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Safety Gear in the Workplace

Whether you are beginning a new business or have been running yours for a while, it’s never a bad idea to make sure you know what you need to keep your workers safe.

Here’s a look at the types of protections and why you may need them:

  • Eye Protection – This is the most common, and often considered the most important piece of protective material in the workplace. Whether there is a threat of projectiles being tossed up from machinery, a threat of chemicals or other liquids splashing up from work being done or even large amounts of dust or air being blown in the face regularly, eyes must be protected. The eyes are very tender and can be easily damaged from a number of sources.
  • Face – If there is a lot of dust, debris or other items being kicked up at work, you may want to opt for face protection to keep not only the eyes safe, but also the nose and mouth as a person is breathing. 
  • Head – If things may be falling from above, or large pieces of equipment are being used, you may need to turn your workspace into a hardhat area and assure there is appropriate head protection for your workers.
  • Foot – One of the biggest complaints about workplace injuries surrounds feet. Be it kicking hard objects or dropping heaving objects on the foot, many of these injuries can be prevented by using appropriate foot protection, such as steel-toed boots.
  • Hand – No matter the job, usually hands are required to manipulate tools, machines or the materials being put into machines. In any of these situations, workers should have appropriate hand protection (i.e. gloves) to assure their hands stay in good health.
  • Leg – Whether it’s because of the use of heavy equipment or because of the threat of low sitting items in the office, leg protection is a good idea. If there is a threat of chin or knee injuries you should consider this type of protection.
  • Arm – In the same respect as the legs may need more protection, if there is a chance of hot or caustic materials splashing or flying on the arms of a worker, appropriate arm protection should be offered to keep them from being injured.
  • Back – Is heavy lifting required in your workplace? Then make sure your employees are properly supported against the most common of workplace pains, back injuries. Not only should they be taught to lift properly, but also you should offer back support devices to add a little more safety. (Use of lifting equipment is still always a good alternative)
  • Hearing – If it’s loud in the shop, it is actually damaging your hearing. If you work around loud noises every day, you may just think you will get used to it. But the truth is that when you start thinking you have ‘gotten used to it’, you actually will have done permanent hearing damage. A better option is to offer hearing protection (earplugs, earmuffs, etc) to protect the hearing of all in the office.

About the Author

Safety Concepts is an online resource providing up to date insights and covering issues in the field of Workplace Safety.

Comments (2)

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  1. Excellent list! Perhaps you should also add dust protection masks, these are very useful in dusty atmospheres. A lot of people are sensitive to any kind of dust, even if it is non toxic, like sawdust for example.

  2. Greg Griffin says:

    This is a comprehensive list however you could consider adding “Fall Restraint / Fall Arrest” equipmnent for people who are required to work at heights. I have also seen evidence of late that Ground Force Circuit Interrupters (GFCI’s)or Residula Current Devices (RCD’s) listed as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

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