Hard Hats – Why it is one of the most important pieces of safety equipment

Millions of hard hats are worn every day. In fact the hard hat is one of the most recognizable pieces of safety equipment in the industrial workplace. It is also one of the most important pieces of safety equipment.

Why is it so important? Well, it protects the brain!

Hard hats are commonly used in many types of workplaces to protect employees from head trauma caused by falling objects, electrical hazards or accidentally falling and striking their head against an object.

There are different types of hard hats; however all of them reduce the force of impact resulting from a blow to the head. Visit L&A Safety's website or pop into one of the stores to browse through the wide range of safety equipment, including high-quality hard hats.

The outer portion of the hard hat is the shell, which often has a peak that extends forward or a brim that extends outward around the entire lower shell. The second component is the harness, which attaches to the shell to maintain the hard hat on the wearers head. When a force strikes a properly fitted hard hat, the force is distributed throughout the entire hat. This prevents the force from concentrating all at one point.

Always inspect a hard hat when it is new and first put into use, prior to each days use and after an incident has happened. When inspecting a new hard hat, ensure that it is the proper hat for the job and make sure all parts are included.

When expecting your hard hat before you use it, look for gouges; cracks; deterioration; chalking or discolouration; flaking; suspension properly attached to the shell; all straps in good condition; cleanliness; suspension and the shell. If your hard hat is damaged, the entire hat needs to be replaced!

The hard hat is so important because it is specifically designed to individually protect an employee’s when all other methods of protection cannot.

The Do’s and Don’ts of breaking in your work boots

Being comfortable in your work boots is important. When you break in new working boots, the boots literally conform to the shape of your feet. The majority of new boots will not perfectly fit your feet straight out of the box, but you can get the perfect fit by following these Do’s and Don’ts…

DO	DON’T
§  Test the fit	§  Ignore pinches and hot spots
§  Walk around at home	§  Submerge boots in water
§  Apply leather conditioner	§  Apply direct heat
§  Take your boots to work	§  Kick leather boots off when you get home

If you’re looking for a reliable company that can provide you with quality PPE, including work boots, then L&A Safety is the place to visit! From boiler suits to waterproof and safety boots – L&A Safety has it all.

Here are some key points to take home…

- DO make sure any new boot you might buy has a warranty
- DO start breaking in boots by wearing them at home - DO increase the time you spend wearing them before bringing your work boots to a job site
- DON’T take shortcuts like soaking your boots in water or placing them in front of a heat source

Breaking in your work boots is very important if you want your boots to fit right and last a long time. Always remember, many common shortcuts for breaking in boots can lead to ruined leather.

The ins and outs of disposable gloves

Do you think disposable gloves are all the same? Well, you’re wrong! There’s actually an array of thin, stretchy gear for your hands that you can toss into the bin at the end of the day.

Whether you work in food service, the medical industry, security or any other – affordable, durable gloves are important! Here are a few pros and cons of what’s on the market today.

1. Most disposable gloves are thin
Your hands can sense temperature and manipulate a wide range of objects, so it’ll be hard to get through the day without the use of them. But put on a thick, heavy pair of welding gloves and good luck trying to fill a prescription bottle or pick up a dainty cupcake.

Although most are quite thin, disposable gloves are also available in thicker sizes. This makes them appropriate for jobs where you need a sturdier touch, but still need your sense of touch.

2. Different materials for different jobs
While most of the population has no problem with latex gloves, some people do suffer terrible allergic reactions. This is why nitrile and vinyl gloves are two other popular, alternative materials.

Nitrile is one of the most common disposable glove materials and it is appropriate for everything from light janitor work to medical jobs. It is a flexible material that offers good touch sensitivity and is commonly used in food handling, veterinary, security and dental work.

3. Disposable gloves are stylish
Okay, so you might not wear them for a night out on the town, but at your job, did you know that you aren’t limited to standard colours?

Disposable gloves come in a wide range of colours, from pink and purple to black and, of course, traditional blue. Maybe you prefer a certain colour or maybe your line of work uses different colours for different jobs. Whatever the reason may be, disposable gloves come in a rainbow of colours.

4. They keep improving all the time
Technology keeps improving disposable gloves, so your choices keep getting stretchier, more resilient and better overall. Some are contoured for a better fit and dexterity, and some have cornstarch inside so they don’t stick to your skin. Some even have vitamin E and lanolin inside to keep your hands baby soft. And, if you work in the food processing field, some disposable gloves have a magnetic property so the risk of losing a small piece in the food is minimized.

As long as people need inexpensive hand protection, disposable gloves will have an important job to do. If you need to get yourself a pair of affordable, durable disposable gloves – L&A Safety is your one stop store for a wide range of PPE.

Asbestos Mask Protection – Myth Busted!

You’ve heard that asbestos is very dangerous, and it definitely is! You may think that you can get protection from asbestos by wearing a mask, well that is a dangerous untruth and one that could cause you serious health consequences.

Asbestos is nothing to trifle with and most masks are not actually going to protect you from the deadly fibre. If you are working with or near asbestos in your home, office or on a construction site, a mask isn’t enough to keep you safe from asbestos.

