How to check your hard hat

With work, weather, and everyday use, a hard hat can get old before its time. Even if you bought your hard hat from a reliable store, it’s always important to know when it’s time to get a new hard hat. Here’s how to tell…

- Cracks appear in the shell
- Shiny surface appears dull or chalky
- The shell becomes brittle

While you are busy checking if your hard hat needs to be replaced, you should also check the suspension. You’ll know when you need a fresh one if…

- The suspensions become brittle
- One of more of the mounts breaks off
- The suspension will no longer hold securely to the head
- The cradling straps break or become worn

It is generally a good idea to inspect your hard hat before and after each time you use it. Although there is no set service life for hard hats, manufacturers recommend that you replace it after no more than five years.

Are you looking for a one-stop safety wear and equipment store for all your needs? Visit L&A Safety at their shops in Milnerton and Vredenburg or take a look at their website today!

Work Boot Safety Features

Safety is obviously the most important aspect of a work boot. But it you are a construction worker for example, your work boots are going to differ from an electricians’. Need a reliable pair of work boots? Just visit L&A Safety today! But, it does pay to know what kind of conditions you will be up against before you head out onto the field!

Here is a rundown of some of the most commonly seen work boot safety features.

SAFETY TOES
The safety toe is probably the most talked about work boot safety feature, and a steel-toe boot is for more than just kicking someone’s butt. If you work in the lumber, carpentry, or construction industries, work boots with safety toes are a must.

Any time you find yourself working in a situation where heavy objects could potentially fall in your vicinity, safety toes are a good idea, as they can prevent serious foot injuries. However, not all safety toes are created equal—they can typically be found in three varieties:

- Steel Toe
- Composite Toe
- Aluminum Toe

PUNCTURE PLATE
If you work in construction or in any field requiring you to trudge through rubble, debris, or demolition zones, puncture plates are a must. Without a puncture plate, you risk serious injury by way of stepping on a potentially tetanus-laden nail or jagged glass chip.

A nail in the foot has to be among the worst reasons to leave work early. Luckily, a puncture plate is a common work boot feature that keeps the bottoms of your feet safe. The puncture plate lies between the insole and midsole, providing additional support along with guarding against punctures and pierces.

OUTSOLE GRIP
Grip is vital to staying on your feet. A pair of boots with a solid grip is going to do a significantly better job of keeping you right side up than boots without. As mentioned before, over one-third of all fatal construction accidents are a result of a slip or fall.

Traction is key. There are limitless workplace scenarios where slipping and falling can pose a major hazard. Many workers need to balance on metal roofs or uneven surfaces. Worse still, oil slicks and/or precipitation greatly increase the odds of slippage.

So, how can you avoid falls? Being mindful and aware is probably the greatest accident prevention method, but sometimes the only way to conquer hazardous conditions is with the right gear.

ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE
Do you work around live wires and other electrical hazards? It’s best to be protected against electrical injury from the bottom up.

First off, do not wear steel toe or aluminum toe boots if electrical hazards are abound in your line of work. A composite toe is a great alternative to metal toed boots because there is no threat of electrical conduction, and the odds of static shock is significantly decreased with the plastics found in composite materials.

Safety first. Always. The right work boots can save you a toe, or even your life. You never know what can happen out on the field, but it’s important to prepare with the best gear for the job.

Quick facts on hearing protection in the workplace

Exposure to loud noises has serious short-term and long-term health effects for employees, including permanent hearing loss. Some effects of industrial noise include increased irritability, difficulty concentrating, reduced productivity and an increased opportunity for accidents.

And yes, while everyone may realise the importance of hearing protection, “loud” may not be as loud as you think.

