How can I protect my eyes from injury?

Eye injuries are an incredibly common thing in the workplace. Simply using the proper eye protection on the job can prevent thousands of injuries every year.

There are four things you can do to protect your eyes from injury:

- Know the eye safety dangers at your work

- Eliminate hazards before starting working by using machine guards, work screens or other controls.

- Use proper eye protection

- Keep your safety eyewear in good condition and have it replaced if it becomes damaged or broken

Protective eyewear should be selected according to the task you are performing, there are different types of eye protection, including:

Non-prescription and prescription safety glasses. Although they may look like normal glasses, they are designed to provide eye protection. Their lenses and frames are much stronger than regular glasses and they can protect against dust, chips or flying particles.

Goggles. They provide impact, dust and chemical splash protection. Like safety glasses, safety goggles are highly impact resistant. In addition, they provide a secure shield around the entire eye and protect against hazards coming from any direction.

Face shields and helmets. Full face shields are used to protect workers exposed to chemicals, heat or bloodborne pathogens. Helmets are used for welding or working with molten materials. However, face shields and helmets should NOT be used as the sole means of protective eyewear. They need to be used with safety glasses or goggles.

Special protection. Other types of protection, such as helmets or goggles with special filters can be used to protect the eyes from optical radiation and exposure. This should be used for welding or working with lasers.

Protective eyewear works best when you know exactly how to use it, and it can keep you safe from any potential eye hazards.

For a wide range of protective eyewear, contact L&A Safety, or visit one of there shops in Milnerton, vredenburg or Robertson.

Protecting the hands of construction workers

Protecting the hands of construction workers is not an easy task. They need gloves that fit like a second skin while also offering protection from the sharp edges of building materials.

Today’s gloves are designed to protect workers from a variety of threats: cuts from the rough and sharp edges of building materials such as glass, brick and roofing; the potential poisonous effects of chemicals; chemical burns; and the threat of injury from the many materials and tools handled in the course of a day’s work.

The causes of hand injuries on construction sites are many. However, the number one factor is performing tasks within the protection of gloves. Other factors include performing an unfamiliar task, lack of training, distractions and being fatigued.

There is always room for improvement in hand protection, but recently new fibre technology has been developed that provides cut resistance with dexterity.

Researchers are able to meet the comfort and flexibility needs of workers with gloves that have the required cut resistance combined with:

- Lighter coatings

- Touch sensitivity

- Greater dexterity

With these new glove models, workers no longer have a reason to remove gloves when performing tasks.

Whenever gloves are being selected, these three key factors need to be discussed…

- Performance properties. The ability of the glove to provide protection against specific hazards

- Durability. The gloves retention of performance properties with use

- Human factors. The gloves fit, function and comfort

It is so important for everyone in the construction industry to find the right glove and wear it. Your hands will thank you later, remember you only have one pair!

L&A Safety is your one-stop shop for all your PPE and clothing! Contact us today or visit our branches in Milnerton, Vredenburg or Robertson.

Welding Safety

Welding safety starts with an understanding of what could go wrong, and preparation for when it does. Risks of welding include electric shock, inhalation of toxic fumes, eye injury and skin burns. To start, protective clothing and equipment must be worn during all welding operation including helmets and shields.

Welding safety starts with having the right protective gear. This includes:

- Respirator/Welders Mask: There are multiple types of respirators. Buy the one that is made for welders and the type of projects you will be performing. If purchasing a mask with a filter, match the filter to the types of metals and coatings used.

- Keep the area clean and check any gasses for signs of leaks.

- Ventilation: All welding areas should have proper ventilation. Poor ventilation leads to "plume poisoning". If you suspect that be inhaled a toxic plume seek medical help immediately!

- Storage: All flammables should be stored in a flammable liquids locker.

- Eye protection: welding eye protection protects against injuries from debris and from the effects of the ultraviolet light. Different types of helmets are made to protect you when performing different types of welding. These vary by shade number, having a passive or auto-darkening lens (automatically adjusts to welding rays) and comfort/fit.

- Fire protection: Sparks created during the welding process can start fires. For welding Class C extinguishers are often used since these are for electrical fires. Sand and water can also help to extinguish fires.

- Protective Clothing: All skin areas need to be protected to protect against molten metal and sparks.

This includes:

- Long sleeve shirts

- Pants that cover the tops of shoes

- Gloves

- Shoes or boots

- Hair is protected with something called a welders beanie

- Leather jackets are also effective for protection from slag and sparks

- Leather aprons provide some protection when sitting down

- Shoe covers called spats protect shoes, something helpful if you are working on a project that produces sparks and slag (molten metal)

Welding Safety Tip: Use pliers when handling metals. If you believe a metal is cool, use the back of the hand and slowing bring it closer to the metal. You'll feel the heat as you get closer if it is too hot to handle.

Awareness of the most common welding hazards and knowing how to avoid them ensures a safe, productive work environment for all.

For all your PPE clothing and equipment, contact L&A Safety or visit them at their stores in Milnerton or Vredenburg.

Advantages of Synthetic or Leather Industrial Work Gloves

There are advantages and disadvantages to both synthetic and leather industrial work gloves. There is no perfect material, but both of these choices provide advantages to the wearer.

Some of the benefits of synthetic safety gloves include…

Flexibility – They make excellent disposable gloves for medical, laboratory, and chemical environments.

Strength – Whether you choose Kevlar for cut resistance, Thinsulate for protection against wind and cold, or a combination of materials, synthetics provide strong protection.

Weight – Most synthetic industrial work gloves are lighter than leather counterparts, which can be very beneficial over long work days.

Safety leather gloves also provide valuable advantages to the user, including…

Durability – While not necessarily true with cheap work gloves, leather is a very durable and long lasting material.

Breathability – Unlike most synthetic material, leather “breathes” giving the wearer much more comfort, while being substantially cooler in hot conditions.

Allows effective “combinations” – Because of its malleability, leather is a perfect outer shell that can be securely attached to linings, such as electrical safety gloves with leather outer shells and natural rubber linings.

As you can see, the strengths of one material become the potential liabilities of the other, but both are good choices. Your personal preference for comfort and safety reasons will be the deciding factor since both designs are effective. Cost differentials are not a major consideration with the majority of choices of industrial safety gloves made with either material.

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Contact L&A Safety for all your safety wear and equipment. We can provide you with anything from safety gloves and boots to boiler suits and respirators.