8 TYPES OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) TO KEEP YOUR SAFETY

PPE is the personal protective equipment that will protect the user against health or safety risks.

This guide will show you everything you need to know about personal protective equipment.

First, I’ll show you different type of PPE and the feature of different type and regulations .

Then, i will tell the importance of use PPE on working and home activities, as well as in leisure and sport events.

Safety Shoes For Your Foot Protection

What is personal protective equipment (PPE) ?

Commonly referred to personal protective equipment (PPE) is mostly used in construction sites. With the gear on, risks of accidents and personal injuries are mitigated. The PPE gear seeks to take care of different types of hazards including construction, chemical, home, sport and electrical etc.

Perhaps you only know about protection from physical harm. Well, there are many more hazards PPE protects you from. Now, there are different types of personal protective equipment (PPE). Each of your body parts has a specialized PPE gear designed to protect it.

Various types of PPE are available for use in the different workplace. European Directive (EU) 2016/425 standard provides guidance and general information about types of PPE used in industry, but it doesn’t cover specialised and less-used items.

Detailed information should be obtained from suppliers on these items. Potential users should be involved in the selection of equipment they will be expected to wear and if possible more than one model should be made available to them.

The different types of PPE include:

Foot protection: safety shoes, safety boots, safety gumboots, work shoes etc
Body protection: safety coverall, FR coverall, protective clothing, reflective vest etc
Head protection: safety helmet, hard hat, welding helmet, bump cap, gears etc
Hand protection: safety gloves, cut resistant gloves, welding gloves, cotton gloves etc
Respiratory protection: safety mask, face mask, gas mask, chemical resistant mask etc
Eye protection: safety glasses, safety google, welding glasses etc
Ear protection: safety earmuff, safety earplug etc
Fall protection: safety harness, safety belt etc

Safety shoes for your foot protection

Feet are important parts of our bodies. They have to be in a perfect working condition for your productivity to hit peak. Below are types of shoes you may out on for foot protection.

Types of safety shoes

Steel toe safety shoes

A steel-toe safety shoe is a durable boot or shoe that has a protective reinforcement in the toe which protects the foot from falling objects or compression, usually combined with a mid sole plate to protect against punctures from below. Safety shoes are effective in keeping the feet of industrial workers safe from sharp and heavy objects while working in factories.

White color safety shoes for food industry

Hygiene is key, whether your work place is an industrial dairy or a food processing plant. The white color safety shoes are breathable shoes and sanitized with anti bacterial treatments. Thus, it protects you from the chemical or bacterial infections there in your work place. And it’s manufactured with such qualities that even in the event of spillages on smooth surfaces, oily or wet, the safety-toed footwear will protect you from foot accidents.

PVC safety gumboots

Gumboots are highly demanded in several heavy construction sites and industries. These are manufactured using superior grade of leather and PVC material and are specially designed to provide maximum safety to the wearer during work. These Safety Gumboots provide better resistance against shock, alkalies, oils and acids etc.

The function and feature of safety shoes

The main purpose of safety shoes is to offer protection to the feet. Different shoes are designed to protect different types of the feet depending on the place the shoes will be used. It is therefore important to wear the right shoes at the right place for the footwear to serve its purpose well.

How do you determine the right safety shoe? What features do the shoes have that differentiate them from other ordinary shoes? Well, several features make a quality safety shoe or boot.

These shoes are designed with various toe designs to ensure worker’s safety. You can find steel toe safety shoes that protect your toes from compression and impacts at workplaces.

You can also get other types with composite toe safety, meaning that they have non-metallic toe caps. Another type of is the conductive safety shoes that protect your feet against hazards like static electric build-up and much more.

Other types of safety shoes that you can also get include low cut safety shoes, military boots, PVC gumboots, Rigger safety boots, among others.

• Here are some essential features that you will find in safety shoes or boots:
• Padded collar to provide comfort
• Heel stiffener that gives you a secure fit
• Breathable lining to keep your feet dry
• D-rings to provide speed-lacing
• Pierce-resistant steel midsole
• Extra-wide fitting protective toe cap
• Latex lining for toe comfort
• Dual-density and slip-resistant sole to offer durability
• Quality upper leather to enhance durability

Why is it important to use safety shoes?

You just never know when an accident will occur. There is so much activity that takes places in construction sites, factories, and other heavy duty jobs. Using these shoes protects you from accidents.

