You can not avoid safety clothing if you are a construction worker or a tradesman. When compared to normal shoes, safety boots are specifically designed to safely carry out the daily work process and protect your feet in a dangerous work environment.

Accidents can happen at a construction site as it filled with bricks, concrete, nails and heavy timber. Therefore, it is very important that you wear safety boots while working on a construction site.

Safety boots have durable nubuk leather and a rubber protective sole, which does not allow sharp objects to penetrate. On a hard surface, safety boots reduce the impact of work and have steel toecaps in case anything falls on the foot.

On the other hand, safety trousers also play an important role as they ensure added security and protection that your normal clothes do not provide. Generally, safety trousers have a water repellent fabric with many pockets. You can keep working tools in these pockets when it is safe to do so.  You should wear protective hats to help prevent head injuries. Make sure that you always wear your protective gear when you are at work on a construction site to avoid any injuries and at work.

Employers should take steps as directed by experts for instilling safety habits in their employees. Some of them are:

• Wear well fitted clothes that will not snag or become entrapped in any machinery.
• Workers should be safety-conscious. They need to pay attention to the instructions given about operating the machinery in a safe manner and take the uttermost care during hazardous jobs.
• Keep all safety tools, guards and equipment in a place that is easily accessible.
• While cleaning or maintaining machinery, take care to replace guards that have been removed under the supervision of an authorised person.
• When not in use, machinery should be switched off. You should also first switch off machinery when cleaning or maintaining it.
• Distractions during intricate jobs can result in injuries; concentrate on the job at hand. Using the mobile phone or listening to one is a distraction that could be fatal.
• Safety comes before speed. Do not hurry while operating machinery.
• Make it compulsory for workers to wear the personal protective equipment provided to them.
• Helmets and proper masks should be used even if there is no visible danger.

Safety clothing protects not only the wearer but also the environment from contamination that the person might spread in sensitive areas like hospitals, clinics and laboratories.

The people working in blood banks, employed at places dealing with chemical toxins or in microchip companies need extra protection. They need to be more careful with their clothing choices. For example, gloves are necessary for hospital staff as they protect hands from infections and contamination. At the same time gloves made of sturdier material can protect hands from toxic chemicals or extreme temperatures.

Sportspersons who engage in daredevil adventure sports like motor racing, skiing and contact sports like American football and ice hockey require special safety clothing and equipment. The spongy, sturdy gloves specially designed for sportspersons protect hands from jerks and twists in different situations.

Masks or helmets keep tradesmen safe from occupational hazards. Motorcycle riders as well as cyclists are protected while riding their vehicles. Masks, boots and padded clothes for safety reasons keep our nearest and dearest safe.

The construction job site safety audit can serve as a critical and handy tool for the purpose of protecting your workers and field personnel. It is also in your interest from the point of view of keeping your building projects on the right track in terms of schedule and budget.

Paying ongoing attention to worker safety and damage control is the core of healthy work philosophy. Identifying and then correcting or removing work site hazards on a regular basis apart from conducting a job site safety audit minimises accidents and injuries efficiently.

Here are some relatively common safety issues, which hold the key to a regular construction job site ‘safety audit’ check:

Stairs:
Stairs need to be constructed properly with a consistent rise and run and secured treads as well as stair rails in place.

Office Trailers
Unused access and entrance doors, unless they are fire escape doors, can be physically blocked so as to avoid falls and prospective injury.

Loading Platforms
Railings for preventing falls need to have mid and top rails in place. Chains can be used under certain conditions.

Quality workwear
Provide workers with quality workwear and safety footwear that will withstand the most rigorous of wear.

The tradesman needs to feel comfortable and relaxed in the clothes he is wearing. This is because often it takes hours for a tradesman to finish a particular tedious task, and it is not even possible to leave it mid-way.

The clothing plays very crucial role in the efficiency of a tradesman. For example, if a shirt worn by a worker is either too tight or too loose, the person is going to get restless and fidgety, and his output is bound to be effected.

Keeping in mind the needs of the modern amateur DIY'ers and a professional tradesman, many manufacturers have come up with some revolutionary concepts in work clothing.

An array of flexible, integrated workwear that is designed to fulfill the specific needs of skilled professionals, including electricians, carpenters, plumbers, and construction / building contractors are a testimony to the options available on the market.

 

 

Made of tough, waterproof, Oxford Cotton and available in sizes small to 5XL, Durakit's Performance Hi Vis Jacket (compliant to BSEN471 class 3) is windproof, waterproof (compliant to EN343 Class 3) and breathable (compliant to EN343 Class 2). Machine washable with Double Band 3M Scotchlite Reflective Tape around the torso, arms and shoulders, the new garment is half fleece lined with a ribbed inner cuff for warmth. Retailing at £59.98 it features a two-way zip, stowaway hood, as well as a variety of external and internal pockets designed for mobile phones, pens & maps & is machine washable to boot.

 

"As the entire Durakit range is designed and manufactured in-house by RTG we keep costs low and quality high so that the customer gets great value for money," says Adrian Wilkinson, Managing Director, RTG ,"This new jacket is expected to be a popular addition to the brand, following the success of the Hi Vis launch and has been introduced as a direct result of customer demand," he adds.  

 

Durakit, conceived by RTG International in 2006, provides a design-led working wardrobe featuring durable, affordable and high performance garments which workers ‘want to wear’ rather than ‘have to wear’. The Durakit Hi Vis range was launched in September 2008 and incorporates 12 garments including trousers, fleeces, bodywarmers andshorts. The range also boasts a lightweight Brightskyn polo shirt which harnesses the performance characteristics of RTG’s Coolskyn ‘stay dry’ technology.