The Essential PPE You Need to Stay Safe on the Job

PPE (personal protective equipment) is one of the most important things an employee should wear. PPE is the first thing workers need to wear as they can deal with a number of hazards daily, increasing their risks of injuries and illnesses.

As the name suggests, this equipment is specially designed to offer the utmost protection against workplace hazards like chemical, biological, physical and even airborne agents. All in all, this equipment can certainly improve safety in the workplace, and more importantly it will reduce the chance of getting injured or ill at the workplace.

Essential Safety Items

High Visibility Work Shirts

source: bisleyworkwear.com.au

When it comes to choosing work shirts hi-vis models are among the most commonly used for many reasons. Aside from being durable, quality and longer lasting than regular shirts, work shirts hi-vis models increase the visibility of the one wearing them, ensuring that they stay visible all the time, even under dark and poor visibility circumstances. 

The high–vis shirts create a safer working environment, making employees feel safer even when working under dangerous circumstances. The reflective harnesses on these shirts can help them stay visible, so workers can remain calm and more productive when working on site. These shirts are also a great option for roadside workers where vehicle traffic is present and they still need to work. 

Thanks to these reflective shirts, workers can stay easily visible, which reduces the number of accidents, especially when working under dark circumstances. This is the reason why every driver needs to have a high-vis vest in their vehicle as well, so when in need to pull over on the road (because of a flat tyre or some other vehicle-related problem), he/she can put on the vest and stay visible for the other drivers. 

An important thing you should know when in the search for high-vis shirts is to consider high visibility standards and their levels, which are:

• Class 1 – lowest visibility level and should only be used in minimal risk zones and not in workplaces where high visibility is mandatory.
• Class 2 – medium visibility level, ideal for road workers, people working near vehicles and public safety personnel. The shirt should have two 50mm bands around the body or one band around the body and braces to both shoulders.
• Class 3 – the highest visibility level, and these shirts need to have two bands of reflective tape around the body. They should be long-sleeved with reflective tape on the sleeves and reflective braces on both shoulders.

Safety Pants

Speaking of pants, before considering any possible type, you should first know that all of them should have a reflective tape over them. In other words, they should be high-visibility for the same purposes as shirts. Speaking from another point of view, you can choose from the large selection of work clothes like pants, jeans and dungarees. The chosen work pants should work for you, and they should contain all the needed pockets and features that will hold up your daily work essentials.

Safety Boots

source: bisleyworkwear.com.au

Safety boots are as essential as the aforementioned types of gear. Whether working in the construction industry, on the road or anywhere where accidents and injuries on your job are common, protecting your shoes is the best thing you can do. Generally speaking, work boots should be slip-resistant and waterproof, however, they should also offer increased protection against physical injuries caused by falling objects. 

For this reason, you should choose a design containing a steel cap or plastic cap to provide improved protection from falling objects. While the most common choice is steel toe boots, when dealing with electricity and fear of falling objects, it would be great to pick ones with plastic caps for reduced chances of electricity interfering with the boots steel toe cap.

Eye Protection

Protective eyewear is just one of the most essential PPE parts used by workers. As the name suggests, this protective eyewear is used for protecting the eyes in different work environments. Usually coming in the form of goggles, these eye protective items are designed to shield the eyes from hazards like chemical splashes, flying debris, dust, and harmful radiation.

Head and Ear Protection

Hard hats or helmets are another essential part of the construction industry. They are mandatory for workplace safety as they are the only way to protect the head against head injuries. These protective helmets are specially designed to withstand everything, especially the impact of falling objects, overhead hazards and accidental collisions. 

In simple words, they are the only shield against potentially life-threatening injuries. But let’s not forget about ear protection, as this is as essential as the rest of the equipment. Earplugs and earmuffs designed for the purpose are specially made to reduce the risk of noise-induced hearing loss caused by exposure to extremely loud noise.

Work Gloves

Last but not least type of gear to take into account is work gloves. They are designed to protect the hands from sharp objects, chemicals and extreme temperatures. Investing in the right gloves will help you improve your safety and comfort.