Your Quick Guide to Protective Gear

Explanation of protective equipment

This section provides advice on general personal protective equipment (PPE), which may be necessary to protect against injury. Helmets: in almost all places there is a risk of injury from falling materials. Minimize these hazards by providing adequate barriers and skirting boards at the edge of work platforms to prevent materials from falling. Address remaining risks by providing adequate head protection. The Construction (Head Protection) Regulations 198940 establish specific requirements for helmets. Helmets are necessary where someone can be hit by falling materials or where people can hit their heads.

These are just a few of the hazards to consider: loose material thrown into an excavation; material falling from a scaffold platform; material that falls from a load that is lifted with a crane or forklift or transported in a dump truck or construction truck; a scaffold that drops an accessory while mounting or dismounting a scaffold. Decide in which areas of the site hats should be worn. Tell everyone in the area, if necessary, set the site rules. Provide employees with helmets. Make sure hats are worn and worn correctly. There are many types of hats available; Let employees try a few and decide which one is best suited for the job and for them. Some hats have additional features including a sweatband for the forehead and a soft (or knit) harness. Although these hats are a bit more expensive, they are much more comfortable and therefore more likely to be worn.

Footwear

Is there a risk of injury from: materials falling on workers’ feet; or nails, or other sharp objects, penetrating the sole? If so, boots with a steel toe cap and midsole may be required. Foot protection comes in many types and styles, and manufacturers offer advice on the most suitable footwear for specific types of hazards. Wellies are essential to prevent burns from wet concrete or cement, as the cement content, when mixed with water, becomes highly corrosive and can cause severe skin burns.

Safety glasses and spectacles.

These are necessary to protect against: flying objects, for example when using a nail gun. To provide adequate protection, goggles must be shatterproof; check the manufacturer’s specifications; sparks, for example, when cutting with a disc; Ultraviolet radiation from welding – special goggles or shields are required; chemical splashes. Eye protection must be available in sufficient quantity so that any that are lost, destroyed or become defective can be replaced. If protection against corrosive splashes is needed, the visors can protect the entire face.

Outerwear

Where employees regularly work outdoors and cannot protect themselves from the weather, windproof and waterproof clothing will be needed. There should be facilities for storing unused clothing and protective clothing, as well as for drying wet clothing. A major skin hazard is exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Effects can range from sunburn (blistering and peeling of the skin) to permanent damage and increased risk of skin cancer. Construction workers who are outdoors for long periods of time are at the greatest risk and must take steps to protect their skin: wearing a long-sleeved shirt and covering their legs; regularly apply high protection sun cream to exposed skin; and carry out regular checks to detect any visible changes in the skin, such as new or new moles or any discoloration of the skin.

High visibility clothing

Many accidents happen when people cannot be seen in dangerous positions. It is important to plan the work to avoid placing people in these positions. When this is not possible, provide high visibility clothing. It is essential that these clothes are kept clean to be effective. Heavily soiled items should be replaced. High visibility clothing will be needed where workers: can be run over by vehicles, for example, signallers assisting with vehicles being maneuvered and anyone involved in road works; They need to be seen by others to enable them to work safely, for example, the markers that assist in lifting operations must be clearly visible to the crane driver.

Gloves

Proper gloves can protect against dust (such as cement), wet concrete, and solvents, which can cause dermatitis. They can also protect against cuts and chips when handling bricks, steel and wood. A range of different gloves should be available to suit different jobs and different workers.