It is believed prevention is better than cure. Wearing a safety shoe is a preventive measure that will save you from medical bills trying to cure the aftermath of an accident. Not only that, safety shoes help keep the feet in a comfortable and perfect working condition. As a result, you are able to work well with minimum distractions.

Some places require you to wear safety shoes as a rule. Doing so will ensure you are compliant and thus you will avoid getting onto the wrong side of the law. Violating these regulations may lead to your dismissal, penalty or fine. Using the shoes again protects you from such embarrassments.

Every construction worker should wear safety shoes or boots. Foot injuries and inevitable, and they can cause difficulty in doing your work. However, if you have the right boots, you can protect your feet from different types of injuries.

There are many different ways in which you will benefit if you have the right safety shoes. Some of these include the following:

• They protect your feet from flying and falling objects
• Protect you from punctures
• Protect you from cutting and electrical hazards
• Safety shoes prevent falls, trips, and slips
• Protect you from burns
• Reduce fatigue
• Protect you from extreme weather

Safety Clothing For Your Body Protection

Safety Coverall – Protective Clothing for workers body

Your body needs protection just like your feet. There is a special gear you need to wear. Below are some of the different type of body protection wears.

Safety coverall is protective clothing that prevents workers from danger. The clothes have a high level of visibility. Coveralls are essential for construction workers because they protect workers from the neck to the feet. They are great for workers in working conditions with low visibility, which can be a hazard.

There are different types of safety clothing that you can get depending on the nature of your job. Some of the most common ones include safety coverall, safety vest, work suits, fire resistant coverall, lab coats, and disposable coverall, among others. They are also available in different sizes to fit all types of employees, below are some most common types safety clothing.

Usual cotton coverall for working uniform

A coverall is a loose fitting garment covering the whole body except for the head, hands and feet. It basically protects the body from hazardous material used in workplace i.e. industries, laboratories or hospitals. And it is important to check the coverall because it is to ensure the safety clothing is not damaged. Any damage puts you at risk. Besides, the coverall should be cleaned regularly to reduce health hazard exposure.

Fire resistant coverall for special industry

Flame-resistant coveralls cover the torso, legs, and arms to help wearers avoid burns when working in areas with sparks, open flames, and other fire hazards. Also called Fire resistant coveralls or the flame-resistant coveralls are made of materials that resist burning or melting. Fire resistant coveralls protect wearers from high heat and burns when working with or near electrical equipment where electric arcs may heat surrounding air to extreme levels. These safety coveralls are worn over the user’s work clothing and provide thermal insulation to keep wearers comfortable.

Disposable coverall for hospital

The Disposable Coveralls are made of lightweight, breathable polypropylene. They are designed to provide basic barrier protection against light liquid splashes and hazardous dusts, while also reducing the heat stress. The disposable coverall is suitable for woodworking, general powder handling, light-duty building cleaning, insulation laying and metal polishing. The disposable coverall is also water/liquid proof. This ensures the cloth does not soak in harmful liquids. As a result, your body will stay under protection from dangerous liquids.

Oil and acid resistant protective coverall

Oil and acid resistant protective overall is used in industries and oil refineries. These are needed because the chemicals and acids used in the industries and refineries are harmful. These coveralls protect the body from the chemicals and acids that can damage the skin of the workers there.

It’s a big task to keep your team protected in the oil and gas industries and refineries. With workers exposed to diffuse fuel such as gas and vapors of ignitable liquids every day, serious thermal hazards lurk around every corner. If an incident occurs, the clothes on their back are their last line of defense. These particular coveralls protect the workers.

The feather of the safety clothing

Such coveralls are most suitable for those who deal with chemicals. Others who need such dressing include those who regularly enter theatres and intensive care units in hospitals.

What about the fitting of the cloth? You do not want a tight long suit. The lower part of the disposable coverall has some breathing space between the cloth and your skin. This allows you to move comfortably. It also gives any harmful substance a longer traveling distance before reaching your body. Although, the disposable coveralls should not be too baggy.

Depending on the application of safety clothing, different weights and materials will be used. Soldiers have their safety clothing heavy and rigid. This is to resist wear and tear as they go on with their rigorous training.

On the other hand, office wears should be lighter. Soldiers are fit enough to move around with heavy wear. It will be unfair for a normal employee to have his/her protective equipment heavy. He/she will have a hard time moving around.

