Certain occupations require staff to wear personal protective equipment to facilitate their safety while working. The construction industry is one of the busiest sectors that have numerous activities taking place simultaneously. Some of the tasks prevalent in construction sites include excavation, deployment of scissor lifts, and scaffolding operations, among others. This usually poses a safety risk for people working in these environments; consequently, workers are required to wear various kits to mitigate the occurrence of injuries.
You can easily find various safety and security equipment when you visit Secur-T; the tools available on the site can be used in several sectors including freight, warehouse facilities, construction industry, etc. Some of the equipment includes seals, forklift accessories, and portable barriers among other items.
The Responsibility of Employers
Employers are supposed to conduct a thorough analysis of the possible hazardous conditions their employees would be exposed to. This would help them to provide the appropriate gear to their workers. Still, there is certain personal protective equipment (PPE) such as safety boots that have to be purchased by employees.
Employers also have to provide training to their workers to ensure every employee understands how to conduct their duty apart from knowing their safety procedures. In cases where certain PPEs pose various health risks such as physiological and physical stress, it should be addressed during training. An important thing you have to note is this; overprotection is as harmful as under protection; therefore, you should define the appropriate amount of gear that is required in your workplace.
Types of Personal Protective Equipment
The particular PPE required for your business environment depends on the nature and the level of hazard at your workplace. The following are some equipment that is commonly used in various work environments.
Eye Protection
These tools help in mitigating injuries that are caused by chemical and physical substances that can be harmful to the eyes and face. They are some of the cheapest equipment found on the market; ironically, cases that arise from eye-related injuries in workplaces are surprisingly high. This can be attributed to the fact that many people disregard these tools.
High Visibility Clothing
These are some of the most recommended equipment in many places of work since they play a major role in facilitating the safety of workers. In places that have numerous activities taking place concurrently, high visibility clothing assists people who are operating movable equipment to easily spot coworkers, thereby averting any danger that was lurking.
Respiratory Protection Equipment
Some work environments usually have toxic emissions that can cause serious health problems when inhaled. Therefore, workers are normally advised to wear respirators which are equipment that sieves toxic substances, preventing them from entering the lungs. The two commonly used respirators on the market include;
Atmosphere-Supplying Respirators
These respirators acquire clean air from an outside source thus supplying the user with fresh air.
Air-Purifying Respirators
These remove harmful substances from the breathed air.
The nature of the industry will determine the particular equipment that would be used.
Seasonal PPEs
Some work environments are usually done in outdoor places or sites that aren’t well ventilated. A good example is the construction industry; ergo, employers have to ensure that the provided PPEs align with the current weather conditions. Temperatures in the summer usually reach record high; thus, heat stress can easily lead to serious problems that can be easily avoided by simply wearing the right gear.
Working Around Water Bodies
Water bodies usually pose serious threats to people working around them. Employers are required to act proactively by ensuring that all the necessary protective equipment is not only available, but they are also functional. All employers should put certified life jackets besides deploying multiple ring buoys that can extend to a length of 90 feet. There should also be at least one life-saving skiff that can be readily deployed in case of emergency.
Final Thoughts
A lot of people usually get injured in their places of work; most of these cases can easily be avoided by simply providing the right protective equipment as well as giving employees proper training. Safety should always be the initial precautionary measure of any employer. The points listed above were some of the ways you can ensure your work environment adheres to the safety standards required by law.
