The Importance of PPE in the Construction Industry

Construction sites are full of potential hazards such as slips and trips, falling, exposure to respiratory hazards, excessive noise, electrical incidents, and handling bulky or sharp materials. While employers are obligated to do what they can to make the workplace safer, many of these hazards are simply part of the construction landscape. That’s why it’s crucial that workers wear personal protective equipment (PPE). Keep reading to learn more about the types of protection PPE provide in the construction industry and why it’s important.

Head, Eye, and Face Protection

Some PPE protects a construction worker’s head, eyes, and face. A hard hat protects your head from falling, low-hanging, and projectile objects. Face shields and safety glasses protect a worker’s eyes and face from debris and foreign objects from welding, grinding, cutting, nailing, and other processes.

Hand Protection

Construction workers handle materials manually and with machines every day. Wearing PPE gloves is important for your hands’ protection as you work with chemicals, sheet metal, glass, or other construction materials common in the industry. Work gloves act like a second skin that protect hands from absorbing harmful substances and suffering from punctures, burns, and cuts or lacerations.

Foot Protection

PPE footwear comes in many forms to protect a worker’s feet. As with all types of PPE, and in any industry, the type of shoes you wear depend on your work tasks and environment. Footwear with puncture-resistant material reduces the probability of sharp objects penetrating the bottom of the shoe and damaging the wearer’s feet. Slip-resistant soles increase the footwear’s grip on slick surfaces, helping to prevent workers from falling or slipping; and guards on the outside of the shoe protect the foot from getting crushed by heavy objects.

General Body Protection

The more skin you show on the construction site, the more likely you are to get cut, have something spill directly on you, or receive damage from sun exposure. PPE clothes such as coveralls, aprons, splash suits, jackets, vests, and full-body suits are made to protect the worker’s body while on a construction site.

High-visibility personal protective equipment such as vests, shirts, and hoodies make the wearer more visible at night and in low-light conditions. Retro-reflective materials and fluorescent dye are two popular elements of hi-vis clothing. This workwear can help to prevent accidents, especially around moving vehicles or machinery. That said, your PPE doesn’t have to be the same boring style. Check out our custom hi-vis shirts and upgrade your PPE today.