It’s important to remember that as a worker, you too have the responsibility for making sure you protect yourself and your working environment. Regardless of the rank you hold within the business, you want to have good knowledge of what safety features and gear should be present when working.
In this guide, you’ll understand the importance of safety gear and equipment, as well as what you’ll need to keep yourself safe and protected while working.
The importance of safety gear and equipment
Did you know that in 2022 alone, 160 Australian workers died at work due to work-related causes? A lot of that is down to a lack of knowledge of safety protocols and not having the relevant safety protection in place.
There are many reasons why safety gear and equipment is important. Not only does it protect you from harm, but it also helps minimise the risk of injury to anyone else in your vicinity. Furthermore, it’s handy to protect your safety because beyond the injury itself, taking time off and being permanently injured can have financial implications of the negative kind.
Five safety gear and equipment types everyone should know about
Goggles and gloves
If you’re dealing with new environments that are unknown when it comes to the risk of contamination or potential toxins in the air, then goggles and gloves are a must. You don’t want to touch anything with bare hands in this case, in case it’s something that’s going to cause a reaction.
At the same time, you want to be mindful of your eyes too. They are extremely sensitive and it’s a part of your body that you don’t want to risk damaging. That’s why goggles are a necessity to wear.
A safety hat
If you work in an environment where there’s a lot of risk of falling debris or on a building site in general, then a safety hat is very much needed in this scenario. A safety hat or a hard hat is a protection for the most vital part of your body, the head.
You risk your health by not wearing a safety hat, so much so that it could lead to absolutely devastating consequences.
Alarm system or fire extinguisher
When it comes to safety gear and equipment, you should always be on the lookout for alarm systems that are in place to alert you to any potential fires. Not only that but having a fire extinguisher to hand can be helpful when you have to take matters into your own hands.
Of course, you hope that you wouldn’t need to but having a fire extinguisher and a fire alarm system active in your workplace is essential. It can be the difference between saving lives and losing them.
Checking alarm systems regularly is a good way to ensure these systems work and operate at full efficiency all year round. A broken or faulty fire alarm is dangerous to not correct immediately.
Machine guards
Machine guards are often used for those large and dangerous machines that many will operate on a daily basis. The benefit of machine guards is that they prevent any fast-ejecting debris or materials from flying into the face or body of the person operating the machine. It also helps avoid any injuries to those who may be working or standing within the immediate area.
Not every machine or large equipment will require such guards but it’s important to be aware of what equipment might currently be missing it. If you think a machine guard might be missing, then it’s important to let your employer know before it’s too late.
Height protection systems
Finally, one of the best safety equipment you can possess when working on a building site or operating at a height on an existing building is a height protection system.
Height protection systems protect those operating from a height from falling. It’s the safety protocol that is essential to put in place to avoid any disasters from occurring. These are easily fitted onto the property and provide peace of mind to both the business and those working at a height.
Use Rapid Height Safety for safety gear and equipment
Talking of height protection systems, it’s important to choose the right company for your business or to suggest for your working environment. Using a company like Rapid Height Safety is a great choice as a service provider.
Located in Melbourne Australia, we have already helped many clients fit height protection systems to provide safe access to those working on the premises.
