What are the kinds of safety equipment used by construction workers?
- Hearing Protection
- Hardhat
- Protective Gloves
- Safety glasses or goggles
- Safety Shoes
Manufacturers of steel products in the Philippines promote worker and construction site safety hazards. All activities in the construction process that make use of heavy-duty equipment, from breaking the ground and plumbing, require proper attire. Here are some of the personal protective gear for construction workers.
Hearing Protection
Safety earmuffs and earplugs are the highly used and most common hearing protective gear. Construction sites are susceptible to loud noise due to chainsaw and heavy equipment use. In an extremely noisy work area, hearing protection is necessary to protect the ears of workers from hearing loss.
Other hearing protective gear includes pre-molded earplugs, foam earplugs, and hearing bands. Pre-molded earplugs are designed to make sure the earplugs are a perfect fit for a construction worker. They are often customized in different sizes and shapes. For a more sealed fitting, formable earplugs expand and contract to fill the ear canals. Hearing bands and canal caps cover the opening of the ear canals. They provide less protection compared to earmuffs and earplugs because they do not seal the inside of the ear canal.
Hardhat
A hardhat is still better protection for the head, no matter the thickness of the safety net is to prevent debris or other construction tools falling from high ground. Aside from accidents due to impact, hardhats are also meant to protect individuals from penetration hazards and burn-related injuries from electrical shock.
There are two different types of hardhats and three distinct industrial classes of hardhats. The two types are type I and type II, the only difference between the two is the coverage of the head protective gear on the head. Type I protects the top of the head whereas type II hardhats can reduce lateral impact.
The three industrial classes are categorized by their preventive feature when it comes to electrical shock. Classes include G, E, and C. The difference between the class G and class E is the amount of voltage they can reduce. Class G and E are the recommended hardhats to be used as class C that do not really offer protection and are often conducive to electricity.
Protective Gloves
Without protective gloves, the hands of construction workers are prone to major damage. It includes harmful substances seeping into the skin, thermal and even amputations. Other damage included bruises, abrasions, cuts, and punctures.
Given the various potential hand injuries from different construction activities, there are recommended gloves to protect the hands from each. Coated fabric gloves are for anti-chafing and abrasions. Some of the most commonly used are heavy-duty rubber gloves for concrete work, welding gloves for welding and insulating rubber gloves for exposure to electrical hazards. Gloves made of leather, canvas or metal mesh are used to prevent cuts and puncture injuries.
Safety glasses and goggles
Protective eyewear is for the prevention of vision loss due to dangerous chemical exposure, high levels of radiation, machine hazards and other foreign objects to enter the eyes. Eye protection varies depending on the work. Safety glasses have either a metal or plastic frame and impact-resistant lenses.
Goggles come in different forms. The most commonly used are chemical splash and dust goggles. Chemical splash goggles and dust goggles both tightly fit around the eyes. The only difference between the two is the application for use. Chemical splash goggles are used to prevent chemical fumes from being absorbed into the eyes and dust goggles to avoid dust from penetrating the eye sockets.
Safety Shoes
Slip-resistant and puncture-resistant work footwear are required at the construction site. The workplace is prone to foot accidents due to heavy objects falling or rolling, hot and corrosive substances, electrical issues and slippery surfaces. There are several proper construction footwear. Safety-toed shoes are the most commonly used foot protective gear because of the thick leather used that can reduce impact and compression. Other safety shoes are designed with materials that are not electrical conductive to overcome static shock.
Key Takeaway
Wearing personal protective equipment properly addresses the potential risks of working at a construction site. Each protective gear is uniquely designed to protect certain body parts. Local steel products for construction should be safely handled. Thus, wearing protection for the head, hands, and eyes should be worn at all times.
