In the construction industry, personal protective equipment (PPE) is considered the last line of defense when it comes to protecting workers from injury on the job site. Employers are required to implement technical controls and other safety measures to prevent accidents and injuries. In the event that these measures do not work or cannot be implemented, personal protective equipment will help prevent injury when hazards occur.
Employers are required to pay for and provide workers with all personal protective equipment and are responsible for requiring their use when necessary. All personal protective equipment must meet American National Standards Institute (ANSI) specifications.
Employers may allow employees to use their own PPE. Where worker-owned equipment is permitted, employers are responsible for ensuring that PPE is in good working order, but is not required to reimburse workers for PPE they provide themselves.
To ensure the best protection for your workers, here are some tips for ensuring proper use of PPE:
Develop a personal protective equipment (PPE) program
Your PPE program should identify the hazards involved and the appropriate PPE to wear. The program should explain how to select and ensure proper fit of PPE. The PPE program should cover the proper inspection and maintenance of all PPE.
Your program should include training for workers on the proper use and safety of personal protective equipment. Be sure to post signs warning workers of the personal protective equipment they should wear at various locations on the job site.
Head protection
Helmets protect workers from falling and flying objects to prevent head injuries. They also insulate against electric shock. Since conditions on construction sites are constantly changing, a good rule of thumb is to require everyone on the construction site to wear hard hats at all times.
Be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions for adjusting the helmet suspension to ensure a comfortable and secure fit. Do not put anything into the helmet while wearing it, as this may break the gap between the shell and the harness.
Refer to the manufacturer's recommendations if you plan to paint or decal your helmets. Most manufacturers do not recommend painting a helmet as the paint can damage the shell, but they usually don't mind putting stickers on a helmet.
Some helmets can be worn backwards if the harness can be reversed. Baseball caps should not be worn under a helmet. Winter balaclavas and cooling caps are generally suitable for use with helmets if they can be worn while sitting on the head and do not interfere with the suspension straps.
Helmets should be checked for damage such as cracks and dents before each use. Damaged helmets should be discarded and replaced.
Hearing protection
Hearing protection must be provided and used when the noise level or duration cannot be reduced to the values specified in Table D-2— OSHA No. 1926.52 Noise Exposure Limits.
Acceptable hearing protection included earmuffs and earplugs to be inserted into the ear. Ear plugs must be individually fitted by a competent person. According to OSHA, plain cotton is not an acceptable protective agent.
Eye and face protection
Eye and face protection is essential when workers are exposed to hazards from flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids, caustic liquids, chemical gases, vapors, and light radiation.
For workers who wear corrective lenses, prescriptions must be included in the design of eye protection, or eye protection must be designed to be worn over prescription lenses.
Face masks, safety goggles and goggles should be selected based on the hazard they are designed to protect workers from. It should fit snugly and comfortably and not interfere with the working movement. Protective goggles must be durable, cleanable and disinfectable.
When workers do welding work, make sure they are provided with the correct filter lens tint number depending on the type of welding they will be doing. When working with lasers, goggles should be used with an optical density corresponding to the laser wavelength.
Hand protection
Choose the right glove for the job. The hand is the most commonly injured part of the body on a construction site. Gloves should fit snugly and comfortably, yet allow full finger movement. You don't want workers to take off their gloves because they don't fit properly or because they can't feel what they're doing while working with tools or equipment.
There are gloves designed to protect against a range of job site hazards: cut and laceration gloves, welding gloves, heavy duty rubber gloves for concrete work, chemical resistant gloves for burn protection, and insulated work gloves. electrical work.
Leg protection
When most people think of building site foot protection, they think of steel or composite toe boots. They protect workers from dropping tools, materials or equipment onto their feet.
Composite and steel toe shoes provide a high level of protection, with steel toe shoes having a slight advantage. Composite toe boots are lighter and do not conduct heat, making them the preferred choice if you work outside in extreme heat or cold. They also don't conduct electricity, which is good if you're doing electrical work or working on live wires.
When choosing foot protection, you should also choose non-slip shoes to protect against slips and falls, as well as shoes with puncture-resistant soles to protect against sharp objects such as misplaced nails.
Provide training
Workers should be trained in the proper selection and use of PPE, as well as which PPE is required for the different conditions and tasks on the job site. Workers assigned to wear PPE should know how to put it on and take it off, as well as how to adjust it to ensure a proper fit. Inform workers about the possibilities and limitations of the personal protective equipment they should wear.
Workers should be able to properly inspect PPE before each use to determine if it is damaged and in need of replacement or repair. They should also be taught proper maintenance and care of the equipment.
Conclusion
Personal protective equipment is an important aspect of ensuring the safety of workers on a construction site. When technical and administrative controls do not work or cannot be implemented, personal protective equipment is vital to protect workers from injury when accidents occur.
PPE should be comfortable and appropriately sized so that it does not interfere with the worker's ability to safely perform their job duties. Safety managers and supervisors should regularly inspect the job site to ensure that workers are wearing assigned PPE and to determine if additional equipment is required.
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