Highway work zones carry a number of potential hazards. Consider safety issues that come with construction jobs in general and then factor in high speed traffic, night time work, exposure to the elements how much wood is left and additional hazards that road crews face. Personal protective equipment, or PPE, is essential on the job site, along with safe working procedures and engineering guards, to ensure worker safety.
The list of hazards for road crews is long, so here is a checklist of industrial supplies and the industrial clothing that will serve as PPE.
Industrial Clothing As PPE
The clothing that workers wear on the job counts for a large portion of comprehensive personal protection equipment. Industrial clothing covers the majority of the body and with the right materials and accessories will provide a significant layer of protection. At the basic level, heavy duty apparel will provide protection against cuts and abrasions along with weather and temperature conditions.
Industrial clothing is the foundation of visibility on the job site. When working at night or during either of the twilight rush hours, motorists traveling at highway speeds will have difficulty spotting workers and stopping their vehicles if necessary. In fact, motorists non ferrous metals business will need about 1200 feet of stopping distance. High visibility clothing is designed to offer roadside visibility up to a minimum of 1200 feet. Visibility work standards require the use of retro-reflective materials on the chest, arms, and legs to outline a worker.
Specialty apparel is also used to address other hazards on the job. Even in construction, there are fire hazards present. Gasoline and diesel fuels all have the potential to emit flammable vapors that can ignite if not stored correctly. Paints and solvents are also flammable along with resins and epoxies. Hot work carries the potential of flash fires and arc fires, both of which occur in only an instant but are still life-threatening. Flame resistant clothing and coatings will reduce the severity of fire and heat related injuries. Self-extinguishing, non conductive and non flammable materials and coatings will save lives.
Integrating Head, Face, And Eye Protection
Safety culture has come a long way over the years and one of the best advances has been the ubiquitous use of hard hats. Across every job site, workers are wearing hard hats around the clock, offering the best protection against nearly any impact blow to the head. Hard hats have also evolved to being able to support a number of personal protective functions with accessories and attachments.
Being able to integrate many safety features into one piece of equipment is essential for ensuring good safety practices and that PPE is actually used as instructed. Hardhats can be outfitted with ear plugs, ear muffs, face shields, goggles, and welder’s masks in order to extend protection to the face, eyes, and ears.
When using PPE to protect these vital areas, all equipment needs to be routinely inspected. Hardhats should be replaced after sustaining any major blow, even if it does not appear to be damaged. Do not drill holes into a hard hat or clean them with strong detergents or solvents. Avoid using paint or stickers on them as well. Always get a new hard hat after the expiration date; even the sun’s UV rays can break down plastic over a long enough period of time.
The same procedures apply to face and eye protection. Safety eyewear needs to provide protection to the front and side of the face and should fit securely. Any damaged equipment should be replaced and any glasses that have become too scratched as to impede vision need to be swapped out as well.
Fall Protection Industrial Supplies
Falling hazards are also a major concern on highway jobs. Whether work is being done on a bridge, poles or lights are being installed, or trenches are being dug for underground work, the potential for an injury due to a fall has to be addressed.
Fall arrest systems and lanyards are the best protection against falls, but only if they are used properly. Boyd belts should only be used for positioning and not for fall protection. Lanyards have to be securely tied off to a structure that can support at least five times the weight of the worker and need to be secured above his head. The guideline for the minimum height where fall protection is required continues to come down, and some standards are beginning to suggest even a potential fall of four feet requires protection. Always stay up to date on the latest local, state, and federal laws.
A safe job site requires that, for every hazard, some form of protection and prevention has to be provided. Making of checklist of all of the necessary industrial supplies makes it easier to provide that level of safety on any job site.