In most cases, heavy material is used to make safety clothing for workers who engage in outdoor activities including those in the blue collar industry.

The color of your cloth is also important. You should be noticeable from a far. It will protect you.

Industries in which Safety clothing is used include:

Catering industries
Hospitals, e.g. surgeons, cleaning staff, etc.
Laboratories
Nurses
Warehouses
Security

Why is it important to use safety clothing?

Your health is an important part of you. Wearing safety clothing ensures you minimize risks and exposure to injuries. Besides, you protect yourself from disease attacks.

It is mandatory to wear safety clothing in some work places. Wearing PPE clothing keeps you away from non-compliance. This protects you from unnecessary legal battles.

Safety clothing is also a form of identification. It gives you access to critical places. For instance, you are more likely to gain entrance to a High Dependency Unit (HDU)wearing safety clothing than when not.

Safety Helmet For Your Head Protection

Safety Helmet for your head protection

Safety helmet designed to protect the head from accidental injury, impact with other objects, rain, and electric shock, such as a bicycle helmet or construction helmet, hard hat etc. Suspension bands inside the helmet spread the helmet’s weight and the force of any impact over the top of the head. A suspension also provides space of approximately 30 mm (1.2 inches) between the helmet’s shell and the wearer’s head, so that if an object strikes the shell, the impact is less likely to be transmitted directly to the skull. Some helmet shells have a mid-line reinforcement ridge to improve impact resistance.

Types of different Helmets

There are different types of helmets. The variance emerges out of the difference in the size of face coverage. Below are the different types of helmets.

Open Face

This helmet exposes your face. It only covers the head top, back and sides. Besides, a chin bar is absent in an open face helmet.

The advantage of using this kind of helmet is its lightness. On the flipside, it is riskier to use an open face helmet. The open face helmet literally covers three quarters of the head.

Due to its lightness, this type of helmet is used when riding at low speeds. Examples include riding;

Cruisers
Scooters
Quad bikes

Full face

This type of helmet covers the whole head and a part of your neck, including the face. A full face helmet has a chin bar which makes it the safest helmet to use. According to safety experts, a chin bar absorbs about half of the impact of an accident when it occurs.

This type of helmet is the best for top speed riders. The extra safety security features make a full face helmet good for all types of riders. Although these extra features make it heavy for slow speed riders like cyclists.

As far as segmentation is concerned, full face helmets are categorically designed for motorcyclists. Motorcycling is a high speed and risk activity. This calls for a well reinforced helmet just in case of a fall.

A half helmet

We may say this is the least safe helmet yet the lightest. A half helmet is simple with minimal features. The helmet covers the top of your head and your ears. A half helmet does not provide a face shield therefore exposing your face.

This means you have to spend more money in purchasing a face shield. Besides, in case of an accident, you risk suffering more injuries because of the absence of a chin bar.

With your faced exposed using this helmet is only advisable when you ride or cycle at low speeds. High speeds expose you to more dangers.

Flip-up helmet

Also referred to as a modular helmet, this type is a combination of a full face and an open face helmet. In terms of weight, a flip-up helmet is heavier than a full face helmet. This is because it has additional features.

A flip-up helmet has extra features that allow the face shield and chin bar to move up and leave the face exposed. This helmet is preferred by those that love open face helmets but would wish to be safe in a full face helmet.

In terms of security offered, a full face helmet is more secure than a flip up helmet. Although, this modular helmet is safer than an open face helmet.

Off-road

These helmets are specially designed to offer maximum protection to off-road riders. An off-road helmet is similar to a full helmet only that its chin bar is more pronounced and the visor larger.

An off-road helmet is also light; this makes it comfortable to wear. The only bad thing is it lacks advanced features like Bluetooth speakers for entertainment. This helmet cannot be replaced by other types when it comes to off-road riding. That is why it is common with motorsport riders.

Why it is important to use safety helmets?

Your head houses your brain, the body’s central processing unit. This makes it the most critical body part. Therefore, extra care must be exercised to protect the head from any injuries and hazards when riding, in case an accident occurs.

Wearing a helmet protects the head from injuries and potential crush in case of an accident. Besides, the protective gear shields the face and eye against wind and any approaching harmful particles suspended in air. Furthermore, a full helmet protects the rider from excessive light.

With the many head injuries taking place in construction sites, wearing head protection is important. The following are the benefits that you will get from wearing safety helmets.

