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Safety Equipment for Construction Laborers

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What Does Safety Equipment Mean?

Safety Equipment, as implied by its name, includes the gadgets that are used (worn, used, suspended etc.) for the protection of life and to avoid injuries or casualties.

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Safety Equipment for Construction Laborers?

These are equipment that used by laborers during construction for the protection purpose from injuries or casualties.

In the construction industry, having the essential safety equipment is a health and safety expectation. No matter the task expected to be completed, there are hazards that will require unique safety measures to be put in place to protect staff. Without proper precautions in place, these risk factors can be life-threatening.

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Safety Risks

There are various common dangers on a construction site with hazards being huge or small. The construction industry may have advanced their processes as technology has developed, but there still remains a risk to human life on sites. This is why it is vital that employees follow strict safety precautions, including wearing the correct personal protective equipment (PPE).

At a minimum, each employee is required to wear a hard hat and safety glasses. High visibility safety vests with reflective striping are required when employees are exposed to vehicular traffic. In the absence of vehicular traffic, high visibility shirts should be worn at all times. All workers must wear shirts with sleeves, long work pants, and sturdy work shoes or boots when working on a construction or renovation site. Sleeveless or tank top shirts, short pants, sweatpants, sneakers, sandals, and high-heeled or open-toed shoes are not permitted.

Man Holding Safety Helmet

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Construction Safety Equipment

When it comes to protecting workers on job sites, construction safety gear is the best option, and often time, economical. Construction safety products guard workers against accidents and prevent injuries. In the construction industry, there are some common construction safety supplies that workers must have:

    • Helmets or hard hats—Due to the risk of falling objects, head injuries are very common in construction. Hard hats protect workers from striking head injuries as well as protect workers from rain, direct sun rays, and electric shock. 

    • Hi-vis clothing—The use of high visibility clothing reduces the chances of a “struck-by” accident on construction sites.

    • Safety footwear—Slips, trips, and falls are common accidents at job sites. Falls from heights are of particular concern in the construction industry. Every worker on a construction site should wear anti-skid or gripping boots and steel or composite toe boots to prevent foot injury from falling objects. 

    • Ear protection—Prolong exposure to noise from machinery and equipment can damage hearing capability.  The use of earplugs or other hearing protection reduces the effect of noise pollution.

    • Eye and face protection—Face injuries occur due to exposure to hazardous particles while working with concrete, grinding, cutting, welding, and nailing. The use of eye safety goggles along with safety glasses, wear face masks, welding shields, chemical splash goggles, and dust goggles will protect workers from facial injuries. 

    • Gloves—Using heavy-duty gloves while working helps workers avoid hand injuries like cuts and burns. The type of glove will vary depending on the tasks. 

    • Wheel chocks—Chocking all vehicle wheels when not in use or parked on an incline can prevent unintentional movement.

    • Warning whips—Warning whips on smaller equipment can increase visibility.

    • Cable protectors—Cable protection systems provide a safer method of passing traffic while protecting valuable electrical cables, cords, and hose lines from damage.

Keeping employees safe in the construction industry takes planning and continuous training. With the help of dependable and durable safety equipment, keeping workers safe is simple and affordable.

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What is Personal Protective Equipment?

Personal Safety Equipment

Personal Protective Equipment protects users against potential health and safety risks at work. The equipment protects the wearer’s body from injuries or infection. The hazards that PPE protects site workers from include electrical, chemical, physical, heat, biohazards and airborne particles.

Every worker on a construction site needs the correct equipment to protect themselves at work. Here is our guide to the essential safety equipment for construction workers.

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Eyes, Face and Mouth Safety Equipment

Eyes, Face and Mouth Safety Equipment​

The most sensitive parts of the body that require the most protection on construction sites are the eyes and face. Most eye injuries that take place on a site are due to exposure to hazardous particles, gasses or objects during certain tasks. Cutting, grinding, nailing, welding and working with concrete increase the risk of facial and eye injuries. High precautions and safety equipment are also required on sites dealing with extreme winds, sparks, smoke and/or dangerous chemicals.

Eye protection equipment such as safety glasses, visors and goggles should be worn on site for particular jobs. However, depending on the task at hand you might also need respiratory equipment so you don’t also breathe in anything potentially dangerous to your health.

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Head Protection

Hand Protection​ at Construction Site

Whether you are a construction worker or not, every person on site must wear a hard hat. It is a fundamental requirement of any construction site to adhere to this health and safety precaution. On site, there are always risks of objects falling from heights, which could cause serious injury to your head. As well as falling objects, it can also protect from harmful materials that workers are exposed to. Safety helmets are also useful in protection from rain, direct sun rays and electric shock.

Safety helmets are usually made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or other advanced resins. These resins help protect a person’s head from major injuries. Hard hats can also come with accessories such as a face shield, hearing protection, and ventilation which keeps a user comfortable. You could also attach advanced accessories to support staff even further. These include a radio, mirrors, cameras, lights or walkie-talkie.

No matter what hard hat you have on site, they must be kept in good condition and replace it if it’s damaged.

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Hand Protection

Hand Protection​

The vast majority of construction work includes the use of hands. This means proper precautions must be taken to avoid injuries such as cuts and puncture wounds. Hand protection such as gloves is required for staff, which are also best suited to the task they have been set.

Gloves available for the construction industry include rubber gloves, welding gloves and insulated gloves. The material and design of each pair will differ based on the job they cater for. Employers are required to make sure that workers wear gloves that are appropriate while their hands are exposed to:

      • Harmful substances
      • Sharp objects
      • Work that could cause abrasions or punctures to the skin
      • Heat or chemicals

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Protective Footwear

Protective Footwear

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), slips, trips and falls counted for 24% of all non-fatal injuries on construction sites. This is why it is imperative that protective safety footwear is supplied by an employer – it is also a health and safety requirement. Depending on the site you are based and the tasks an employee is expected to take, will decide what footwear is needed. 

Rigger boots and wellington boots are very resistant to materials if a person has to work in wet conditions – also perfect for washing and disinfecting. Safety boots are generally worn by most on site and mix comfort and durability to help the wearer through the working day. There are also safety shoes, which are lighter but still have steel toe-caps to protect the worker.

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Health and Safety Signs

The use of health and safety signs keeps every person on site alert to the dangers that the site possesses. They can also act as reminders for visitors to wear high visibility jackets and safety helmets on the site. Signs will also be erected when an emergency situation is in place. 

Construction health and safety signs will inform site staff and visitors where they can go on site and of potential dangers to health such as the presence of asbestos.

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Safety Terms

Personal Protective Equipment is protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer’s body from injury or infection.

High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) is a thermoplastic polymer made from petroleum. As one of the most versatile plastic materials around, HDPE plastic is used in a wide variety of applications, including plastic bottles, milk jugs, shampoo bottles, bleach bottles, cutting boards, and piping.

Visor is a surface that protects the eyes, such as shading them from the sun or other bright light or protecting them from objects

Splash Goggles are designed to protect the wearer from liquid and chemical splash by using non-vented or indirect vented models. If you’re working with any hazardous chemicals or caustic liquids, Splash Goggles are a must-have item.

Wheel chocks also called wheel immobilizers or chock blocks, are wedges made out of a sturdy material that you place against a vehicle’s wheels to stop any accidental movement or rolling.  Wheel chocks are a good idea for additional safety and should be used with the parking brakes

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References

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About the Author

This article is written by Engr. Tayyab Tahir.  

Who is a Civil Engineer by Profession.


(c) Some Rights Reserved.

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