While the economy may still be in recession, there are still many road and bridge construction projects being approved. Due in large part to stimulus funding, companies are receiving many construction jobs through the federal and state governments. To ensure a safe workplace that benefits every worker while meeting safety guidelines and laws, specially designed industrial equipment is key to equipping workers with the right personal protective equipment to work safely.
In addition to general industrial workplace safety threats, road and bridge construction sites come with their own set of hazards. Utilizing the right type of industrial supplies to address and mitigate each hazard will result in a safe workplace and comply with industry best practices.
Let's take a look at some of the industry hazards and determine which industrial supplies can be applied to reduce risk and the potential for injury and wasted time.
Hazard Identification and Prevention
Construction workers on roads and bridges are exposed to many unique and common hazards. Matching industrial equipment and personal protective equipment to each hazard will create a safe work environment.
Flame and fire risks are not usually associated with road and bridge work, but they still exist. Gasoline and diesel fuels are heavily used to power construction vehicles, power tools and generators. Solvents and resins are also highly flammable and widely used. For flammable materials present in high temperature operations, flash fires are a work site hazard. Industrial supplies, including industrial clothing made of flame-retardant materials, can reduce intense heat hazards. These materials do not melt onto the worker's skin when exposed to high temperatures and will also self-extinguish.
High altitude work on bridges, even near utilities and pipeline trenches, can pose a fall hazard. Fall protection systems and lanyards are critical to preventing fall injuries and fatalities. Using fall protection industrial equipment tied to structural supports can save lives on the job. Likewise, falling tools or materials can cause problems for workers below. Industrial equipment such as safety helmets and face shields are critical to preventing injuries.
After many workers of our previous generation retired, they realized they had suffered severe hearing loss. Construction sites can cause two types of hearing loss. Loud noises that cause actual pain can lead to immediate hearing loss, and even elevated noise levels can lead to long-term hearing loss during the workday. Hearing protection is the best way to preserve your hearing every day and throughout your career. Whether ear plugs or earmuffs, hearing protection is critical to occupational health.
Industrial Clothing
Construction work can be a tough job, especially when it comes to work clothes and uniforms. High quality industrial clothing is important to provide a layer of protection against cuts and scrapes as well as the environment and weather. Garments must be durable, with high count, reinforced seams and heavy-duty rivets that fit snugly enough to not create hazards around moving parts, but still be flexible enough to react on the job site.
Industrial apparel can create multiple hazards by integrating flame retardant and waterproof materials or high visibility striping and coloring.
Curb visibility for industrial supplies
The biggest hazard of working on active roads and bridges is passing motorists. The risk is even greater at night or in any low-light conditions. Wearing brightly colored and fluorescent-colored clothing is not enough to prevent traffic. In fact, it only provides up to 250 feet of visibility for oncoming traffic. On highways, cars need up to 1,200 feet to come to a complete stop.
Industrial equipment is used to improve visibility for roadside workers. Federal guidelines set a visibility requirement of 1,280 feet for active workers exposed to motor vehicle traffic. This is achieved through a specular reflective material. This material actually focuses and reflects light back to its source, illuminating workers and construction vehicle drivers.
Adding reflective industrial items to workers' clothing and personal protective equipment is the only effective way to achieve proper nighttime visibility levels. The basic idea is to highlight the human form with reflective garments and bands. Optimal levels of high-visibility clothing include reflective bands on helmets, high-visibility undershirts and vertical reflective strips on a pair of pants.
Overall, industrial supplies are designed to ensure worker safety and productivity. With the anticipated increase in government-funded bridge and road construction projects in the coming years, it is more important than ever that all workers are equipped with the proper industrial equipment and apparel.
YULONG Safety Tools Manufacturer Corp.,Ltd. is a professional safety equipment producer in China with more than 20 years. We are Specialized in Head Protection, Eye and Face Protection, Hearing Protection, Respiratory Protection, Knee Protection etc. YULONG SAFETY has passed ISO 9001 Internal Quality system Certification. All product passed CE, ANSI, CSA, EMC etc. With experienced development teams and complete production supporting facilities.
Warmly welcome to cooperate with your company. We’ll do the utmost to support you.
Phone
+86-579-82411268 +8615958954313
Address
No.361 Xinye Street, Chengbei Industrial Zone, Wucheng District, Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province, China.
