices are clean, the vendors are real, and every employee goes home with the right gear on their body. That's it. That's the job.