Myth – Asbestos isn’t dangerous if you wear a mask

   o   A basic face mask that you can buy at a home improvement store will offer very little or no protection from asbestos fibres. Asbestos dust and fibres can easily get around the edges of these types of masks and can be inhaled which puts your health at risk.

   o   To safely work around asbestos, you need a half-face respirator that completely shields your nose and mouth and seals tightly against your skin. A properly fitted respirator will purify the air you breathe and block asbestos fibres from entering your nose or mouth.

   o   Even a high quality respirator-type mask must be worn properly to ensure you’re protected. Facial hair can break the seal and allow asbestos fibres in. so, for a proper fit, you need to be clean shaven.

   o   A high quality respirator-type mask alone is not enough to protect you from asbestos if you are in an area where asbestos has been disturbed by removal efforts, construction, renovation, flood or fire. In addition to the mask you must wear head to toe disposable protective gear including a hat, gloves and shoe covers. These must then be misted with water and removed while the respirator is still on, placed in asbestos waste bags and then the mask can be removed. A thorough shower afterwards is also recommended.

   o   Asbestos fibre can cling to your clothing, skin, shoes or hair. If you are not coated entirely in protective gear when exposed to asbestos, not only are you putting your health at risk, but your family’s as well. Second hand exposure can be just as dangerous!

Wearing all the right personal protective equipment is essential to protecting your health when working with asbestos – make sure you protect yourself and your family.

For a wide variety of PPE at an affordable price, visit L&A Safety at one of their branches or call us today! Choose anything from ear protection and boiler suits to respirator masks!

It is vital that cyclists wear sunglasses, here’s why

Not too long ago, it was possible to compete in cycling races without sunglasses. Is the upsurge of professional cyclists using sunglasses just an easy way to attract more sponsorship and look good on TV?

No! In addition to protecting your eyes against dirt, dust and a long list of projectiles, sunglasses are the best way to ensure that you won’t suffer from cataracts, keratitis and other eye ailments caused by UV radiation.

Studies have shown that the risk of cataracts is tripled by long term exposure to the suns UV rays. Protecting the eyes with the right sunglasses is vital to prevent cataracts.

Exposure of the unprotected eye to UV rays can also result in keratitis, a temporary loss of vision coupled with a burning sensation that results from inflammation of the cornea. The risk of eye damage from the sun is directly related to length and intensity of the exposure. No one knows what the critical amount of exposure is, but effects are cumulative.

Fortunately, cyclists know about the dangers of the sun and other things that could potentially damage their eyes while cycling, which explains why we haven’t seen the irises of any of the famous cyclists in a while!

Do your cycle professionally? Or maybe just for fun? Make sure you protect your eyes at all times - buy a pair of glasses from L&A Safety. Visit the website and browse through the wide range of safety eye wear. 

Use these 5 easy farm boot cleaning tips to avoid serious infection

Farms set up footbaths with the goal of preventing groups of animals transferring pathogens amongst themselves. However, boot bath maintenance on most farms is quite poor, with gross contamination by organic matter frequently observed. People tend to avoid stepping in boot baths or they simply choose to step through the bath without stopping to clean their boots.

Organic material frequently inactivates or decreases the activity of disinfectants. So, it is important to remove all visible contamination with soap and water to optimize the effectiveness of disinfection. 

Using the following 5 easy tips will minimize the risk of getting pathogens on your footwear.

- Clean visible dirt off boots before disinfecting.

- Use water and a brush over a well-drained area. A boot cleaning station is also an option.

- Soak boots in a cleaning solution.

- Always look at the label recommendations for dilution rate and exposure time.

- Select disinfectants that are based on on-farm efficacy, cost, ease of use and environmental friendliness.

If you’re working on a farm or just visiting, it is vital that you wear farm boots, but it is also important that they are kept clean at all times to avoid serious infection.

At L&A Safety, we have a wide range of PPE clothing, including gumboots which can be used for basically any line of work, including farming. Contact us today or visit us at one of our branches!

How to save lives and look professional at the same time

If you want to wear slip slops to work every day, then you may want to reconsider becoming a medic. In the early days, clothing restrictions were casual, but now that they paramedic field has evolved, it is apparent that the uniform needs to meet certain requirements.

Because a paramedic is a medical professional, he or she needs to show up looking clean, neat and ready for the rigors of a job that can be quite intense and even chaotic.

Paramedic attire needs to be comfortable enough to allow ease of movement. The uniform needs to be durable and easy to clean. After all, paramedics run into more than their fair share of bodily fluids in the course of their work schedule.

There is no single standard paramedic clothing, although paramedic do adopt a uniform style of dress within their unit. Paramedics and EMTs in one city might be issued a long and short sleeved white dress shirt, a long sleeved duty shirt in a dark colour, black pants, a dark polo shirt, steel-toed boots and a winter coat. However, the uniform simply depends on what the company decides they want.

Interestingly enough, despite the absence of an instantly recognizable uniform that’s comparable to what police officers or firefighters wear; some paramedic schools do require their students to wear a uniform in the classroom, in order to increase their sense of professionalism as they learn their skills.

For a wide range of Personal Protection Equipment and clothing, including for those who are in the paramedic field, visit L&A Safety's website and take a look.