Page 32 - Occupational Health & Safety, April 2019

FOOT PROTECTION
Providing the proper PPE is only the first step. If employees don’t know when or how to use it, the items are useless.
tion, manufacturing, transportation, etc.—the automotive industry must take careful PPE precautions because of the dozens of poten- tial hazards present at the automotive plants. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported1 in 2011 that “workers in the automobile and light duty motor vehicle manufacturing industry experience higher rates of injury and illness than do workers in most other industries.”
The most crucial PPE components that matter most for the au- tomotive industry in particular are:
Foot Protection
Foot protection comes in many forms, as workers have to protect themselves against metatarsal breakage and plantar fascia strain. Metatarsal breakage can occur when working in an auto plant be- cause workers are constantly expected to perform repetitive tasks, including heavy lifting and operating dangerous machinery. All of these actions can lead to heavy machinery and objects falling on one’s foot and shattering the metatarsals and phalanges.
Employers need to provide PPE that can aid in this scenario, in the event of an object striking an individual’s foot. Work boots should provide full coverage of the foot. Those who do not work full time in the auto factory, visitors, and management should utili-
ze composite-toed overshoes2 as a precaution. Composite-toe over- shoes are 25 percent lighter than regular steel-toe overshoes and are a cost-effective alternative for workplaces that cannot provide everyone with work boots.
Plantar Fascia Strain is another common culprit of employee pain. At an auto plant, workers are standing on their feet all day, which often leads to discomfort and even strains. Providing wor- kers with dual-layer anti-fatigue memory foam insoles3 not only provides tremendous comfort for all-day standing, but also redu- ces the risk of foot disorders, pain, and strains. As a bonus, look for insoles that have shock absorption. Anti-fatigue insoles that provide shock absorption allow energy to be absorbed by the in- sole when something strikes the foot, which decreases the energy that would otherwise be absorbed by the joints and soft tissue. Providing workers with personal anti-fatigue insoles reduces pain, fatigue and health care costs while increasing productivity and employee engagement.
Grinding, machining, sanding, and riveting all call for safety spectacles that have side shields. Molten metal requires faceshields due to high likelihood of splashing.
Eye and Face Protection
Because auto plant workers are around molten metal, liquid chemi- cals, and flying particles from welding, eye and face protection are extremely vital. The first step in avoiding this is for employers to engineer administrative controls in these environments, such as using machine guards and shields between workstations or around specific machines. While these barriers can help initially, it is still important for all employees who work around these materials to have protective goggles or faceshields if they are working in direct contact with the material.
There is a wide variety of eyewear and face PPE to choose from, and it is suggested that the employer identify all of the potential safety hazards and choose the proper PPE that checks all of those boxes. For example:
■ Grinding, machining, sanding, and riveting all call for safety spectacles that have side shields.
■ Molten metal requires faceshields due to high likelihood of splashing.
■ Sanding or other dusty operations are best served with goggles.
■ Welding jobs require helmets, ideally with a lift-front win- dow, to protect against molten metal splashes and potential burns.
Hearing Protection
One of the most overlooked PPE items across all industries is hearing protection. Workers at an auto plant may be exposed to extremely loud noises on a daily basis, which can likely result in hearing impairment. To best combat this, companies must start at the source. Start by enclosing loud machinery within a sound-in- sulated barrier and installing anti-vibration machine mountings when possible. If isolating these machines is not an option, other means include: installing panels with noise dampening material throughout the workspace, fitting silencers to exhaust systems,
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