How loud is loud

The definition of unsafe noise is complex, but it is considered that an average of 90 decibels (dB) over eight hours to be the upper limit of safe exposure. When industrial noise hits 85dB companies must take action, which includes onsite monitoring, employee testing, and making hearing protection available. But, how loud is 85dB? Here are the dB levels of some common sounds:

> Typical office noise: 50dB
> Average traffic: 85dB
> Power lawnmower: 90dB
> Chain saw: 105dB
> Heavy machinery: 120dB
> Jackhammer: 130dB

Measurement
Noise in the work environment can be measured in two different ways. Sound level meters are portable instruments that report the dB level in a particular location at a particular time. Firms use sound level meters to identify potential issues and make assessments. For a more accurate measurement, a noise dosimeter, a more sophisticated instrument, is worn by the worker to measure noise levels continuously throughout the shift. Dosimeters allow firms to make a more accurate determination of the level of noise workers are actually exposed to.

Hearing Protection Devices
The two most common types of hearing protection devices used in the workplace are ear muffs and ear plugs. Most ear muffs look like normal stereo headphones and are available in a variety of sizes and styles. Comfort and mobility are two important ergonomic factors to consider when making a selection.

Ear plugs also come in a number of styles: mouldable, non-mouldable, with cord, washable and reusable being the most common options. Ear plugs can be custom moulded to the wearer’s ear canal. While this option generally provides better noise protection and long term comfort, the cost is high and prohibitive for most industrial operations.

For many wearers, ear plugs offer greater comfort and mobility than ear muffs, and are generally safe. Ear plugs can, however, cause health problems such as pain if they are inserted to deeply, and earwax build-up after prolonged use.

Hearing loss is a serious medical condition that can seriously impact your life. It is important to be proactive and make sure you look after your ears – you only have one pair!

Visit L&A Safety in Milnerton or Vredenburg or visit their website today and choose from a wide variety of safety wear and equipment!

Respirator Differences Based on Potential Dangers

Picking the right air-purifying respirator can seem like a daunting task. With so many available options, it can be difficult to recognize what you actually need to decontaminate your air supply. Once you have successfully determined which elements you need to protect yourself against, you can then make the proper selection.

Industrial and medical respirators, many of which look similar, have the same function but perform their duties differently. If your work environment involves breathing otherwise harmless airborne particles (dust, pollen, sawdust, etc.), simple disposable dust masks are usually sufficient. If you are surrounded by auto spray paint, asbestos, or lower risk medical situations, a higher grade dust respirator that has a more effective rating at eliminating airborne threats is recommended.

A good respirator mask will protect against a variety of dangers faced by the wearer. For example, painting respirators are very effective in eliminating both the particles and fumes generated by spray painting projects.

Air purifying respirators are appropriate when the airborne dangers are more potent and numerous. For instance, even with all the governmental controls placed on insect control in recent years, a good pesticide respirator is important to people working around these substances. A full face respirator, while sometimes uncomfortable, provides excellent protection against airborne threats that are very pervasive.

If you face a variety of potential threats, an air purifying respirator that accepts different respirator cartridges might be the best choice. For example, your current job site indicates you need a mold respirator as the air is filled with mold spores. However, soon you will move to a site that requires you to have a pesticide respirator.

If the threats you face are even more serious, an air supplied respirator is often recommended. By having their own pathogen free air supply, these models, either full face or half face respirators; further ensure that your oxygen is clean. Formerly used primarily by the military and the police, these usually dual cartridge respirator designs are now often used by medical personnel in proximity to serious airborne pathogens, like SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), firefighters, and emergency response personnel in dangerous situations.

Do you need safety wear and equipment at an affordable price? L&A Safety can be your one-stop supplier! Visit us at our shops in Vredenburg and Milnerton, or contact us today.

Hazards That Require Safety Glasses

When considering the potential hazards you may face at work or at home, you must be both honest and thorough. Protecting your eyes is vital and you need to have the right equipment. L&A Safety can provide you with the best safety wear and equipment, take a look at their website today.

