Workplace Safety: Importance of Protective Work Wear

Workplace Safety

A good, productive workplace is the one in which all employees are safe, despite the nature of the hazards they are exposed to. Workplace safety encompasses a broad spectrum of aspects ranging from identifying all the potential hazards and getting all employees trained to procure, acquainting and enforcing the use of the necessary personal protective equipment.

List of Key Reasons Why Protective Workwear is a Must for Every Employee Safety

Protective work wear plays an important role in ensuring the safety of employees. Here are a few reasons why protective workwear should be a must in any work setting:-

1. To protect against head injuries

Head injuries are common in any workplace that involves the use of heavy equipment. For instance, workers in mines or at construction sites often end up injuring their heads by accidentally hitting or being hit by heavy objects.

Head injuries can often cause irreparable damage to the brain and result in fatalities. The use of safety helmets can provide the right protection to the head and help reduce the impact of the blow greatly.

2. To protect against foot and leg injuries

The heavy objects that can inflict head injuries can very well cause injuries to the feet and legs as well. The use of safety shoes is also essential to this avail. Safety shoes and safety boots can protect the feet and legs of the workers against injuries resulting from punctures.

The punctures are often caused by sharp objects and protrusions that pierce through the soles of the shoes and tear at the skin of the feet. Furthermore, many safety boots rise above the ankle and extend up to the calves, providing protection to a major part of the legs.

3. To protect against eye injuries

Activities such as welding often expose workers to sparks and spatter that can cause heavy damage to vision. Also, many woodworking and metalworking activities expose workers to the risk of injuries caused by projectiles. Safety glasses, face masks and shields, can be used to stay safe whilst performing such tasks that run the risk of causing damage of such nature to the eyes.

4. To protect against respiratory ailments

Many workplaces expose workers to toxic fumes and gases. Respiratory masks can come to the rescue of workers working in such settings. It is, in fact, not just the presence of toxic gases that demand that respiratory protection be worn by the workers, but also the presence of dust particles that remain suspended in air and enter the respiratory tracts of the workers that make the use of respiratory protection a necessity.

5. To protect against injuries to the hands

Safety gloves can be worn to protect hands against chemical splashes, cuts, and sparks from welding and similar activities. Safety gloves come in a variety of materials and are used in accordance with the task they are used for.

Final Words

Furthermore, it is important that adequate safety measures be enforced and all workers are provided with the right personal protective equipment because it is very ethical to do so. All business owners ought to be ethical in their operational practices.