Do you work for a company that requires the use of chemical protective garments? Whether you work in a factory that deals with chemical products or you work somewhere like a petroleum refinery, it is imperative that all workers have the proper protective apparel so they are not injured. Requiring and maintaining a safe workplace should be at the top of these companies? to-do lists to ensure that their employees are always safe while working on the job.
Interested in learning more about why chemical protective garments are so important and how you or another employee could suffer an injury without the right personal protective clothing? Keep reading for more information about companies that deal with dangerous elements and how employees can stay safe and protected.
Injuries Workers Can Sustain Without Protective Clothing
If you work for a company that doesn?t always offer the best protective clothing and eye and face protection, you may have seen first-hand what can happen to workers who are injured. No one wants to suffer an injury while on the job. Not only does it hurt and require medical care, but it also takes you off the job for an unknown amount of time while you heal.
Currently, statistics show that every single year thousands of workers are injured when they don?t use the proper eye and face protection. These injuries oftentimes can result in blindness when working at a company that handles chemicals. In instances like these, the company may not offer the proper protection. On the other hand, the employees may simply choose to not use the chemical protective garments. In either instance, someone should be overseeing that the protective gear is available and that employees are following protocol at all times.
Another statistic shows that if someone endures an eye injury, it can cost companies greatly. For medical expenses, worker compensation, and the time lost in production, companies shell out around $300 million a year to deal with eye injuries that occur on the job. Luckily, around 20 million workers do adhere to the rules and regulations by wearing personal protective equipment when they are on the job, according to the CDC. Otherwise, these statistics would be even higher.
How Chemical Protective Garments Can Prevent Injuries for Workers
Unfortunately, there is not currently a product on the market that is 100% safe for workers. They can only guarantee safety to a certain degree. This is due to the fact that there is a point of ignition for all fabrics, even flame-resistant fabrics. However, generally the flames will not spread from the ignition point if the clothing is made of flame-resistant fabric.
When not wearing the best protective garments, workers can become injured from processes like permeation. This occurs when a chemical is able to pass through an item like a glove. Although it was meant to protect the worker?s hand, chemicals can still do harm if the material is not durable enough. In addition, this is affected by the temperature. When the temperature in the environment and of the material reach a high enough degree, breakthrough resistance can occur.
This is why no employee should ever take their chances when working for a company that deals with chemicals. If you didn?t wear your protective gear one day and you didn?t sustain an injury, that does not mean this is a habit that you should continue in the future. There?s no reason to risk your health and well-being by not wearing the chemical protective garments that are provided for you. If the right materials and items are not provided for every employee, this should be reported and remedied before continuing to work on the job. You should not feel obligated to continue working if your employee has not provided the right materials and equipment to ensure your safety every single day.
Have you ever worn chemical protective garments like chemical protective jacks or coveralls? Did it ever help prevent you from sustaining an injury on the job? Let us know about your experiences in the comments.