It’s no secret that construction workers face great danger when out on a jobsite. In fact, over 1,061 workers died in 2019 due to construction-related activities. Check out the three popular types of construction personal protective equipment below.

Head Protection

The facts: It’s always important to protect your employees’ noggins no matter where they work, but on a construction site, their heads are exposed to danger at almost every turn! Head protection is required on most construction sites, with very few exceptions. So, follow the rules and assign head protection to your employees when:

• Objects might fall from above and strike them on the head (ouch)
• They might bump their heads against fixed objects, such as exposed pipes or beams (ouch)
• There is a possibility of accidental head contact with electrical hazards (no shocker here).

Stay in compliance with the feds and ensure your employees’ hard hats are OSHA-approved. Protective noggin gear has to must meet the requirements of any of these standards:

• American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z89.1-2009, American National Standard for Industrial Head Protection:
• American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z89.1-2003, American National Standard for Industrial Head Protection; or
• American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z89.1-1997, American National Standard for Personnel Protection—Protective Headwear for Industrial Workers—Requirements.

Hi-Vis Apparel

The facts: Hi-vis apparel takes the cake as the most popular piece of PPE that employees wear on a construction site. We dare you to find a construction site where no employees are wearing hi-vis apparel. The point is: hi-vis apparel is important!

Hi-vis apparel allows equipment and machine operators to spot employees from distances up to 1,000 feet and more. Not to mention, there are plenty of colors to choose from. No matter the color you choose, provide your employees with hi-vis vests, pants, and shirts when:

• There’s a chance employees could be struck by motorists or equipment.
• Employees work underground or in low-light areas throughout the day.
• Your company is involved in tunnel, bridge, utility line, road, or street work.

There’s more you can add to that list, but you get the point.

OSHA doesn’t make it easy to follow hi-vis apparel requirements. However, that doesn’t mean you can avoid assigning it to employees when they’re in danger. But when you do provide employees protection, make sure it complies with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) under ANSI/ISEA 107 2015.

Hand Protection

The facts: Employees’ hands can take a beating on a construction site. Have them sport the right gear on the job so they can grab, hold, lift, and move objects for the long run. If you don’t already know, employees’ hands can be exposed to a few basic hazards:

• Mechanical hazards — These are present wherever machinery like drills, sanders, saws, or other machinery is used. Injuries resulting from machinery use might include cuts, punctures, abrasions, or crushing.
• Environmental hazard — Factors like extreme heat or cold (common from some types of work or during certain times of the year), electricity, and materials handling have the potential to injure your hands.
• Irritating substances — Skin conditions such as dermatitis can be caused by contact with chemicals and biological agents (bacteria, fungi, and viruses). Chemicals and toxic substances can also enter the bloodstream through abrasions or cuts.

There isn’t a specific OSHA construction rule that requires hand protection. But OSHA does require at 1926.95(a) that, “protective equipment, including personal protective equipment for eyes, face, head, and extremities, protective clothing, respiratory devices, and protective shields and barriers, shall be provided, used, and maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition wherever it is necessary...”

Follow that guidance!

Providing your workers with head protection, hi-vis apparel and hand protection can go a long way toward preventing injuries and keeping your jobsites safe.