Personal Protective Equipment is there to keep you safe. These items can make all the difference between a minor injury and possible death. They should be supplied to you by your employer at the commencement of your contract, and replaced if they get damaged or worn through. While they are useful, it is important to note that there is still always a risk of incidents when wearing them, and injury may still occur, at which point you may want to speak with personal injury lawyers.
Storing your PPE in a safe manner, and generally looking after it, is vital to give it a chance of preventing any harm coming to you. Any tampering, bad care, or deliberate damage may lead to you needing to replace items out of your own pocket, rather than the company paying for replacements for you. Either way, problems with PPE should be reported immediately.
Something as simple as not banging or dropping your hard hat can stop it from becoming damaged, which can be crucial were something to hit you on the head. Companies may also prevent you from working on site should you present yourself without the correct PPE required.
The hard hat is vital in protecting your head as much as possible from damage. This can come from debris and other items falling and hitting you, but can also offer some protection if you yourself were to fall.
Other PPE that may help prevent physical workplace injuries include eye guards to avoid debris harming your sight, earplugs to prevent hearing loss from loud machinery, respirators in case of dust inhalation, as well as gloves and boots to help avoid any crushing, lacerations, or broken bones on the hands or feet.
Clothing that physically prevents potential injury is not the only thing that PPE covers. On some work sites, a lot of machinery and tools may be in use. Due to the fast paced nature of some of these environments, you may not always be easily seen if just in your standard uniform, particularly by individuals working on tall or large vehicles. Likewise, loud drills and other tools may make it difficult for you to be heard. That is why it is so important that you keep your high vis jacket on at all times. This will be brightly coloured, enabling your crewmates to be able to easily pick you out on site. The reflective strips will add to this effect, particularly when working at night or on the road, as lights will reflect and allow other people or road users to see you better.
While it may seem like a flimsy piece of highlighter-coloured material, it can provide you with the means to be visible to others, which could potentially avoid nasty accidents or vehicular incidents.
Your workplace may be full of dangers but, if you continue to use your PPE correctly, the level of risk you will be facing there can be dramatically reduced.
