A Quintessential Guide to PPE or Personal Protection Equipment

When it comes to working environments and factory floors, one of the most visible appliances is personal protection equipment or PPE.  These equipment are usually worn by the factory workers and employees  to protect themselves from any injury and to minimize any chance of  exposure to extreme occupational hazards. Some of the most common  examples of PPE are aprons, gloves, foot, eye and head gears, fall  protection and safety jackets. Though here we would be talking about  mostly PPE, it should be well understood that the utilization of such  equipment is just one element in a comprehensive safety program that  includes several other strategies for the safety of employees and to  maintain a secure work environment. But the mere presence of personal  protection equipment on a person’s body doesn’t guarantee the complete  safety as it doesn’t eliminate the hazard itself. Now let’s talk about  the essential elements of personal protection equipment.

More Powerful Together: Overcoming Resistance to Diversity & Inclusion

I love March! It’s the time of year when gender equality is on the radar thanks to International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month. Businesses are keen to promote events and initiatives, individuals get to celebrate achievements and status quos are scrutinised and challenged. It’s a time that fills me with optimism for the future. Which is particularly important to me this year as it’s the first International Women’s Day I get to celebrate with my four-month-old daughter.

Whilst I get excited about International Women’s Day, I know not everyone I work with shares my sentiments. I work with leaders in the resource, construction and energy sectors to shift cultures and lift performance in a range of areas including operational efficiency, safety and inclusive leadership. I have been working in these industries for over a decade and whilst I’m proud that diversity and inclusion has become a strategic focus for most companies, I have noticed a growing resentment or pushback in individuals when the topic of gender equality, domestic violence, #MeToo or any other related subject is raised.

Keep Your Feet Protected with Safety Boots

If it comes to counting the different ways of how safety shoes can give your feet complete protection, you may have to use all your fingers and toes as well. Probably, you might need to list down the facts as safety boots do more than simply keeping your feet safe. Now, most of the physical work that is done in a factory or construction site keeps workers on their feet most of the time. And in such instances, if the footwear isn’t comfortable or is of the wrong size, it can directly impact the performance and productivity of the workers. That’s why it is very important to have shoes of the right size and of industrial quality so that feet are not just safe, but workers are also comfortable.

While working on a construction site or manufacturing unit, one is always prone to several kinds of risks such as slips, fall hazards or electrical accidents. No matter what kind of work you do, the right kind of footwear always keeps you protected from injuries. Now, you would be wondering as to what are the qualities of high quality, industrial boot. Today, we are going to cover these qualities; so, let us get started.

·         Waterproof: Sometimes, construction workers have to work continuously at the construction site under a heavy downpour. Or they might have to walk-in knee-deep waters to take care of a broken pipe. During such kind of situations, it is the boots that keep feet safe from rainy, mucky conditions while keeping them warm and dry.

·         Electrostatic Dissipating: The last thing that anybody would want while working is getting an electric shock. And such a chance can be easily reduced by using boots that are electrostatic dissipating. Moreover, they also provide essential protection against gases and flammable materials. But before going for these shoes, ensure that they match the hazard level.

·         Heat Resistant: Do you work where inside temperature is quite high due to machines or manufacturing operations? Then, you would want to go for shoes that have heat-resistant soles. Such kind of soles easily provide protection up to 572⁰ F.

·         Protective Insulation: Any wintery day with lots of ice, snow, and sleet can make things tough for you, especially when you are working on a construction site. Men safety footwear with synthetic insulation keeps your toes protected from hypothermia while keeping them warm against such bitter elements.

·         Puncture Resistant: The floor of any manufacturing unit or construction site has numerous items strewn across, some of them pretty sharp with the potential to harm anyone badly. Safety shoes with puncture-resistant soles ensure that your feet are protected from any stab through the shoes.

·         Slip Resistant: Last, but not the least, industry safety shoes available online are slip-resistant. A good safety shoe should give you a firm grip while walking, moving swiftly or lifting something. A slight trip or slip on some oil can lead to some disastrous repercussions. Such soles keep you firmly planted.

With that being said, these are some of the qualities of safety boots. Ensure that the safety boots you have selected have all these qualities. Want to know more about these equipment and safety standards? Then, stay tuned with us.

PPE for Females: Creating Our Own Space

Before even starting with the piece, let’s take a hard look at the PPE industry and market; while manufacturing such gears and safety equipment, nothing is equal. Ask any women from the associated industry and she would grimly testify to the fact that safety vests, safety masks, boots, eye wears and every other equipment is primarily designed for males. In such conditions, finding a size that would fit a female is almost impossible. Getting safety equipment for eyes, feet, face and hands that fit perfectly and are comfortable is definitely an absolute challenge, but women out there are facing a much graver issue. Usually, PPE and other safety equipment like safety buffers and safety suits are designed for males. Finding the equivalent size for females doesn’t give the sheer comfort and practicality that is usually required to give your best during the work.

Several moves have been made by various PPE organizations to support females in such kinds of jobs, but we are very from the target. This is one of the aspects of the ongoing debate of gender-balanced workplaces, gender balance of employees, and gender balance in salaries. For females to have true and actual equal opportunities in sectors like construction and manufacturing, PPE manufacturers need to address the requirement of PPE specially designed for females.

Safety Footwear:

In order to adjust with ill-fitted safety footwear that is meant for males, several female workers usually try hacks such as masking tape, extra socks which is additional discomfort. Here we need to understand that there are major differences between a male and female foot. Usually, the size of the average female is three times smaller than that of an average male. Female feet are narrower with a wider ball next to toes and again a narrower heel. Women workers need safety footwear that is manufactured by using female foot casts so that the shoes not only fit them in a better way but also accommodates foot’s shape.

Respiratory Protection

You must have noticed the face of a female is quite different from that of a male when it comes to proportion. It is physically smaller, but the major difference is in between the jawline and chin that is less pronounced and gentler in females. With more and more females entering this industry where they are vulnerable to toxic fumes and other hazards on day to day basis, designing and manufacturing respiratory protection gear especially for females has become the need of the hour. Just like footwear, there are numerous challenges in finding respiratory equipment that is snug and offer comfort.

Sectors where women are constantly exposed to dangerous and hazardous work environments such as mines, construction, manufacturing, they are in dire need of PPE that is specially designed for females and provide them a comfortable fit. With such PPE, they would be able to concentrate on their jobs and would be more productive, rather lack of comfort that is not just counter-productive but can prove fatal also. With that being said, all PPE manufacturing companies should start paying more attention towards this issue so that we can provide females a safer and comfortable work environment, no matter where they work.