Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is protective clothing that helps to ensure workers remain as safe as possible. PPE is utilized across various sectors, but it is especially important in the field of construction. There are thousands of accidents in construction every year and PPE prevents a lot of these from being fatal.
Not only is PPE advisable in tasks consisting of physical labor, it is a legal requirement on construction sites. Outlined below is a brief analysis of some of the more common types of PPE you would expect to find in the construction industry.
Hard hats
Protecting the head is the top priority in terms of construction safety. A hard hat is one of the best ways to do this. Workers in construction are constantly exposed to falling items, low ceilings, scaffolding posts and various other hazards. Hardhats can prevent a minor injury from becoming catastrophic. All construction workers should be provided with a suitable hard hat that is free from defects or damage.
Protecting the hands
Your hands are essential to almost every task you carry out through the day. This applies not only at work, but in your home life too. Thus, an injury to the hands can be devastating. There are various forms of PPE for the hands that have been designed depending on the job that is being done. Rubber gloves can protect the hands from exposure to chemicals and concrete. There are also gloves that protect the hand from sharp objects and sparks that may fly off when welding. We often take our hands for granted, but they are crucial to many of the things we do, which makes them worth protecting.
Your employer has a duty to keep you as safe as possible on the construction site. If you have been injured on the job, make sure you take a closer look at your legal options.