The construction industry poses a number of different hazards to those who work in it. Getting every worksite task done in a way that’s safe and effective often relies on bringing the right equipment to bear. That includes the clothing we wear on the job.
Let’s take a look at a few of the more important items of workwear.
Eye Protection
When you’re operating drills, angle grinders and circular saws, there’s always the chance that a stray piece of shrapnel will fly out of the piece that you’re working on. Ordinarily, these aren’t all that dangerous. But there is a chance that one of these items will fly up and strike you in the eye. A pair of protective goggles will address this. This applies even to workers who wear glasses.
Ear Protection
Working long hours in a noisy environment can be seriously detrimental to your hearing. The worst part about it is that you might not register that damage is being inflicted until long after the fact, when it’s far too late to do anything about it. Wearing hearing protection is critical. This might come in the form of in-ear plugs, or cans which fit over the top of your head. Think about how much noise is being generated on-site. It might be that you’re exposed to danger, and you don’t realise it. Saws, drills, and other motorised equipment can all be dangerous over the long-term.
High-Visibility Clothing
On a construction site, it’s vital that you’re easily seen. This way, a sizeable proportion of accidents can be avoided. This is especially important if work is taking place under dark conditions – which, during winter, might well happen during normal working hours. High-visibility clothing tends to work via two components: fluorescent materials, which absorb light and dispense it over a long period, and reflective ones, which bounce the light from work-lamps and headlights around.
Clothing
The clothes you wear on a site will need to be comfortable, hard-wearing and breathable. They’ll need to offer special protection to your knees, especially if you’re spending a lot of time on all fours. Moreover, they’ll need to offer plenty of temporary holsters for tools and other pieces of equipment.
Foot Protection
The conditions underfoot on the average construction site tend to be some way short of ideal. For this reason, it’s important to wear heavy-duty boots with deep treads. This will reduce your chance of a slip.
Boots for construction workers should also be reinforced around the toe caps, and ideally the soles, too. This will reduce the damage when you drop something heavy on your feet. A brick might break a toe in an ordinary shoe, but it’ll bounce off one that’s reinforced.
