Protecting your Eyes at Work

Every year thousands of people sustain eye injuries in the work place. Of all these injuries some will lead to temporary blindness and even permanent blindness!

This is why it is so important to wear the right eye protection...

What are the most common causes of eye injuries in the work place?

> Flying objects like metal, glass, etc.
> Tools
> Particles
> Dangerous chemicals
> Harmful radiation

So, how can you do to prevent eye injuries?

> Always know the eye safety dangers at work
> Use machine guarding, work screens, etc. to get rid of the hazards before they even happen
> Use proper eye protection

The best safety eyewear protection includes:

-- Prescription safety glasses
-- Safety goggles
-- Face shields
-- Welding helmets
-- Full-face respirators

Check out the L&A Safety website for a range of eye protection PPE, or pop into one of their stores in Cape Town, Vredenberg or Robertson.

Eye injuries are common in the workplace; make sure you wear your eye protection!

Safety Gear that every DIY Enthusiast Should Own!

Safety gear is just as important as your most precious tools in your toolbox; it’s there to protect you!

Here are the five most important pieces of safety gear that every DIYer should own...

  ü  Safety glasses

When you’re working with dangerous chemicals, sparks, debris, etc. you’re going to need a pair of safety glasses to protect your eyes. You should have a few pairs of safety glasses lying around in your toolbox. Why? Because their cheap and easy to find. Stick to buying glasses from a reliable source like L&A Safety – visit their website here.

  ü  Hearing protection

Power tools are much louder than you may think; listening to them all day long could damage your ears and even lead to hearing loss. Earmuffs are your best bet as they are comfortable to wear and block most of the noise out. If you’d rather go for the cheaper option, earplugs can be worn but they’re not as comfortable.

  ü  Masks and respirators

Inhaling asbestos, mould and fibreglass can make you seriously ill, so wearing a mask is an absolute must when it comes to doing demolition work. Respirator masks are comfortable to wear and provide more protection than disposable masks.

  ü  Gloves

For at home work, a light pair of leather, canvas or cloth gloves are vital. Steer clear of those huge bulky gloves that take ages just to wear in. The best gloves you can buy for your tool box offer proper protection but are still easy to wear.

  ü  Work boots

Just like your gloves, your boots should be reliable, yet still comfortable to wear. When you’re busy doing your DIY projects you need foot gear that can protect your feet from falling objects, water and even ensure you don’t slip.

Make sure you have these essentials in your toolbox at all times!

Essential Gardening Gear

The sun is out which means it’s time to head to the garden and deal with whatever it throws at you, whether it be a mess of weeds or an overgrown spinach patch. However, before you step outside you need to be wearing the right gardening gear.

You want your gardening clothes to be able to protect you, but at the same time be practical. He’s a list of essential gardening gear you can order now from L&A Safety.

GLOVES

Your gardening gloves need to be durable and withstand regular use in the garden. However the type of glove you buy depends on the type of environment you are working in.

If you choose cotton gloves, they will be comfortable, but they won’t protect you much. All leather gloves are great at protecting your fingers when you’re working with sharp plants and can prevent cuts, however they aren’t very breathable.

I would say the best gloves for gardeners would be gloves made from Lycra or nylon – take a look at the range from L&A Safety.

BOOTS

Gardens offer a range of things, including muddy flower beds, thorns and even spiders, so you need a good pair of boots to protect you from your feet up to your calves. Polyurethane boots are both light, longwearing and have excellent insulation!

Take a look at the L&A Safety website. There Polyurethane boots are light and flexible, insulated correctly, durable, slip resistant, metal free and protect your feet if you step on a sharp object!

GLASSES

The sun is beating down on you and the last thing you need is an annoying glare in your eyes, this is why glasses are so important when you’re gardening.

Choose a pair that suites your needs – a sporty safety pair of glasses with a tinted lens if you’re just pruning your rose garden.  General purpose dust goggles and a clear full face shield if you’re planning on doing some heavy duty gardening like mowing the lawn.

Some other essentials:

- Old, loose, comfortable clothing
- A wide-brimmed hat
- A pouch or apron

Before you step outside into the garden, make sure you have these gardening essentials.

Who uses High-Visibility PPE?

Those who work close to a road or on a road should always wear high-visibility PPE.

Here are a few of the people who would benefit from wearing high-visibility PPE...

