Eye Protection | Ear Protection | Head and Face Protection | Respiratory Protection

1. Guide to Personal Protection At Workplaces Although the idea of wearing personal protection equipment(PPE) on the job ridiculed the workers decades ago, with the changing times and technology, this equipment, however, has become a requirement today by law. Hence, workplaces have now become much safer places to be. In 1970, with the passage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), the workplace safety and healthy working conditions have been ensured at large. In other words, OSHA determines the safety regulations for all U.S. businesses. This act regulates the use of hard hats, safety glasses or goggles, steel-toed boots, harnesses, protective clothing, and radioactivity badges. The PPE type required is determined by the nature of industry and job site. PPE as defined in the Regulations "all equipment which is intended to be worn or held by a person at work and which protects him against one or more risks to his health or safety," If work at a job could be a threat to one's health, OSHA will install the mandatory use of PPE in some form. It is the responsibility of the employer to take precautions against health threats in the workplace and also to educate the employees about safety hazards by supplying them with adequate protection equipment along with instructions on using the PPE correctly. In order to choose the right type of PPE, the different types of hazards in a workplace needs to be considered first. As a result, the assessment to which type of PPE are suitable to protect against the hazard and for the job to be can be made. There are a lot of things that are important to safety, the most important of which are mentioned below: Hats or doo rags -- Both are worn for the same purpose. While most hats protect both the head as well as the ears, A Doo rag is just a wrap that looks like a scarf and is wrapped around the head. In order to absorb sweat and resist sparks from the welding work, both the welding hat and doo rag is essential. Safety glasses or goggles -- If at the jobsite, one is exposed to flying debris, safety glasses are a must. They help to prevent any form of sparks, dust, or splashes. Earlier during 1950's, safety glasses were thick and not very useful whereas today's safety glasses are much more sophisticated. They are now made of polycarbonate which helps in making the glasses light-weight so that they are more impact resistant. These modern safety glasses helps to protect the eyes much better than the earlier versions. In fact, it is one of the most important PPE. Safety glasses have replaced goggles for quite many applications as the latter have a tendency to fog and also they are uncomfortable and cause difficulty to see through. With the advancement of the safety industry, safety glasses are of high quality now but most importantly, OSHA regulations often require their use to protect the employees from flying debris or caustic liquids on the job site. Boots -- They need to be primarily, fire retardant and have high tops as the boots will protect from sparks at the work place. They also need to be laced properly and the pant legs should be into the boots. These extra protections will keep one safe while welding.

2. Gloves -- A very essential part of a welder's clothing is his gloves. They help to protect your hands from sparks, burns and electric shock. Gloves can be found in form fitting models that enable your hands stay flexible and also can get them lined or unlined. Helmets -- A welding helmet has a variety of functions for safety. It not only protects the head and face from sparks but in addition it helps in protecting the eyes from the flash and intense heat of the flame. Since the shape of the helmet is opaque and its shell has to be resistant to heat and electricity; it protects the eyes from the light. The cover plate outside the helmet is made of polycarbonate that helps to protect from UV rays. General safety precautions -- Wearing the right clothes while welding is yet another most important factor. One needs to make sure that the worn clothes are made of 100% cotton or wool and the fabric is woven tightly. This will protect one against open flames and any hot metal that sparks. Wearing synthetics will be a big mistake as they are easy to catch on fire. Finally, "prevention is better than cure". Hence, it is always advisable to follow the guide to personal protection at work places. To add to this, usage of OSHA-approved personal protection equipment will ensure that one is adequately protected. Workplaces are much safer as a result of these laws.