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has identified five primary dangers to your eyes:

- Impact

- Heat

- Chemicals

- Dust

- Optical radiation

A study was done on eye accidents and protection. They learned the following:

Accidents and eye protection – 60% of accidents resulted from workers not wearing any protection – 40% resulted from wearing the wrong type of eye protection.

Flying objects, particles, and sparks – around 70% of all eye accidents resulted from these – 60% of the objects were smaller than a pin head and traveling faster than an object thrown by hand.

Craft type work and machinery operation – over 40% of injuries happened to craft workers (mechanics, carpenters, plumbers, etc.) – around 20% of accidents occurred with labourers – around 50% of the workers were in manufacturing and more than 20% were involved in construction.

No eye protection training – almost 40% of injured workers received no eye protection training.

Chemical contact – caused about 20% of all eye injuries in the workplace.

As you can see, safety eye wear is critical in many situations. From simple anti-fog safety glasses to lighted safety glasses to laser safety goggles, the type of safety glasses is just as important as their use. Identify the threats in your job situation and use protective eye wear that is appropriate for your job.

How to pick the best work boots for your job

Are you regularly exposed to hazardous conditions? Well, your work boots can make or break you. Since occupation hazards are different in various fields, know this when choosing work boots – one size does not fit all!

There are a couple of things to keep in mind when shopping for your perfect work boots…

     ·        SAFETY – Whether you need composite toe cap construction boots for building houses or electrical resistant boots for repairing telephone poles, every job comes with its own set of dangers. Make sure you grab a pair of work boots that will keep you safe.

     ·        DURABILITY – Will your boots hold up? Do some research and find out what boots offer the longest lifespan? You don’t want your work boots falling apart after just a couple of weeks.

     ·        WEATHERPROOF – If you work outside in the elements, its worth having work boots that form a barrier between inclement weather and your feet. Opt for waterproof work boots to keep your feet dry or insulated boots to keep your feet warm.

     ·         A GREAT FIT – If the boot fits, wear it! If your boots don’t fit well, they’re going to be a nuisance that prevents you from giving work 110%.

A solid pair of work boots that keep you comfortable and safe is always worth the money and time. But, depending on your occupation, you might not need all the bells and whistles required in some industries. if you are unsure about what work boot will be perfect for you, visit L&A Safety’s website today! 

The most common safety excuses

If you have been a safety professional for a while, you’ve probably heard all the safety excuses in the world. They can range from the most ignorant excuse to the absolute absurd. Yet we continue to hear them.

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Part of a safety professional’s job is to get these people to understand that by making excuses they are actually putting lives at risk. Here are some of the most common safety excuses.

·         I’ve been doing it this way for XX years
Okay I’m pretty sure that every single person has heard this one before! Old-schoolers are very resistant to change, that’s why they believe that what they have been doing for all those years is okay. Just because a man has never died before from falling doesn’t mean he should never wear fall protection.

·         Seemed like a good idea at the time
Did it? You should never buy into this excuse. This statement shows that certain employees never stopped to think before what they were about to do. One of your biggest tools in your toolbox should always be planning.

·         I have a job to do / I wasn’t thinking / I forgot
This excuse shows that the worker does not take their own safety very seriously. If a worker has this attitude they have not been properly educated on the risks of their job, they probably need training and quickly!

·         This is how I was told to do it / the boss said…
If this excuse is accurate then you may have a problem and the supervision is putting the workforce in serious danger. First you have to get the employee to understand that they have a say in their own safety and they need to speak up, especially if they feel they have been forced into a dangerous situation.

·         You caught me the ONE time I did this
This excuse is actually quite funny. How many times have you seen a worker the ONE time they weren’t wearing their safety goggles. The fact of the matter is, if you catch somebody during an inspection, odds are they’ve done the exact same thing before when you weren’t around.

Sometimes the worst thing about these safety excuses is that the companies or workers actually believe them. Part of being in the safety profession is to understand that an excuse is an excuse and it can lead to dangerous accidents.