How do you keep your employees safe every time they clock on?

Their equipment should be the first thing that comes to mind, even before concerns about spreading the common cold. High-quality apparel that is carefully maintained day in and day out is often the one thing standing in-between a confident worker and a worker who leaves the job with an injury, illness or close shave. While equipment can’t be so easily boiled down into a short list, here are the basics no construction worker, laborer or part-time driver should be without.

High Visibility Clothing

Without high visibility clothing construction industries would be facing higher incidents of head-on collisions. When workers are tasked with working in the dark or in cloudy conditions often the only element keeping them safe are their high visibility long sleeve shirts. Even a construction safety vest can be thrown over a dark jacket or simple t-shirt in case of an emergency. Cargo work pants with reflective tape can and should be work alongside high visibility long sleeve shirts to keep the possibility of a crash as low as possible.

Working Shoes

No construction worker or day laborer should be without a pair of high-quality shoes. While you’ll see the average person walking 10,000 steps per day or so, a day laborer will walk closer to 30,000. Some of the most common minor to major injuries while on the clock include broken toes and sprained ankles, most of which can be avoided with snug footwear. It’s estimated $70 is spent per employee on foot protection every year. Steel toed boots are highly recommended for employees that regularly lift heavy objects or constantly work around heavy machinery.

Ear Plugs

A common hazard faced by construction workers are loud noises. Heavy machinery, loud beeping and screeching tires all contribute to an auditory environment that is unpleasant at best, actively damaging at worst. Permanent hearing loss is able to be caused by sounds louder than 85 decibels. Depending on the fit and make ear plugs are able to reduce noise by 15 to 30 decibels. These should be worn at all times, even if no extremely loud noises are anticipated, as it just takes one unexpected explosion or piercing sound to permanently damage a worker’s hearing.

Construction Helmets

The classic image of a construction worker is boasting a high visibility long sleeve shirts, reflective tape jackets and, of course, the helmet. Helmets, just like a pair of shoes or gloves, should fit snugly and boast no danger of slipping. Even a small object dropped from an incredible height can put a worker at great risk for injury. Helmets that no longer fit should be thrown out immediately and replaced with a newer, improved model. Back in 2015 over 4,000 workers were killed on the job. That’s as many as 14 to 15 deaths per day. How else can you keep your workers safe?

Breathable Rain Gear

Custom reflective jackets and high visibility long sleeve shirts should be carefully protected by heavy duty rain gear for construction. These are designed to prevent illness and keep workers from developing hypothermia while working in rainy, cloudy or windy conditions. It’s essential your rain gear isn’t just effective, but comfortable, as laborers work long and difficult shifts that grow harder by the hour. New employees and young employees are at the highest risk of being injured or becoming ill on the job, according to statistics provided by both the Bureau Of Labor Statistics and the Institute For Work And Health In Canada.

Work safety involves simple actions with long-term consequences, good and bad. Keep your workers safe this year with high visibility long sleeve shirts, rain gear and ear plugs.