They protect your head from injuries
Offer protection against fall and slips
Safety helmets increase chances of survival during accidents
They protect workers from the sun
They enhance your visibility when working
Offer enough ventilation
Good way to brand your company

Safety Gloves For Your Hand Protection

Different Safety Gloves for your hand safe protection

Safety glove is designed to keep you safe from hazards including usual working, cuts, chemical burns, abrasion, crushing or contact with bio-hazards. Safety glove is really just another name for work glove. But choosing the right style of gloves is what really matters

Without your hands covered, your protection equipment gear is incomplete. Different types of gloves exist. You might have noted the gloves a cleaner uses differ from those used by a medical professional. There are more than five different types of safety gloves used in various industries.

There are two factors to consider when settling for the right glove to purchase or wear. These factors are:

Proof of test
Physical properties

In the proof of test criteria, the gloves need to have gone through lab tests to confirm its good for use. After that, they need to be tasted against your working conditions. It is important to note that manufacturers have the tendency to rate gloves as excellent even when they are not.

Be sure the gloves have been tested and proven to be effective in the environment they are going to be used. You will be astonished different gloves behave differently under the same conditions. This is because various manufacturers use different specifications to develop their gloves. The gloves can be worn once they’ve been confirmed to be right for your environment.

The physical properties of a glove also matter. It is important to consider the kind of risks the gloves wearer will be exposed to in the first place. Once that is determined, then you may go ahead and consider what features make a good pair of gloves for your job.

The guideline of some type safety gloves.

Most manufacturers use highly elastic material to make gloves puncture resistant. This increases chances of objects slipping through your hands. Again, the gloves should be slip protected.

How is slip protection achieved? It is possible through hardening the gloves’ surface. Softer gloves are used by doctors and other medical professionals. This is because they hold lighter objects and less weighted.

On the other hand, workers in constructions sites and other heavy lifting jobs need rougher gloves. Why is this so? First of all, they carry heavy weights like bricks. Besides, using softer gloves would allow slipping of heavy materials from their hands. This exposes them to more danger.

The length of the gloves is another critical feature to consider when purchasing or wearing a pair of gloves. Longer gloves are more suitable when it comes to heavy duty jobs. This reduces the impact of friction on your hands.

Imagine a nurse using a long pair of gloves. It would look awkward. Worse, it would be uncomfortable for the medic to carry out his/her functions. The right length for the right job enhances efficiency and increases output.

Another important factor to consider is heat resistance. This is so critical for fire fighters gloves. A big question to be answered is, how flame resistant is your pair of gloves?

The lower the resistance the higher the risks of getting burnt. You do not want to go fight fire only to set your gloves on fire. It’s unacceptable and unsafe at the same time.

What is different types of this kind of personal protective gloves

Leather working gloves

Leather work gloves provide great cushioning and protection from pinching, cutting, abrasions, and other common work site hazards. These are useful for a variety of jobs from gardening projects to trenching for a construction team. Leather are ideal for protecting your arms and hands against threats such as sparks and hot shrapnel that are present in some welding circumstances. The increased padding of these glove linings ensures ultimate comfort and durability.

The leather gloves are waterproof work gloves, ideal for meeting safety standards on jobs that require chemicals, working in contaminated soil, and much more. If you’re doing a home project such as stripping paint from old furniture, pouring termite repellant underneath the crawlspace in your home, or even just cleaning your sinks with drain cleaners, it’s important to protect your skin from chemical burns.

Cut resistant gloves

Cut-resistant gloves protect the wearer from lacerations and some punctures caused by handling sharp items, such as metal and glass. Leather cut-resistant gloves have a liner or cut-resistant stitching to protect workers from cuts and lacerations and provide higher abrasion resistance and protection from incidental heat and sparks than coated knit gloves. Knit cut-resistant gloves are constructed of materials that protect against a range of cut risks, from handling light cardboard to appliance assembly. They generally have a knit cuff to help maintain a secure fit and keep out contaminants. Chainmail cut-resistant gloves are made from metal mesh and are often worn in food processing to protect against extreme hazards encountered when using knives.

Cut-resistant gloves are worn in applications where workers encounter sharp work pieces, such as general maintenance and warehouse work, automotive assembly, metalworking, metal stamping and pressing, and installing duct work.

