Protective Clothing

1. 1
PROTECTIVE CLOTHING
1. Dress appropriately to reduce the risk of accident or injury.
Fig. 0.1: Appropriate and inappropriate dressing

2. 2
PROTECTIVE CLOTHING CONTD.
1. Wear the right clothing for the job.
2. Always keep clothes clean. Dirty clothes can offer a fire or
dermatitis risk.
3. Avoid loose ends. Tie can throttle you.
4. If protective clothing is provided, wear it.
5. Remove contaminated clothing immediately, and wash.
6. It is worth dressing properly even for a short job.
7. Good, sturdy leather shoes with steel toe caps should be worn
to protect the feet from falling objects and from dampness. The
hard steel caps should withstand a load of 250lbs, never wear
soft sole shoes; you might step on nail that would puncture the
soft sole and enter your foot. The bottom of the protective
shoes should be oil resistant.
8. When working in trenches or wherever water is present, wear
some form of rubber footwear to help prevent water-borne
contaminants or micro-organisms, worms etc., from coming in
contact with your skin.
Steel toe
Fig.0.2: Appropriate work boot

3. 3
HEAD PROTECTION
• Hard hats (helmet) should be worn whenever you are exposed to
fallen objects. Standard specifications require that such hats will
withstand a certain degree of denting. They must be able to resist
breaking when struck with an 80 lbs. ball dropped from a height of
1.5m (5’).
• Never wear hard hat over another hat.
• Hard hats must fit properly. The lining must be adjusted so that
the hat sits squarely on the head.
Fig. 0.4: Outside &
inside view of a helmet
Fig.03: Wearing the helmet on the job

4. 4
EYE PROTECTION
• Safety goggles or safety glasses should be worn over the eyes not
on top of your forehead, when working in areas where hazardous
operations are being performed. These hazards include: sawing,
drilling, chipping, spraying, sand blasting, operating portable
explosive activated fastening tools and using compressed air for
cleaning or when working with dangerous chemicals.
• If there is danger to the face a full face shield should be worn.
• Some types of eye protection are shown below.
B. Safety glasses
C. Safety goggles
B. Bad practiceA. Good practice
A. Face shield
Fig. 0.5: Types of safety gadgets for the eyes
Fig. 0.6: Showing the correct & the incorrect way to use a safety goggles

5. 5
FACE MASK
• Wear a dust mask when working in moderate dusty areas or while
installing insulation, this will give moderate protection against
dust inhalation.
• Wear a respirator when working in high concentration of dust or
where you are exposed to toxic fumes.
• The disposable mask are available for light dusty condition. Keep
respiration device clean. Change filters often.
B. Using a disposable maskA. Using a respirator
Fig.0.7: Types of face mask and how to wear them

6. 6
HAND PROTECTION
Gloves are made in different types and are worn for the protection of
the hands when working under the various conditions listed below:
• Wear heavy duty canvas gloves when handling materials with
sharp or rough edges and when handling hot or cold materials.
• Wear rubber or plastic gloves to give protection against skin
irritation when handling materials like cement, oil or grease and
when handling dirty or contaminated materials.
Wear gloves when
handling materials with
rough & sharp edges
A.
B. Wear gloves when using hammer and chisel
Fig.0.8: The wearing of gloves to protect the hands

7. 7
EAR PROTECTION
• Hearing protection devices must be worn if working in areas
subjected to a noise level of 90 decibels (dB) or more for several
hours.
• Continued loud noise can cause permanent hearing loss. When
working on the job site and even in some workshops, machinery
and vehicles that make loud noises are unavoidable.
• Wherever it is not feasible to reduce the noise or duration of
exposure, canal caps, ear-plugs or ear-muff must be worn to
protect your ears. These gadgets are inexpensive and effective.
A. Ear muff
C. Wearing an ear muff
B. Canal caps/plugs
Fig.0.9: Showing types of safety gadgets for the ears & how there are used.