Warehouses are regulated by Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) standards to protect warehouse workers from work injuries. There is a high risk of injury for workers working in such environment with all the machines and wooden pallets. As such, workers are required to don protective gears when working in warehouses for their own safety. In this article, we will be looking at some of the commonly used protective gears out there.
Safety shoes
Safety shoes are often a compulsory protective gear that is required in places that poses a risk for foot injuries. Safety shoes have steel toes of different grades and they are able to protect against electrical hazards. The steel toes will protect the wearer against any impact or punctures from falling equipment and protect them from a full electrical shock. They also offer anti slip soles which prevents the wearers from slipping and falling in the workplace. Some safety shoes are also free of static so that they do not interfere with sensitive equipments in the workplace.
Safety eyewear
Our vision is probably the most important of our senses and we should always protect our eyes. In workplaces which pose a safety hazard to the eyes, safety eyewear should always be worn. Safety eyewear protects against accidental chemical splashes and dust irritants. They also help to protect against any flying particles.
Safety helmet
Safety helmets help to protect the wearer against any accidental knocks against hard surfaces and debris. Some safety helmets are also electrical insulators, protecting the wearer against accidental contact with an exposes electrical cable. However, safety helmets are unable to protect against any impact such as a falling object.
Protective gloves
Protective gloves provide a barrier between the hands and the objects, protecting against any accidental cuts or nicks. Since the work equipment may be rusty, any cuts can cause nasty infections leading to more serious complications. Workers who are required to work on equipment for long periods of time are required to wear gloves.
Protective earplugs
Workers who work in places with loud machinery are required to wear protective earplugs to protect their ear drums. Prolonged periods of exposure to loud machinery will cause the ear drums to burst and subsequently going deaf.
Above is the introduction to common protective equipment in the workplace. There are measures in place to protect the workers and as a worker; you are required to comply with the rules and requirement. Do not think that using protective equipment is time consuming. It will protect you in the most unexpected situation.