Cotton gloves

Your hands are a vulnerable target, especially when exposed to water and other fluids. Whether you are working with irritating chemicals or doing household chores, Cotton Gloves are a super comfortable way to provide the protection you need. These hypoallergenic cotton gloves work effectively to aid the absorption of hand creams and ointments or to conceal skin disorders. They provide a comfortable fit and can be washed for re-use.

Nitrile coated gloves

Nitrile coated gloves are the perfect compromise between latex and vinyl. Nitrile is made from an allergy safe compound that feels a lot like latex but its much stronger, costs less, and is more comfortable to wear. Nitrile is perfect for demanding applications, especially cleaning and dishwashing. Nitrile Surgical Glove is a disposable device intended for surgical purposes that are worn on the hand of healthcare personnel during surgery to prevent contamination between healthcare personnel and the patient.

PU coated gloves

Polyurethane Coated gloves are used in different work places and they has been quite underrated for some time, however it has become very popular recently because it provides strong grip but does not feel sticky. PU coatings don’t require any finishing processes or substances to reduce tackiness; it’s just an inherent quality of polyurethane.

PVC gloves

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is a thermoplastic polymer of vinyl chloride. PVC offers good abrasion resistance, but may be susceptible to punctures, cuts, and snags. While it is flexible, it does not provide the tactile sensitivity associated with most rubber products. PVC is effective against water and most aqueous solutions, detergents, and diluted bases and acids. It only has limited chemical resistance to organic solvents. PVC is one of the more common coatings for coated work gloves. The best place to use PVC gloves is in rugged work places.

Latex coated gloves

Latex coated gloves are cheap and common. You’ve probably seen them with your doctor or a chef somewhere. The other advantage these gloves have is they offer great protection to the body against pathogens. This is why they are popular in medical and catering industries.

They too have their own disadvantages. Below are the three major flaws of this kind of gloves:

The wearer may get skin rashes due to allergic reactions
Hypersensitivity reactions
Less chemical resistance

Nitrile gloves

Lab workers are the greatest beneficiaries of nitrile gloves. These kind of gloves are chemical resistant and fairly cheap compared to other types of gloves.

You cannot dare use Nitrile gloves for firefighting. Your hands will get burnt beyond recognition. These gloves have a low flame and heat resistance level.

Why is it important to use safety gloves?

Your hands are an important part of your body. That is why they need to be protected from chemicals, heat, fire, cold and other potentially harmful substances. Gloves come in handy to offer the much needed protection.

In some cases, like construction sites, hands need to be secured from friction. Friction has the ability to turn your soft hands into unpleasingly hard body parts. With the right gloves, your hand will maintain a soft touch no matter the heaviness of the job at hand.

Wearing safety gloves in construction is important because it protects your hands from different elements and potential hazards. Other benefits of safety gloves include the following:

Prevent needle injuries and punctures
Prevent the loss of hands or fingers
Project your hands from injuries and chemical burns
Protect your hands from temperature changes
Safety gloves prevent absorption of hazardous items
They prevent burns and cuts among others

Safety Mask For Your Respiratory Protection

Safety mask and face mask for your respiratory protection

Safety mask is designed to protect the wearer from inhaling hazardous atmospheres, including particulate matter such as dusts and airborne microorganisms, as well as hazardous fumes, vapours and gases. There are two main categories: the air-purifying respirator in which respirable air is obtained by filtering a contaminated atmosphere, and the air-supplied respirator in which an alternate supply of breathable air is delivered. Within each category, different techniques are employed to reduce or eliminate noxious airborne contaminants.

You are dead without a working respiratory system. The reason why you cannot gamble with your breath in any situation at work. Wearing a mask is a big step in protecting yourself from respiratory hazards.

Disposable face masks sometimes referred to as a dust mask, for more robust reusable models with replaceable cartridges often called a gas mask.

There are two major classifications of respirators. They are:

Air purifying
Air supplying

Further classifications of respirators are as follows:

Elastomeric respirators

These kind of respirators work by purifying the air. There are different types of elastomeric respirators. One kind covers the whole face. The other covers the nose and mouth and will require you to buy additional goggles for your eyes.

The advantage of these masks is their reusability. That means less costs. Although, acquiring them will cost you quite some money.

Before reusing them, you need to clean them. Filters should be replaced and never should you reuse them for your own safety. You do not want some of the tiny spaces blocked. It may deny you enough air thus difficulty in breathing.

Another disadvantage of this type of respirator is the additional costs half face masks subject you to. The fact that you have to buy extra face shields means you will be spending more. You want your mask full face and ready for use. Having to purchase extra protection gears is an inconvenience.

