The safety gear you need for your next steel project

Safety gloves

There are many different types of safety gloves on the market. Understanding which safety glove is best for your particular application or project will help you choose the right one for your protection.

For example, leather gloves provide strong protection against cuts, but can make it hard to grasp or hold small objects. At the same time, painting or staining steel with harsh chemicals may best be accomplished with waterproof and flexible latex gloves.

If in doubt, it’s always best to ask which glove type is best for your next project – we’re always here to help.

Hearing protection

As you’re working on your next steel project, you’ll probably be surrounded by long periods of noise such as drilling, cutting, welding.

Exposure to excessive noise while working may result in temporary hearing loss or, potentially, even tinnitus, so it is important to mitigate the risks as much as possible by wearing quality hearing protection.

Safe Work Australia sets two exposure standards for noise, which are:

• LAeq, 8h of 85 dB (A)
• LC, peak of 140 dB (C)

For the first measure, this means that over the course of an eight hour shift, a person should not be exposed to any more than 85 decibels.

Masks

Masks provide protection from harmful and dangerous gases, vapours and airborne particles that are produced when fillers, coatings, shielding gases and metal are heated to high temperatures, especially during the welding process.

Ergonomically designed masks and respirators can fit comfortably with, or underneath, your safety goggles or a welding helmet, so it’s an essential piece of safety gear for your next metalwork project.

Welding jackets and helmets

Welding jackets and sleeves made of flame resistant materials add additional protection for your back and arms during the welding process.

It’s also a good idea to check the fabric weight of the welding jacket you plan to purchase and ensure that your workwear conforms with Australian Standards.

If you are welding, you need to wear a welding helmet to protect your eyes, face and neck.

If you are using an arc welding process, a welding helmet will protect you from arc eye and retina burns. You will also avoid flash burn and damage from sparks.

Be sure to select the right welding helmet for the welding process you are using, as different helmets will have different lens shades to protect your eyes, depending on the intensity required.

Hard hats

White hard hats are easily visible from a distance, giving proper protection when equipment is moving above eye level.

Hard hats are designed to protect the head and neck from impact.

Whether it’s a falling object, a swinging component or low ceilings, wearing a hard hat ensures you protect your sensitive facial organs and brain from risk of injury.