Working in the construction industry is one of the most hazardous jobs out there. There are a lot of risks when you are on a construction site. Tools and building materials may fall on your head. You may step on exposed nails. Heavy machinery operators may not see you in front of them. Therefore, construction workers must have the right workwear clothing to keep them safe in several ways.
Benefits of Investing in Workwear and PPE
Different industries have their standards of workwear, clothes and PPE. In general, these clothing and gear are designed to protect and keep their wearers safe from any hazards and risks within their workplace. Here are some of the benefits of wearing protective work clothes.
Protection Against Hazards
When you wear the right workwear clothing on the construction
site, you are protected from various risks such as falling tools or debris. However, not all protective clothing is made equal. It is best to check if they passed Australia and New Zealand’s Workwear Standards. There are three standards that workwear clothes manufacturers follow, and these are:
- AS/NZS 1906.4.2010 – legislates the colours to be used for protective clothing and gear
- AS/NZS 4602.1.2011– legislates the type of fabric and material to be used and the structural integrity of the clothing
- AS/NZS 4399.201– legislates the need for protective clothing to provide UV radiation
Increased Functionality
While denim jeans are acceptable in the construction industry, many construction workers will feel comfortable wearing jeans with more pockets than regular jeans. Workers enjoy having enough pockets to put their tools and other items needed for work. Likewise, depending on the job, workers may need to include aprons, gloves, and vests to increase their functionality during a construction project.
Increased Visibility
Part of the legislation of the Australian Workwear Standards is for workwear clothing to be highly visible. This hi-vis quality workwear uniform allows workers to be seen by passing vehicles even during inclement weather conditions.
Important Workwear Items for Construction
A lot of risk factors and hazards can happen within a construction site. Human error, machine error, and improper housekeeping can result in accidents that may cause loss of life or limbs. If you are working on a construction site, here are the workwear items that you must wear at all times.
Protective Hat
There are two types of hats for construction, the first is the hard hat, and the other one is the bump cap. Hard hats are required for workers exposed to sharp objects, low ceilings, and falling tools and debris.
Within a construction site, it is customary to see workers wearing different coloured hard hats. The colours are used to denote the role of each worker. For example, white hard hats are worn by supervisors, while yellow hats are for workers that operate heavy machinery and general construction labour. The colours of the hard hat also give supervisors an overview of their workers in their correct places or tasks.
Steel-toed Boots
Steel-toed Boots are required for the general construction workers that work with tools. This type of shoe will prevent the feet from getting crushed by falling tools or equipment.
Touch-screen Gloves
The construction industry today is highly dependent on technology. Construction workers need to have gloves that they can use to access digital devices at the same time.
Smart Ear Plugs
Workers handling heavy machinery such as a jackhammer need to protect their sense of hearing. Therefore, it is important to have a set of smart earplugs that block noise above 80 decibels while allowing workers to communicate with each other.
Investing in workwear clothing is a necessary expense if you are working in the construction industry. However, this expense is worth every penny if it assures your safety and comfort while working.