-- Road construction workers, highway maintenance, traffic officer’s surveyors and road patrol personnel.  

-- Police officers, fire-fighters and emergency medical personnel who may be on an accident scene during the night.

-- Parking attendants (car guards in South Africa), security officers, airport fight line marshals and tow truck drivers may all wear reflective gear to ensure they can be seen easily by the people driving the cars and the airplanes.

-- Warehouse employees may often wear safety vests to ensure they are seen by moving forklifts. Construction workers and heavy equipment operators could need high visibility clothing as well.

You may feel that it is not necessary for you to wear high-visibility clothing, but it is in fact vital to your safety. Studies have shown that those who wear the right PPE are less likely to be injured or even killed.

To make sure you have the right high-visibility PPE for you, contact L&A Safety on 021 552 0665 or visit their website here...

The Importance of PPE for Chefs

Protective clothing, such as hats and aprons are very important to a chef. Even if you are not a professional chef, when you are cooking in the kitchen you need to know the basics of protective clothing.

Most people think that an apron is worn to avoid getting their clothing dirty, but it is actually worn to protect the person from fire!

Wearing protective clothing that is made from cotton may be comfortable, but it does not protect a person much from fire, plus when food or liquid messes on cotton, there is a high chance of it getting stained.

When you buy protective clothing, always buy from a reliable source, such as L&A Safety.

Chef hats and caps are worn to reduce sweating and prevent any hairs from falling into the food. The colour of a chef’s clothing is also very important. Most of the time they wear white, however there is a downside to this – it stains easily. Recently chefs have been wearing more black clothing, which is less traditional but easier to clean.

Before finding the right fit protective gear such as the aprons and caps, you need to take your measurements. After your have determined your size, you can look out for the protective gear that matches your size. 

If you prefer the online way of shopping for the protective clothing, take a look at L&A Safety’s site. If you’d prefer to visit the actual shop there are branches in Cape Town, Vredenburg and Robertson.

Protective Footwear for Farm Workers

Foot protective for farm workers is vital in their line of work. They can be injured from a variety of different things, including animals stepping on their feet, heavy objects dropping and even sharp objects that can go right through the shoe.

Safety footwear can come in a range of different styles. Hiking boots and cowboy boots are popular because they look good and they are less heavy duty than normal farm worker boots, such as heavy duty work boots and polyurethane boots for damp working environments.

Safety shoes usually have much more than just a steel-toe cap for protection. Steel shanks help distribute weight more evenly, providing support during farm tasks like climbing a ladder.

Metatarsal boots are fit with protection on top of the shoe and also in the shoe to protect the top of the foot. Steel midsoles, either built-in or slip-in, protect against punctures and bone bruises from nails, glass, barbs, and stones. Slip-resistant soles help prevent falls in wet barns and on muddy ground.

L&A Safety provides a variety of protective footwear for farm workers, including metatarsal boots, polyurethane boots and many other gum boots. Click here to browse through the catalogues...

Eye Protection for Farm Workers

It only takes a few simple precautions to avoid eye injuries. You only have one pair, so make sure they are protected as eye injuries can be especially painful and even cause blindness.

Eye injuries are usually from particles flying into your eyes. The eye uses it’s protection, the eyelashes, tearing and blinking to try be protected, but often they are unable to stop the particles and objects.

Farmers should wear eye protection when grinding feed, handling chemicals, harvesting crops, haying, and doing shop work such as drilling, grinding or sawing. Eye wear is also particularly important when farmers are building, demolishing or repairing structures; repairing farm vehicles and machinery; welding and cutting with torches; and working in dusty atmospheres.

If you go for a basic pair of safety glasses, there is still the chance that particles will fly into the eye from the side. Most safety glasses come with either permanent or detachable side shields to protect all sides of your eyes.

Safety goggles are also a great option to provide your eyes with protection from all angles. Goggles are especially handy when farmers are doing work such as chainsaw work, chipping, riveting, and grinding.

Goggles are a cheap option, so farm workers should keep a pair nearby when they are working with things like chemical liquids.

Face shields protect workers from heat, glare, and flying objects, but they are only considered secondary protection and must be worn with either glasses or goggles. Face shields that attach to hard hats are available for jobs that also require head protection.

For a range of PPE, including eye protection, take a look at L&A Safety's range of products!