LEARNING TASK 1 : Describe safety gear and work clothing
LEARNING TASK 1 : Describe safety gear and work clothing
Personal protection
On the job site, workers need to wear special personal protective equipment. The equipment you wear will depend on the specific hazards you may expect to encounter. You may be supplied with all or some of the following equipment:
- goggles
- face shield
- gloves
- safety lock
- hard hat
- welder’s apron
- coveralls
- respirator
- hearing protection
- high-visibility vest
- body harness
Protective equipment can be divided into the following categories:
- head protection
- eye protection
- hearing protection
- respiratory protection
- hand and skin protection
- foot protection
- fall protection
Selecting PPE
All PPE clothing and equipment should feature a safe design and construction and should be well maintained. Workers should consider the fit and comfort of PPE when selecting appropriate items for their workplace. Most protective devices are available in multiple sizes, and care should be taken to select the proper size. If several different types of PPE are worn together, make sure they are compatible. PPE that does not fit properly can make the difference between being safely covered or dangerously exposed. It may not provide the level of protection desired and may discourage use.
Head protection
Hard hats protect workers where there is a hazard of head injury from falling, flying, or thrown objects, or other harmful contacts. The headband made of webbing inside the hat (also known as a hard hat’s suspension system) provides a space between the shell and your head, which lessens the impact of anything falling on your head. The headband is adjustable.
Most job sites require that hard hats be worn at all times while on the site. The shells of most hard hats are now almost always made from high-impact plastic, but a few are still made from metal alloys. Do not wear a metal alloy hard hat when working on electrical equipment.
Hard hat types
The proper type or class of hard hat required will vary for specific areas or for specific jobs. Different hard hats protect against different types of hazards, such as:
- banging your head on a sharp or hard object
- being hit by a falling object
- receiving a shock when working near electrical apparatus
Hard hats must have either CSA- or ANSI-approval. These standards are similar but not exactly the same. Many manufacturers have their head protection tested to meet both standards. These standards are divided into two types:
- Type 1 for top protection only
- Type 2 for top and lateral protection
Hard hats are also divided into three industrial classes:
- Class A hard hats provide impact and penetration resistance along with limited voltage protection (up to 2200 volts).
- Class B hard hats provide the highest level of protection against electrical hazards, with high-voltage shock and burn protection (up to 20 000 volts). They also provide protection from impact and penetration hazards by flying/falling objects.
- Class C hard hats pr