See-Worthy Safeguards
- By Shel Segal
- Jun 19, 2007
Even more vulnerable than the ears are the eyes. Eye injury is one of the most common injuries at work.
"Wear your helmet!"
"Put on your shoes!"
"Don't forget your gloves!"
No, the voice is not your mother yelling at you. It is your supervisor or foreman, reminding you to wear your personal protective equipment.
Without wearing the necessary protective equipment, more injuries and fatalities will occur on the job. This is something Jerry Bach, vice president of Sacramento, Calif.-based Safety Center, Inc., will not tolerate. Wearing personal protective equipment is not only common sense that will keep you alive and safe, it also cuts down on worker's compensation claims, insurance premiums, and personal injury lawsuits for which employers must pay the price.
No one is trying to nag you to wear the equipment," Bach said. "It might be bulky. It might be a bit warm. It might even be uncomfortable. But it will ultimately protect you and possibly even save your life. And that is what it is all about.”
It is true that the company or organization must provide the worker with a safe working environment and the necessary protective equipment. However, when it comes down to it, it is the worker who has to decide whether or not to keep the environment safe around him and wear the equipment that is designed to keep him safe and alive. "Having safety procedures in place is not so the company can get you in trouble for not complying," Bach said. "It is so you come home with the same number and condition of body parts with which you left in the morning. Simple as that. No one wants you to lose a toe or an eye. And no one wants this to be your final day at work. Wear the personal protective equipment, stay safe, and go home at night to your family."
PPE Checklist
Personal protective equipment varies from site to site and can vary from task to task. Vision protection is a must for many workers and should be considered in the context of overall head protection. This checklist can help managers conduct an initial hazard assessment.
• Are manager assessing the workplace to determine whether workers are exposed to hazards that require the use of PPE (e.g., head, eye, face, hand, or foot protection)?
• If hazards are found, are affected employees using properly fitted PPE that is suitable for protection from those hazards?
• Have the workers been trained on what PPE is necessary for a job task, when they need it, and how to properly adjust it?
• Are they wearing protective goggles or faceshields where there is a danger of flying particles or corrosive materials?
• Are they required to wear approved safety glasses at all times in areas where there is a risk of eye injuries, such as punctures, abrasions, contusions or burns? Does this requirement extend to every entrant in these areas, including visitors, temporary workers, and others?
• Are employees who wear contact lenses in working environments that have harmful exposures required to wear approved safety glasses or protective goggles?
• Do you provide hard hats, and are they worn where there is a danger of falling objects?
• Are all hard hats inspected regularly for damage to their shell and suspension system?
• Is all protective equipment maintained in a sanitary condition and ready for use?
• Are eyewash facilities and a quick drench shower available within 10 seconds' travel time of areas where employees are exposed to injurious corrosive materials?
• Are the eyewash and shower units regularly tested and confirmed to be fully operational, with logs of these tests maintained on site?
• Are adequate work procedures, protective clothing, and equipment provided and used when cleaning up spilled hazardous materials or liquids?
• Are appropriate procedures in place for disposing of or decontaminating PPE that has been contaminated with blood or other potentially infectious materials? |
Protecting the Head, Ears, and Eyes
At a construction site, almost anything can be a potential hazard. That is why it is of utmost importance that you wear your hard hat. Without it, falling objects could injure or kill you. A hat, especially one with reflective material on it, will make you more visible to others and lower the risk of injury to your head. Head injuries can range from cuts, scrapes, and bruises to concussions, seizures, and brain damage.
"Considering what can happen if anything hits your head, pardon the pun, but it is a no-brainer to be wearing your helmet," Bach said. "If a head injury fails to kill you, it can affect your health for the rest of your life."
This article originally appeared in the June 2007 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.