The Right Industrial Apparel, Footwear, And Safety Equipment Makes All The Difference

Working with industrial equipment often entails a certain degree of hazard

. Engineering practices and work methods are put into place to mitigate the chances of worker injury, lost time, or death. Even with hazards that are engineered to be as safe as possible, one last line of defense is employed. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is the lynchpin in worker safety programs. For every hazard that has the potential to cause an accident, there is corresponding protective or preventative equipment designed to protect workers and mitigate harm.

This concept is nothing new to most workers or industrial hygienists. However, one component of PPE is often overlooked. Industrial apparel complements all types of PPE and is often the difference between an injury and a near miss. Careful examination of the clothing that workers wear will reveal further opportunities to offer better protection and prevent accidents.

The Right Fit

The first rule of effective industrial apparel is fit. Industrial equipment with moving parts has the potential to snag loose clothing and pull a worker's arm or entire body into a machine. There are over 200 fatalities a year and forty thousand amputations as a direct result of a worker being pulled into a machine during operation. Any loops, clasps, lanyards, or hanging material from clothing should be either removed or engineered to break away. On the other hand, clothing has to offer a sufficient range of motion and not be constricting.

Many employers utilize uniform services to make sure clothing is the right size and to eliminate the need for people to have to borrow apparel from coworkers.

Industrial Apparel -- Head to Toe

All pieces of clothing should be thought of as a barrier against workplace hazards. Industrial equipment can have sharp edges, abrasive surfaces, hot or cold spots, or moving parts that have the potential to cause injury. For this reason, clothing should be made from heavy-duty fiber and thread with reinforced seams to prevent rips and tears. Just as a hardhat offers a protective barrier for the head, so should industrial apparel. It is not enough to merely protect the eyes or the hands or just the face, there should be no exposed body parts at all, from head to toe.

Good practices for protecting the face, neck, and head include wraps and hoods similar to what landscapers use to protect against wood chips and stones that can be kicked up into the face. Coveralls, sweats, shirts, and pants should cover the majority of the body surface. For the chemical industry, industrial apparel should also be water resistant to protect against splashes and spills and used in addition to facemasks, chemical aprons, gloves, and splash suits. Redundant layers are never wasteful when it comes to safety.

The feet and ankles are another area of the body that will see a lot of work during the day that are often overlooked. Workers are on their feet the entire day, so the appropriate footwear will promote occupational health and prevent long-term back injury and disability in addition to protecting the feet. Steel toe boots offer the best all-around protection, including impact and crushing blows to the toes and foot, ankle support to prevent sprains, and treads to stop slips, trips, and falls.

Putting durable industrial apparel on every part of the body is the final touch for any PPE setup.

Specialty Industrial Apparel

Every industry has its own special needs and unique hazards. In addition to the above guidelines, each worksite should be evaluated for specific hazards that may require additional specifications for apparel.

Low visibility work environments, construction and traffic work, and outdoor and nighttime jobs all mandate high visibility clothing. This includes brightly colored vests, reflective materials or strips, and battery operated lights if necessary. Any job site that performs a lot of hot work or contains flammable chemicals and materials should invest in flame resistance clothing. High temperatures, flash fires, and arc fires can generate enough heat to melt clothing to flesh. Flame resistant threads and coatings will protect a worker from these conditions long enough to escape the area. Be cautioned that even flame resistant clothing will not allow a person to walk through fire or withstand prolonged exposure. Even the gear that firefighters wear is not that perfect.

Overall, industrial apparel is the last line of defense against injury when working with industrial equipment. Even in the safest work places or when working in the home, protection is always required. Everything that a worker wears should be contributing to his or her overall personal safety.

by:Chris Harmen

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