When it comes to dangerous jobs, working on a construction site is always going to be near the top of the list. The number of things that can go wrong on a construction site is nearly endless, and many of these issues can result in serious harm and even death.
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Things like jobsite injuries, natural disasters, and poor construction can strike a construction team at any moment. This is why it is important to make every effort to ensure that a construction site and the team working on it are as safe as they can possibly be.
In order to protect the people working on a construction site, there are five pieces of safety equipment that all members must have ready at all times. Must-have items are protective eyewear, work boots, gloves, a hard hat, and ear protection.
Protective Eyewear
The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends that all people working on a construction site wear safety glasses to protect their eyes from harm, as well as face masks when necessary. The eyes are essential organs and the most sensitive. Clear vision also helps workers avoid dangers to other parts of their bodies, and that is what makes protective yet convenient eyewear on a construction site a necessity.
Without eye protection, a worker runs the risk of having debris fly into his or her eyes. If something gets into a worker’s eyes, this not only increases the chances of that worker becoming injured but also increases the risk of other workers being injured accidentally by that worker.
Eyewear should be fog-resistant, have some sort of material around the eyebrow to block sweat from dripping into the eye, and have prescription lenses if necessary.
Work Boots
Work boots are another extremely important part of safety when on a construction site. They are also listed on OSHA’s recommended construction gear list. Proper work boots prevent nails from puncturing the soles and stabbing a worker’s foot while working. They also provide a very strong grip to prevent any slipping from occurring. They should be fitted properly to the worker’s feet, and they should provide good protection against electrical hazards.
Good boots are vital on a construction site, as one small slip, or one small nail, can cause workers to completely lose control and become a danger to themselves and everyone around them.
Gloves
Some of the most common injuries that occur on a construction site happen to the hands. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that the hands be protected at all times. A proper pair of work gloves will protect a worker’s hands against many of the dangers that can occur on a site. These dangers include scrapes, punctures, splinters, and even severance. A strong pair of gloves can be the difference between a slight cut and losing a few fingers.
On top of all of this, gloves serve as protection against cold weather, which can cause hands to tighten up, and against hot weather, which can cause hands to sweat and become very slippery and dangerous.
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Hard Hats
Arguably, the most important piece of safety equipment for a construction worker is the hard hat. The hard hat is the piece of equipment that most people universally connect with construction work, and for good reason. The head protects the brain. This is why OSHA requires that all construction workers wear hard hats at all times and that these hats are routinely inspected for dents and other problems.
Hard hats are needed to protect workers from concussions and other types of brain damage. There are a lot of moving parts on a construction site, and a hard hat ensures that if one of those parts accidentally connects with a worker’s head, the chances of surviving the blow are high.
Ear Protection
Construction sites are very loud. There are often machines that are pounding and cutting with tremendous force, and tremendous force requires a lot of power. This kind of power can be deafening. Good pairs of earmuffs that can cancel out the noise of chainsaws and jackhammers are necessary to avoid ear damage.
These five must-have items are all crucial to staying safe on a construction site. Each one can potentially protect the lives and well-being of the worker who is wearing them. Construction sites are some of the most dangerous places on the planet, but with these five pieces of safety gear, everyone can come out of an accident unscathed.
| Mark Slater is a versatile writer with extensive experience creating interesting, engaging, and unique articles in a broad variety of industries. |