Page 33 - Occupational Health & Safety, April 2019

Employers need to provide PPE that can aid in the event of an object striking an individual’s foot. Work boots should provide full coverage of the foot.
creation of the Personal Anti-Fatigue Mat (PAM) Insole, Dr. Orvitz and his revolu- tionary designs have paved the way for employees to experience enhanced comfort and decreased pain and fatigue, creating a safer and more productive workplace. With more than 15 years of experience in various industries, he has studied all aspects of biomechanics and the human body, specifically the lower body and feet. As the costs of absenteeism and injuries skyrockets, Dr. Orvitz has now positioned MEGAComfort as an innovative, leading- edge company that brings new technologi- cal health solutions to the workplace to help decrease employee risks and employer medical costs.
REFERENCES
1. https://www.bls.gov/spotlight/2011/auto/ 2. http://megacomfort.com/products/mega-
composite-toe-overshoe/
3. http://megacomfort.com/products/personal- anti-fatigue-mat/
or providing acoustic screens. Regularly scheduled maintenance is also important to ensure equipment is running smoothly and not making unnecessary noises.
Once the preliminary measures are taken, employers need to offer supplemen- tal hearing protection, such as ear plugs or ear muffs. In workspaces in which noise levels exceed 85 decibels (which many auto plants do), workers are at a higher risk of hearing loss over time. This is why it is so crucial to take the measures of not only keeping loud machines as far away from the workers as possible, but offering this second source of added protection so workers can guard their eardrums from the sound percussions.
Protective Apparel
Auto plant workers are exposed to a va- riety of harsh environments that require all-over protective gear. Employers should provide the following PPE apparel: aprons, coveralls, coats, pants, hats, hoods, sleeves, gloves, and totally encapsulating chemical protective suits.
When deciding what apparel to pur- chase, it is important to select clothing based upon its ability to resist different agents, such as flames, chemicals, and sharp objects.
In general, there are several types of fabric to defer to when buying PPE apparel: ■ Wool—fire resistant and comfortable ■ Leather—protects against flames
and dry heat
■ Heavy fabrics—puncture resistant,
protects against heavy and sharp materials ■ Rubber—protects against chemicals Beyond providing the correct type of
apparel, it is also important to specify that workers avoid wearing dangling jewelry or loose-fitting clothing and not wear their hair long.
One key component of health and safe- ty practices is the use of PPE, as it is one of the only defenses against workplace haz- ards. The first thing a company must com- plete to ensure the highest safety standard is a hazard assessment. Once all hazards are determined, the correct protective equip- ment can be decided on. However, provid-
ing the proper PPE is only the first step. If employees don’t know when or how to use it, the items are useless.
Training workers is vital in making sure the PPE is doing its job in protect- ing the users. The training should include educating workers on: when protection is necessary, how to properly wear and adjust the protective items, the limitations, and proper care and maintenance. It is impor- tant that employers constantly provide and educate their employees on PPE because when a machine malfunctions or a human error is made, the added protection aids in reducing injury and can even prevent death.
Dr. Kevan Orvitz is a veteran Podiatrist and the founder of MEGAComfort (http:// megacomfort.com/), a workplace health and wellness company. Best known for his
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