Did you know the construction industry accounts for 20% of work-related injuries in the private sector? Considering construction contractors account for only 5% of the private sector workers, that’s a large number of work-related injuries.
These statistics show the need for continuous improvement in safety and safety-related equipment and workwear.
This article explores different types of construction safety attire and how they protect your employees from potential hazards to prevent injuries and construction deaths.
6 Types Of Construction Work Wear
It’s standard that construction worker attire is safe, comfortable, and functional. However, there are various categories of construction workwear that serve different purposes. We outline these below.
Eye Protection
Eye protection equipment protects workers’ eyes from injuries caused by hazardous chemicals, flying debris, dust, and blinding light.
- Welding Helmets. A helmet with dark lenses that is commonly used by welders to protect their eyes from blinding light and sparks.
- Safety Glasses. These are glasses made with impact-resistant lenses. They protect your eyes from minor injuries caused by flying debris and dust.
- Face Shield. Durable plastic shields you wear over your face. They protect your face and eyes from corrosive chemicals and flying debris.
- Safety Goggles. Specialized eyewear with enclosed sides to create an airtight seal. This provides protection from dangerous chemicals, flying debris, dust, and other hazards.
- Smart Glasses. A new innovation in construction workwear that combines safety with technology. It enables wearers to access hands-free data and use voice commands to control certain tools. They also raise situational awareness to boost safety.
Foot Protection
Effective work boots protect your workers from foot injury caused by electric shock, slippery surfaces, sharp objects, falling objects, and other hazards.
- Protective Leggings. Common in construction sites, they’re worn over regular shoes to protect your ankles and feet from falling objects.
- Safety Shoes. Equipped with slip-resistant soles and protective toe caps, these shoes offer slip protection and protect workers from falling objects.
- Steel-Toed Boots. These durable boots have a steel plate covering the toe area to protect feet from impact.
- Electrical Hazard Boots. These are equipped with special soles to protect workers from electric shocks. They also offer slip protection.
Ear Protection
Ear protection equipment is an important part of construction site outfits, especially when working on noisy construction projects. However, it isn’t uncommon to find construction managers not equipping their workers with ear protection equipment.
Below are the two types of ear protection equipment you should invest in.
- Earplugs. These are small, insertable devices that fit right into your ear canal and block out noises. Because they’re portable and lightweight, earplugs are best for workers who need to use them for long periods.
- Ear Muffs. Larger than earplugs, ear muffs cover your ears and need an adjustable headband to hold them in place. While ear muffs offer better protection from loud noises than earplugs, they’re not convenient for long periods.
Head Protection
In most cases, death during construction jobs occurs after a fall. Therefore, the best way to reduce fatal injury rates is to equip your workers with the right head protection gear.
- Safety Helmets. These are the improved version of hard hats. They fit more closely to your head, offering better protection to your side, top, and back of your head. Safety helmets protect you from serious trauma caused by falling debris or other hard knocks.
- Helmet Liner. This is a liner made from plastic or fabric that fits under a safety helmet. It provides additional head protection from head knocks, extreme heat, and cold.
Hand Protection
Hand injuries cost between $540 and $26,000 to treat. So, to protect your workers and save costs, equip your construction workers with hand gear. This will help protect them from chemical spills, cuts, abrasions, sprains, and more.
- Gloves. Depending on the material (leather gloves, fabric gloves, rubber gloves, etc.), gloves protect you from chemical splashes, burns, cuts, cuts, and many more injuries.
- Hand Guards. These are made of impact-resistant material, like metal or plastic, to protect your wrists and hands from the impact of using hand tools like harmers.
- Hand Pads. Worn over the palms of the back of your hands, hand pads protect your hands from calluses and abrasions caused by the repetitive use of hand tools and the lifting of heavy machinery.
Vests And Clothing
High-visibility vests and other clothing are also important items of construction safety workwear.
Construction vests (reflective safety vests) are important for construction managers because they increase visibility and help identify workers. They’re also convenient for construction workers because they have pockets to hold tools and other items.
Another important example of construction work clothes is work pants.
Different types of construction work pants include:
- Cargo pants
- Double-knee pants
- Flex pants
- Canvas work pants
- Insulated pants
- Gusseted crotch pants
- Work pants with knee pads
The durable material used to make work pants protects workers from extreme cold and heat.
Evolution & Innovation In Construction Work Wear
In the past few years, we’ve seen significant evolution in construction site attire and personal protective equipment (PPE). Manufacturers continue to innovate and develop new products to meet construction workers’ changing needs and demands.
One crucial area of innovation in construction site attire is the integration of new technologies and materials.
Some of the latest innovations in wearable safety in construction include items such as smart watches, smart boots, smart helmets, and smart vests. These innovations help prevent injuries and enable construction managers to uphold better safety standards on their construction sites.
Customers are also demanding construction work clothes to be comfortable and functional. Therefore, manufacturers are now using new materials to meet these demands, including:
- Light-weight materials
- Reflective materials
- Heavier fabrics for better protection and durability
- Breathable fabrics
- Flame-resistant materials
Conclusion
Investing in construction workwear is one of the best ways to improve safety standards on construction sites. Keeping up with new digital safety technologies is also key.
To ensure your workers follow your new safety regulations, check out SkillSignal.
With our app, you can better manage and eliminate hazard risks in real time. You can also improve employee morale, manage compliance with safety regulations, and improve your profit margins overall.
Reference List
- https://workwearcommand.com/what-do-construction-workers-wear/
- https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/starting-new-job/what-do-construction-workers-wear
- https://suntect.blog/2022/06/19/what-do-construction-workers-wear/
- https://ohsonline.com/articles/2020/02/01/a-new-year-of-hand-safety.aspx
- https://gocodes.com/construction-injury-statistics/
