Employers must maintain healthy, safe work environments for their employees. They should remain aware of any potential safety risks and know how to respond if accidents occur.
One component of employee safety is wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment, or PPE, for the job. PPE is crucial to the safety and wellness of everyone on the job site. Let’s look at the five types of personal protective equipment and their uses on the job.
Head Protection
The primary type of personal protective equipment for head protection is a helmet. Wearing a helmet can prevent head injuries from falling objects, losing your balance, and rogue debris.
Finding a secure helmet that will adapt to your work environment is critical. You can also find designs that will suit your activities, such as a comfortable interior sweatband and adjustable interior harnesses.
Eye Protection
Eyes are delicate and fragile, and eye injuries are among the most dangerous risks one can experience on a job site. Invest in a good pair of safety glasses, which can provide the proper protection against eye injuries. If you work with bright infrared lights and radiation, welding goggles and shields will help tremendously.
Ear & Lung Protection
When you’re around loud noises and hazardous vapors, you can experience lifelong trauma to the body. Invest in good ear protection such as earplugs or earmuffs that comfortably protect the ears from damage.
If you work with hazardous materials, wearing a dust mask or full-face mask will also protect your mouth, nose, and lungs from harmful vapors and pollution such as dust, smoke, and powder.
Hand & Foot Protection
Some jobs also pose the risk of punctures, cuts, chemical and temperature burns, and crush injuries. Since these types of injuries often injure the hands and feet, protecting them is essential. Ideally, gloves should protect you against cuts, extreme heat and cold, vibrations, bacteriological risks, and chemical exposure. Different work glove materials will suit different occupations and environments, so make sure you choose the right one. As for your feet, safety shoes and boots will protect you against heavy weights, damp environments, and trip hazards.
Bodily Protection
When you’re working from dusk to dawn, there’s a significant loss of visibility, which can lead to injuries. So you must wear a high-visibility jacket and pants made of strong fabric. You’ll not only work more smoothly but also feel safer.
Keeping yourself safe on the job requires investing in proper PPE. So select the proper PPE to ensure proper safety habits and to reduce potential injuries.