These kind of respirators are used in areas where the airborne risk is low. Besides, the exposure has to be identified. You should not risk wearing this type of mask in an area where you do not the levels of danger you will face.

Particulate Filtering Respirator

This one works by purifying the air. It is a single-use purifier. That means, you cannot reuse it no matter what.

The N95s series is resistant to oil. Some of them come with an exhalation valve. That makes it more efficient as it allows for proper breathing. These respirators are believed to have around 95% filter efficiency rate.

Using a particulate filtering respirator, you will also need to buy a face shield. This is a drawback you will have to face.

You should only use this type of mask in high oxygen environments. Since it doesn’t protect you from lead and other harmful substances, it is important to stay away from such places. It is also important to change your mask immediately you start having shortage of breath. That is a clear indication the mask is clogged and need replacement.

This mask is also not good for those with breathing problems. Therefore, it is critical to consult a medical expert before attempting to use one.

Powered Purifiers Repiratory

These respirators are quite similar to your normal air purifiers. The only difference is that these ones are powered by a battery. So, how do they work?

They use a pull and push system. These purifiers pull the air you breath out to the blower. At the same time, it pushes purified air to the face mask. This happens simultaneously so that there is enough supply of clean air and removal of impure air.

Purifiers have certain features for the push and pull functions to be effective. They include:

A fan- to propel the movement of air.
A filter- for air purification.
Power-source, mostly a battery
A head gear

You always need to check your battery levels. You do not want to run out of breath in the middle of an operation.

Another decision you need to make is whether you will settle for a fitting or loosely fit head gear. A fitting mask is more secure. On the other hand, a loosely fit gear is more comfortable. As a wearer, you will settle for either comfort of safety. Safety should be your priority all the time.

Compared to other types of purifiers, this one makes you carry around heavier weights because of the additional features. Although, it can be a great source of cool air.

Self-contained Respiratory

Unlike all the above respirators, this mask works by supplying rather than purifying air. Due to its nature, it is used in high risk and low oxygen environments. Due to this, it is mandatory to do a medical test after use to ensure everything is okay.

The features of a self-contained respirator include a mask, air supplier and a nose nozzle. This allows for continuous supply of oxygen. The advantage of an air supplier is it purifies and supply air while at the same time taking away contaminated air.

Why is it important to wear masks for respiratory protection?

Wearing masks saves your respiratory system from chronic infections. It also protects those with respiratory problems. Without a mask, your face, nose and mouth are exposed to dust and other harmful airborne chemicals. This has a great potential to ruin your respiratory system for good. You surely do not want it to end that way.

A mask also allows you to keep breathing clean air even when in contaminated environments. It provides pure air in places with low oxygen concentration levels. If you expose yourself to dust, mold, and other fine particulates, you can end up suffering from respiratory ailments like bronchitis and asthma, among others. Other benefits of wearing safety masks include:

Protect you from pathogens
Allergy-free
They are ideal for all face shapes
Prevent you from inhaling harsh chemicals

Safety Glasses For Your Eye Protection

Safety glasses and face shield for your Eye protection

Safety goggle and glasses are a part of Personal Protective Equipment that are worn by the workers around their eyes for protection. Safety glasses act as a shield to protect the eyes from any type of foreign debris that may cause irritation or injury.

Eye and face protection is not only important in offices and constructions sites, but also in vital in sports like swimming and bike racing. Safety glasses can be used by anyone. Depending on the requirement of the user, safety glasses can have varied lenses such as, clear, bifocal, anti-fog, tinted, indoor/outdoor lens, polarized, shooting, men’s or women’s, low light eyewear, filtered and changeable.

There are many types of safety glasses to offer your pupils and lashes protection. Keep reading to find out details about safety glasses and face shields.

Face shields

Face shields are a necessity in many professions and for a variety of tasks in the workplace or at home. OSHA requires the use of face shields when workers are exposed to flying objects, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gasses or vapors, or potentially hazardous light radiation. Specific jobs requiring the use of face shields include metal workers, some medical staff, industrial painters and employees in chemical plants. While not all employment and tasks require a face shield, they are often overlooked and should be used more often.

Why is it important to use face shields?

