Personal protective equipment (PPE) is an essential component to any construction job, as it can help protect workers from potential hazards and serious injury. PPE includes items such as safety glasses, hard hats, high visibility clothing, gloves, protect footwear and more varying job to job. It is important that all workers on the site are properly equipped with the correct PPE to ensure their safety. When choosing which items of PPE to use, our team takes a high-level look at any potential hazards that they may face. From then, we ensure that we provide not only the proper PPE to our employees but also implement the proper training to make sure our employees are aware of the dangers that exist in the workplace. By taking all these necessary precautions, we can ensure the safety of our team members.

We know that wearing PPE can seem like a hassle at times, but it is only to protect our workers. You don’t need it until you need it! PPE can be the difference between life and death. Below is a quick look at some basic personal protective equipment that is used on our sites:

PPE for Construction Crews

Hard hats – These are essential at most construction sites. They protect against head injuries related to swinging or falling objects, striking the head against something, or accidental head contact with an electrical hazard. Hard hats should be inspected for dents, cracks, and other damage prior to each use; damaged ones should never be worn.

Foot protection – This often refers to steel-toe boots. Work boots should be worn on site that protect against crushed toes due to heavy or falling equipment or materials. They also need puncture-resistant, nonslip soles, as work surfaces can have sharp objects on them, and slips are a major hazard at the job site.

Reflective/high-visibility garments – Brightly colored and/or reflective jackets, vests, or other upper-body clothing is important for worker visibility. It’s generally advisable to wear it at all times at a job site, but it’s especially crucial along active roadways, in low lighting, and for dusk and nighttime work. In certain circumstances, it’s mandated by OSHA.

Face and/or eye protection – Safety glasses or face shields should be worn whenever there is a danger of flying debris or harmful dust getting in the eyes. Cutting, grinding, welding, chipping, and nailing are some activities that necessitate protective eyewear. Along with basic safety glasses, some other protective wear for the face include welding shields, chemical splash goggles, and dust goggles.

This certainly doesn’t cover all types of PPE. Personal fall protection, for example, is an entire class of personal protective equipment. There are numerous varieties for all types of elevated construction work. Respiratory protection is another important class at sites where workers are exposed to airborne hazards. Again, every job site and every task must be individually assessed for potential dangers, and workers must be made to wear appropriate personal protective equipment for the situation. Remember if you have question concerning PPE ask your supervisor or safety representative! At Milestone, we want each worker to arrive home safely to their families each night. We can ensure this by wearing the proper PPE and having safety training.

Richmond Safety Focus Meeting lead by Wayne Jester