How safe are your workers every time they clock in?
This isn’t the sort of question you ask once, but rather, every single day on the dot. Every industry bears its own safety hazards, all important to take seriously so workers are not left with injuries or illnesses when they get back home. People who stand for long periods of time risk developing hip or knee pain if they don’t sit, stretch and wear comfortable shoes. People who sit and type or draw for hours at a time need to be careful of developing arthritis or lower back pain. When it comes to the construction industry equipment such as cargo work pants with reflective tape, breathable reflective rain gear and ear buds are invaluable.
Rules may change, but some things never do. Here’s what no day laborer should be without.
Cargo Work Pants With Reflective Tape
Whether they’re called high visibility pants or cargo work pants with reflective tape, these are functional pieces of apparel that keep workers safe at all times. Construction work often has people working in less-than-ideal conditions to meet a deadline, such as in the dark of night or during a particularly rainy day, meaning they run a higher risk of colliding with vehicles while they move from one place to the next. An estimated one-third of all non-fatal work injuries back in 2013 that required time away were suffered from employees with less work experience.
Breathable Rain Gear
What else do construction workers need to stay healthy? High visibility rain jackets for all conditions. Despite moving frequently and keeping warm, illnesses can still spread from proximity to the cold, wet environments and the stress of the job. Not only does this put the onus on the worker to recover, but your business can lose more money down the road attempting to cover for excess sick days. A study found 16 to 19 year-olds missed four days of work on average after a work-related injury or illness. Preventing injury and illness is as simple as keeping your workers, quite literally, covered.
Ear Plugs
Construction workers are constantly around heavy machinery, loud beeping and screeching tires. This doesn’t just irritate their hearing…it can eliminate it entirely. Earplugs, however, are designed to keep this from happening provided they are used consistently. Depending on the fit earplugs can reduce noise by anywhere from 15 to 30 decibels. Permanent hearing loss is able to be caused by exposure to sounds louder than 85 decibels, so encouraging consistent upkeep of these little additions will go a long way in cultivating safe and happy employees.
Durable Shoes
Did you know the average person walks 10,000 steps or more per day? This number, however, is tripled with construction workers. When you also factor in the increased difficulty of the job and stress of uncomfortable environments, the need for durable shoes that can withstand anything grows. Around $70 is spent per employee on foot protection every year, which can include related accessories like thick socks and steel-toed boots. Shoes that have lost their traction or no longer fit need to be thrown out as soon as possible to avoid broken toes, sprains or blisters.
Snug Helmets
No construction site is safe without the presence of snug, durable helmets. While the common cold can be shaken off in a week and a sprain needs downtime to recover, a blow to the head can be disastrous…and even fatal. All it takes is one slip or one dropped piece of equipment to end an employee’s life, so make this the year you look over all your employee’s helmets to make sure they’re up to code. Back in 2015 over 4,800 workers were killed on the job. That’s more than 10 per day. Smart helmets, cargo work pants with reflective tape and custom reflective jackets all add up to one big package.
A work environment both you and your employees can be proud of.
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