Safety Equipment: For Your Workers Are Your Most Valuable Asset

Running a construction firm or a metal fabrication business is a task that includes many responsibilities. The owners and the managers of these companies have to communicate with their existing and potential clients, plan and organize work activities, and of course protect their employees from workplace hazards.

If you plan to start a small construction business or enter the metal fabrication industry, you should know that all employers in our country are obligated to provide their workers with all the necessary safety equipment supplies or PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). Boots, face masks, helmets, hard hats, safety goggles, ear plugs, respirators, safety harnesses, gloves, and high visibility clothing are some of the safety equipment supplies your employees may need.

According to Safe Work Australia, equipping your workers with personal protective gear is the least you can do to control risks to their health and safety. Personal protective equipment should be used when there are no other practical control measures available; as a temporary measure until a more effective way of controlling the risks can be found; or as an addition to higher level control measures.

When it comes to construction PPE, construction workers should wear safety glasses or face shields whenever they cut, grind, nail, work with concrete and/or harmful chemicals, or are exposed to flying particles. Construction workers should also wear safety-toed footwear, comfortable and durable gloves (leather or heavy-duty rubber gloves are suitable for concrete work, whereas insulated gloves and sleeves are meant for those whose work involves electrical hazards). Hard hats are another immensely important item of construction PPE because they shield the worker’s head from falling objects as well as from accidental head contact with electricity. Individuals who work in high noise areas should be provided with ear plugs.

Metal workers need to be properly protected as well. Since their work encompasses drilling, pressing, cutting, bending, shaping, and welding metal parts to make construction and consumer products, the most vulnerable parts of their bodies are their hands and eyes. That’s precisely why gloves and helmets are must-have items of PPE for them.

Every metal worker should own and wear well-fitted and flexible gloves. Flexibility is crucial because metal workers need to be able to move their hands freely while holding metal pieces and using tools. Aside from this, your metal workers’ gloves should be sturdy enough to protect their hands from cuts and punctures from sharp metal edges. Welding helmets, on the other hand, are designed to shield the metal worker’s eyes, neck, and face from flash burn, ultraviolet and infrared light, and sparks and heat while performing welding tasks.

Your workers’ PPE should always be in excellent condition, which explains why it needs to be maintained, repaired, and replaced on a regular basis.