A dangerous occupation is a construction. Workers run the risk of suffering a serious injury or passing away on the job every day. That is why having the appropriate safety equipment is crucial. You can feel secure knowing that you or your employees are safe while they work if you have the proper safety gear. In this article, guardboots will introduce 8 common safety equipment on site that you should be aware of!
The Most Common Safety Equipment on Site
1. Eyes, Face, and Mouth Safety Equipment
You can understand why you need common safety equipment on site, but have you really taken the time to think about what they protect? Your head and eyes are the areas of your body that are most susceptible. When you take into account the potential repercussions of not wearing them, working without them is not only against the norm in terms of safety standards but also useless.
When performing specific duties, workers are frequently exposed to dangerous particles, fumes, or objects, which might result in eye damage. Injury to the face and eyes is more likely when working with concrete, cutting, grinding, nailing, welding, and other similar tasks. Extreme caution and protective gear are also necessary in areas where there are strong winds, sparks, smoke, and/or toxic chemicals.
For some tasks, eye protection including goggles, visors, and safety glasses should be worn. However, depending on the task at hand, you could also require respirator gear to prevent you from breathing in anything that could be harmful to your health.
2. Head Protection
Everyone on the working site must wear a hard helmet because it is a common safety equipment on site, whether or not they are construction workers. This health and safety precaution’s observance is a fundamental need of any building site. There is always a chance that something could fall from above on a building site, seriously injuring your head. Helmets are also excellent for shielding the wearer from the rain, the sun, and electric shock.
High-density polyethylene (HDPE) or other premium plastics, such as Ultem, are typically used in the manufacture of safety helmets. These plastics aid in shielding the brain from severe wounds. To further aid in user comfort, hard helmets can also be purchased with add-ons including visors, hearing protection, and ventilation systems. Additional staff support can be provided by attaching sophisticated accessories. Radios, mirrors, cameras, lights, and walkie-talkies are a few examples.
3. Hand Protection
The majority of building work is manual labor. For construction workers, cuts, burns, and punctures are the most typical hand injuries. As a result, you must use proper caution to prevent harm. Gloves or other hand protection are necessary for personnel and are best suited for the task at hand.
For the construction business, there are several different kinds of gloves available, such as rubber, welding, and insulating. Depending on the purpose they serve, each pair’s construction material and style will change. When employees’ hands come in contact with sharp items, handle chemicals, or are exposed to severe weather, employers must make sure that the employees are wearing the proper gloves.
4. Foot Protection
Safety shoes are the most common safety equipment on site. Injuries from slips, trips and falls account for a high proportion of workers working on construction sites. Therefore, an essential health and safety requirement is that you must have protective footwear – which is provided by the employer. These shoes must be of quality and to a high standard of construction.
It will be chosen what kind of shoe is required based on where you work and the responsibilities the employee is expected to perform. On the job site, most people frequently use safety boots, which blend comfort and toughness to support the wearer during the workday. Another option is safety footwear that is lighter but still has a steel toe cap to protect employees.
5. Safety Signs
Even though it might seem obvious, construction sites should have barricades and warning signs nearby. People on the construction site might be more aware of risks thanks to the usage of safety indicators. Additionally, they can serve as a reminder to visitors to put on high-visibility clothing and helmets while on the property.
Additionally, in the event of an emergency, signs will be posted. Construction site staff and visitors will be informed where they can visit the site and any potential health dangers via construction health and safety signage. When it comes to common safety equipment on site, safety signs and signals are essential and important to any construction site.
6. Fire Blankets
The potential for a fire at the construction site, particularly if work is being done with electrical equipment. Damaged cables, wires, or pipelines can cause fires to ignite. Construction materials that are fire-resistant can reduce fire damage and save lives.
It may be useful to use fire blankets made of flame-resistant fabrics. An effective way to put out a fire is to cover it with a fire blanket, which prevents the fire from receiving oxygen. In an emergency, if there isn’t a fire extinguisher nearby, it can be tossed into the fire to put it out quickly.
7. Health and Safety Equipment (CHAS)
A requirement of the CHAS (Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme) is that you must have this equipment on your building site. You will be sure to comply with all health and safety regulations thanks to the CHAS evaluation program. You can get assistance from the CHAS Certification Service with the application procedure, which will help your company secure significant contracts with this seal of approval.
8. Vehicles with Safety Features
All vehicles must be checked to make sure their safety features are operational before arriving at the building site. Construction equipment and vehicles that don’t work properly cause numerous injuries and fatalities among workers in the industry. All vehicles ought to have certain features, such as a powerful horn, a backup alarm, clear safety glass, active mirrors, active seat belts, bright headlights and brake lights, suitable wipers, and active mirrors.
Conclusion
There are many types of common safety equipment on site, you need to know and equip them carefully to make sure you are safe in the dangerous workplace. The most important safety gear consists of hard hats, goggles, ear protection, safety gloves, safety boots, and reflective clothing. These supplies are necessary to safeguard employees from major injuries. In addition to the ones we mentioned above, there are many other important safety devices that you should not miss. Take care of them, they will protect you!
Learn more: How Can Safety Equipment Reduce Injuries?