An Industrial Personal Protective Equipment Guide

An industrial environment isn’t the safest workspace for your employees. They could be exposed to various harmful chemicals or work with dangerous materials. Sparks and steam may be a daily occurrence they have to deal with.

There are guidelines set in place to protect your workers. These include the addition of personal protective equipment or PPE. While it may seem like another extra cost, they can also help your people work more efficiently.

Here’s everything you need to know about PPE. 

What is Personal Protective Equipment?

So what exactly is personal protective equipment and what are your best options? 

PPE refers to anything you wear to protect yourself in the workplace. This can include the face, hand, body, and even hearing protection. 

For example, healthcare now requires nurses to wear face guards in addition to face masks. Both are necessary to prevent the spread of viruses. PPE in the construction industry can mean heavy-duty gloves, welding masks, and helmets.

Make sure to look up the requirements for your specific industry to find out what equipment you’ll need to buy. 

OSHA Requirements

OSHA, or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, has several requirements for industrial work. For example, you must have fire safety training and designated exit routes for emergencies. You also need first aid availability. 

The use of personal protective equipment is one of those requirements. What exactly you need to use depends on your industry and the type of work you do, though. 

To ensure compliance, consider reaching out to a company that offers safety training. Safety training will include process safety management, hazard communications, PPE, and more. 

Personal Protective Equipment Advantages

Personal protective equipment benefits your employees in many ways. 

For one, face masks can prevent staff from accidentally inhaling toxic airborne chemicals. This includes chemical cleaners and powders. Meanwhile, face shields can stop other chemicals from splashing into their eyes or mouth. 

Protective clothing also keeps a worker’s body protected from touching their skin which can help when handling corrosive agents. The appropriate hand protection can keep out biological hazards without limiting your movements.

When your people are safe, you save money. Your industrial plant won’t be down a person, and you won’t have to pay out worker’s compensation. 

Additionally, supplying your employees with PPE means you’re complying with OSHA standards. Compliance is necessary to protect yourself from legal problems in the case of an accident. 

Search for “personal protective equipment near me” to find some good deals in your area.

Equip Yourself For the Most Protection

Working with hazardous materials doesn’t mean you have to risk your health and safety. Personal protective equipment allows you to avoid worrying about touching or inhaling chemicals. 

Your workplace should require new employees to go through safety training. The ability to use protective equipment is important for meeting compliance standards. At RAK Industrial Services, we put the needs of our workforce first.

Contact us if you need any services like on-line leak repair, composite repairs, or more.