Dust and other fine materials can fly into your eyes.
When handling acids, corrosives, chemical adherents or strippers and or with body fluids you should wear face shields.
When performing furnace maintenance, engaging in welding or handling any molten substance you should use a face shield.
Electricians working with high voltage connections need protection from potential arc explosions, which can lead to severe burns and death! Only specially designed face shields should be used.

Safety goggles

Crystal clear, safety goggles’ main objective is to protect the eyes from eye hazards. Potential eye hazards are prone in jobs like carpentry, welding, plumbing and other blue collar jobs.

With safety goggles on, all these risks are mitigated. Special focus is on welding jobs. As the tiny metals jump off, they risk getting into your eyes. Hot as they are, you know what will happen next. Being metallic makes matters worse.

The safety goggles shield the eyes from the flying metallic particles. Not only does it work on debris but also chemicals. This type of eye shield has been designed to also protect those working in critical departments with exposure to ultraviolet rays, and viruses like HIV and Hepatitis.

Safety goggles are impact resistant, but that is not the only advantage bearing feature. There’s more. These goggles are designed in different sizes. This allows everybody to have a size that fits them well. Therefore, you are 100% safe from hazards.

Why is it important to use safety glasses?

One, safety glasses protect your eyes from tiny harmful particles suspended in the air.
Two, safety glasses shield your eyes from harmful UV rays.
Three, a safety pair of glasses will protect you from harmful splashing chemical which if would have landed on your eyes would have caused you problems. In the worst case scenario, it would have led to blindness.
Four, your eyes enjoy protection from fire sparks thanks to safety glasses.

Previously, you’ve experienced problems with your eyes at least once or twice. Imagine the piercing pain you went through because of a tiny insect entering your eye. What would happen if a chemical enters your eye? It is a serious matter.many

Safety Earmuff For Your Ear protection

Earmuff and Ear plug for your hearing protection

Earmuffs are a type of personal protective equipment (PPE) that is used to protect the wearer’s ears from excessive noise pollution, dust or temperature variations, especially cold. They are made of PU and sponge and are shaped like a pair of cups. These cups are usually attached on the outer-ends of plastic headband to fit over top of the ears and cover them tightly.

We’ve already covered safety for your sight, touch and smell. Your hearing is also important. Your ear is an important coordination tool in combination with your mouth. That is why it has to be well taken care of all the times.

why is it important to use earmuffs and ear plugs?

There is one chief use of earmuffs and plugs that make their use important. The function is to minimize exposure of the decibel. This allows proper functioning of the whole hearing system.It protects one from hearing impairment.

Manufacturing and construction sites are notorious for having noisy environments. Factories too are culprits of noise pollution. Assuming you work in such places, for how long will you stay there and maintain good hearing?

Wearing earmuffs is important for construction workers to protect them from the loud noise at the workplace. Earmuffs offer a nice fit, and they are simple to wear because you only need to put them over your head.

It is clear you will impair your hearing within no time. Using an earmuff allows you to protect your ears from destruction courtesy of noise from these big plants.

Earmuffs versus earplugs

It is important to understand the difference between these two terms. Well, let’s use an easy example. You know how a headphone looks like. You can differentiate one from earphones.

Comparing earmuffs and earplugs, earmuffs look like headphones while earplugs and earphones are similar in appearance. The difference is in the size and how they cover the ears.

Earmuffs cover the whole ear. On the other hand, earplugs only cover the ear canal. These two are used interchangeably depending on the magnitude of noise in a place.

While earmuffs are easy to carry around, ear plugs offer better protection to the ears. Earmuffs can be used in places where the sound magnitude is not enormous. When the noise become too much, earplugs become the better alternative.

Factories and airports among other places with excess noise are suitable for ear plugs. Many welding workers and places with lesser noise use earmuffs.

Earplugs have another advantage. Their tiny size allows one to carry them around without feeling burdened. Besides, this allows them to easily fit in the ears.

Wearing earplugs with other personal protective equipment like air purifiers is easier compared to earmuffs. You can also wear them with helmets without major challenges. Again, when the weather is hot, using earmuffs may be quite uncomfortable.

On the other hand, ear plugs offer a better service in similar weather conditions. They do not have room for sweat and humidity storage like earmuffs. This makes them the better option in humid and warm climatic conditions.

Safety Harness For Your Fall Protection

Safety Harness for your Height Fall Protection

Safety harnesses are setup by making a combination between a stationary and a non stationary object. In practice, they are comprised of rope, locking hardware, webbing and body wear.

