Every job comes with risks, but not all jobs pose threats to your physical well-being. If you work in an industry that often puts you in dangerous situations, then you must always be prepared for the worst to happen.
Wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) can help you stay safe while you work, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) mandates that you wear PPE in certain fields. With that in mind, here are a few tips on what to wear in a hazardous work environment.
Fire-Resistant Clothing
Wearing fire-resistant clothing while you work is imperative for keeping you safe. There are many industries that require workers to be in contact with oil, hot water, sparks, and fire.
Luckily, there are now many fashionable clothing options that resist fire, so you don’t have to settle for a special suit or form of safety gear. Nonetheless, suffering from severe burns is a potential danger you can face in any industrial job, so you should wear fire-resistant clothing to work to avoid having to dwell on this subject.
Head Gear
The brain is one of the most important organs, so protecting your head is critical for maintaining a safe working environment. One of the best precautions against head trauma is wearing a hard hat to work.
If you work in construction, mining, or an industry where falling objects are common, then you will want to wear a hard hat every day to keep your head protected. Also, hard hats with chin straps are a great option.
However, make sure you distinguish between the different types of chin straps. Thin chin straps are meant to keep the hat on your head, while plastic chin guards can prevent your jaw from shattering if you fall on your chin.
Other Safety Accessories
There are many other safety accessories out there that can protect different areas of your body. For instance, a hard hat can protect your head from a falling object, but you need to wear steel-toed boots on your feet if you want to avoid a broken toe. Also, industries that deal with harsh chemicals will often require you to wear gloves on your hands and goggles over your eyes to limit exposure.
Finally, working on a construction site or chemical refinery usually means dealing with constant loud noise. In this respect, wearing protective earmuffs or earplugs is vital for maintaining your hearing and sanity while you work.
Overall, protecting yourself while you work is your responsibility. So now that you know what to wear in a hazardous work environment, you should be able to pull this off with ease.
