Page 36 - Occupational Health & Safety, November/December 2019

VISION PROTECTION
amount of protection the gloves provide and the durability of the gloves in the long-term.
Specific types of gloves are available for a wide range of work- place environments including commercial and residential con- struction, light manufacturing, landscaping, material handling, warehousing, mechanical repair, oil and gas light duty, heavy man- ufacturing, and more. Your PPE solutions provider can advise you on the best model for the tasks required.
Protective Garments
Even with proper training, employees who are required to wear specialized PPE for long, grueling hours might avoid wearing items they consider uncomfortable, which can put them in harm’s way. Recent innovations in garment materials now make it possible to meet the demand for more lightweight and comfortable safety gar- ments that meet or exceed the safety standards achieved by their bulkier predecessors.
For example, people have become accustomed to wearing gar- ments made of soft, breathable materials in their free time. Now these technological advances are making their way into workers’ safety garments. Certain kinds of coveralls are now made with con- ductive fibers that actively move heat away from the skin and cre- ate an instant cooling sensation—a distinct advantage for workers where they are exposed to excessive heat.
Other features to look for in safety garments, depending on workers’ needs, include flame resistance, water and wind resistance,
oil resistance, welding protection, non-sparking zippers, electric arc flash technologies and anti-static properties. Also check for fea- tures that keep workers comfortable on the job, such as 360-degree shoulder movement and added venting.
Protective Footwear
It is important to understand the unique hazards of the job and find purpose-built footwear to protect your employees. Workers in industrial settings must have protective footwear according to OSHA. And while OSHA dictates the use of PPE, ASTM Interna- tional (formerly known as American Society for Testing and Mate- rials) sets the performance requirements.
The most widely recognized safety footwear standard in the U.S. today is ASTM F2413-18. The ASTM F2413-18 standard con- tains basic requirements to assess footwear including:
■ Impact resistance for the toe area
■ Compression resistance for the toe area
■ Metatarsal protection for the metatarsal bones at the top of
the foot
■ Conductive properties to reduce static electricity buildup
and lower the possibility of ignition of explosives, volatile chemi- cals or fine particulates in the air
■ Electric hazard protection when accidentally stepping on live electric wires
■ Static dissipative properties to reduce hazards that result from a buildup of static charge where there is risk of accidental
Circle 8 on card.
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