Climbers know better how a fall may end one’s life in a minute. That is the reason you cannot dare ascend anything without safety precautions in place. In fact, not even your junior colleague can allow such a risk to happen. So, what fall protection gear are we talking about?

According to disaster management, there are about four major universally accepted fall protection measures. The 4 F’s include: Fall;

Elimination
Prevention
Arrest
Administrative controls

Whatever gear you put on, it falls under one of the above categories. Let’s look at the fall protection gears you need.

Safety Harness

A safety harness is normally tied around the worker’s body to hold him/her and offer support during the ascend. Using an anchorage, the safety harness can save the worker from a fall.

Safety control bodies propose anchors should have an average strength of 5000 pounds. This is enough to support the staff in case bad comes to worse. A safety harness falls in the category of fall arrest. It is vital in saving the life of a staff who falls from a high upward distance.

Another important fall arrest system that works well with safety harnesses is a lifeline. Such provisions should be marched with a professional handler. Only then can full precaution be achieved.

Use of lifelines without the presence of an expert is also a risky affair. Besides, the lifeline, whether vertical or horizontal should be well maintained. Why are lifelines important? They help minimize free falls, especially when used alongside rigged systems.

D-Rings and a snap hook are important supplementary security features to safety harnesses. It is important to only use snap hooks that are locking. They act as shock absorbers in case of a fall. This will shield the staff from further harm.

There are two main potential hazards that come with ascending. You risk falling and getting injured if the fall is not well arrested. A safety harnesses is a good arrestor, saving you just on time.

A well fitted safety harness will not allow you to get to the ground where the impact of a free fall can be hugely felt. A good training on how to lock well your harness is vital. Without proper training, you risk suffering more injuries.

Before starting your climb, it is also important to inspect the safety harness. The fact that it is man-made makes it vulnerable to cuts and abrasions. A thorough inspection allows you to discover any risks in case there are.

Imagine using a safety harness with a default. On ascending to the top of a building, gravity and your weight will definitely bring you down. This puts your life and those of your colleagues at risk.

Why is it important to use a safety harness for your fall protection?

Working up there is a great risk. One silly mistake and you are on the ground dead. There is no room for such mistakes. A safety harness is one way to protect yourself from a fall. In case one happens, the harness offers gravity resistance protecting you from getting to the ground.

Having a safety harness also keeps you confident while up there. This gives you the courage to work without fear of falling. At the end, you will be able to complete your work well thus efficiency is achieved.

Construction workers need a safety harness to provide them with the support they need when handling their work.

Wearing a safety harness keeps the spine vertical. This reduces impact in case of fall, and it also enhances the safety of the employees. It is important to wear safety harness throughout your job.

Safety FAQS For Your Safety Equipment

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT PPE

Question 1: What is PPE?

This is a common question. PPE stands for Personal Protective Equipment. This refers to safety gears worn mostly at works places as security measures, including:

Clothing
Helmet
Respiratory protection gears
Glasses for eye protection
Gloves for hand protection
Earmuffs and earplugs
Safety harness for fall protection

Question 2: Is PPE mandatory?

The answer to this question varies from place to place. In some organizations, it is a must. Some states and countries have in place policies requiring an employer to provide the employees with PPE gears. The employees on the other hand are mandated to wear the safety gears. In other jurisdictions and organizations, it is not.

Question 3: How do I make the correct selection for the right PPE to wear?

Normally, it is the job at hand that guides you which PPE gear to wear. In other cases, your employer will decide which PPE gear you will. In other instances, you will have to wear the PPE given to you. For example, when visiting the ICU in a hospital, you do not have an option.

Questions 4: What happens if I refuse to wear PPE?

Well, in many cases there will be no action taken on you. The only problem is you will be the one to suffer in case of a hazard. In other situations, you will be fined.

Questions 5: How to find a good PPE supplier?

There are many suppliers on the market, so you can be confused about selecting the right one. First, ensure that you buy personal protective equipment from a recognized supplier so that you can be sure about the quality. They should also have a wide range of construction safety gear to meet your needs. Also, make sure the company has a reputable website. for some online B2B platform is good to find ppe supplier, such as alibaba or made in china. what’s more, for anbuppe also one good china ppe supplier.

CONCLUSION

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is now part of many organization’s culture. Not only is it used in construction sites and factories but also in white collar job offices. PPE is very important for your security and health. It protects you from hazards and also keeps safe your future health problems. Embrace PPE!