The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a variety of suggestions and guidelines for safety at construction sites, including the kinds of personal protective equipment (PPE) workers should wear.
Here is a quick summary of those PPE recommendations.
- Facial protection: Workers should wear face shields or safety glasses any time there is a risk of foreign objects getting in the eye. This is especially important for welding, cutting or grinding, or when working with harmful chemicals or substances. The specific kinds of facial protection workers use will depend on the anticipated hazards of their particular job site and responsibilities.
- Hand protection: Workers should wear the proper gloves for the job they’re taking on. Heavy-duty rubber gloves are ideal for concrete work, insulated gloves and sleeves are good for electrical work, and welding gloves must be used for welding. All gloves should fit snugly.
- Foot protection: Workers should wear shoes or boots that have slip- and puncture-resistant soles. Steel- or safety-toed footwear is also ideal for preventing crushed toes when working with heavy equipment or if falling objects are a possibility on the job site.
- Head protection: All workers should wear hard hats if there is any risk of objects falling from above, or bumping the head into fixed objects. Hard hats must be routinely inspected for any damage or deterioration, and should be replaced if they have been exposed to heavy blows or electrical shocks.
- Hearing protection: Workers should wear earmuffs or earplugs in high-noise work environments. This is particularly beneficial when using chainsaws or certain types of heavy equipment. Earplugs should be regularly cleaned and/or replaced.
For more OSHA guidelines about construction safety and to learn how those regulations could impact your accident case, contact an experienced Bradenton, FL personal injury lawyer at Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez & Walsh.