When it comes to working on-site in many labouring industries, the Health and Safety of employees is paramount. Moreover, it is a legal requirement to ensure that all employees working on-site have been trained in using specialist equipment, made aware of any potential dangers and Health & Safety protocols, and wearing the correct PPE to minimise the risk of injury.
With that in mind, we’ve compiled a standard list of PPE that’s essential for anyone working on-site:
Ear Muffs & Plugs
Working on-site, especially with machinery, can often expose employees to extreme noises that could lead to hearing difficulties or partial/complete loss of hearing. Often called ‘Industrial Deafness’, noisy environments can slowly chip away at your hearing damaging the sensitive parts of the ear a little at a time.
Ear Muffs and plugs can however, be an apt solution for preventing the effects of noisy environments through their sound-deadening properties.
Eye Protection
Safety Goggles and Glasses are an absolute essential for employees working on sites where there may be a lot of dust or other particles within the environment. Most suitable for employees that specialise in cutting wood and metal, Eye Protection helps to protect the wearer’s eyes from damage or injury.
Since eyes are extremely fragile and delicate, without the use of Eye Protection the damage suffered could potentially be irreversible.
Face Masks
Necessary in the very same circumstances as eye protection, Face Masks are an essential component of standard PPE that prevent the risk of employees contracting respiratory problems as a consequence of dusty environments. Not only that, but should any employees already suffer from breathing problems or conditions such as Asthma, the use of Face Masks is hugely important.
High Vis Workwear
Always a common fixture no matter what site it is, High Vis Workwear is critically essential as it not only helps to increase visibility of on-site employees in all circumstances, but it also ensures that everyone on-site knows who’s who. For example, if a person walking through a site is not wearing High Vis Workwear, then it is immediately apparent that the person is either not an employee or the correct H&S protocols haven’t been adhered to.
However, any person entering a site whereby Health & Safety measures are paramount should always be given the necessary PPE upon entry, so it could be someone without permission to be on-site who can quickly be identified and escorted off premises.
Safety Gloves
Naturally, when working on-site employees more than likely going to need to use your hands to complete their assigned duties. As such, Safety Gloves are a vital component of PPE and can protect the wearer’s hands from injuries such as burns, cuts and scratches, corrosive and dangerous chemicals, digit breaks or losses, among many others.
In essence, Safety Gloves should be top of the list for any business whose employees work on sites that could potentially pose risks to health and safety.
Takeaway
To summarise, PPE is essential in a vast majority of labouring industries. So without the correct PPE and Health & Safety protocols in place for employees to clearly follow, the risks posed to both on-site workers and the company responsible for protecting their welfare are huge. However, by implementing these products into the standard PPE required to work on-site, companies can dramatically reduce these risks and heighten safety of their employees.
At Bearing Boys, we understand the importance of having the correct PPE when working on site, which is why our range of Tools & PPE is ideal for any business looking for the essentials to protect their employees.