PPE Selection For The Metal Fabricating Industry
Hand Injuries An Industry Problem According to the CDC, hand injuries account for over a million emergency department visits by workers per year in the United States. 70 percent of workers who experienced hand injuries were not wearing gloves. That s 700,000 hand injuries that could have been prevented or reduced with proper hand protection. The remaining 30 percent of injured workers did wear gloves, but experienced injuries because the gloves were in adequate, damaged or wrong for the type of hazard present. Most hand injuries are preventable! 2
Choosing the correct hand protection Discuss the hazards Various types of gloves and their benefits vs hazards Conducting a glove trial Additional PPE For The Metal Fabricating Industry 3
How Do You Know You re Using The Right Gloves? There are many types of gloves available to protect against a wide variety of hazards. The type of hazard and the operation involved affects the selection of gloves. Because gloves designed for one application may not protect well against another, it is essential that workers use gloves designed for their particular hazards and tasks. 4
Finding The Right 5
Assess the Hazard And The Environment What are the hazards? - Assess the current and potential hazards How much protection is needed? - Application may require anywhere from a glove offering general purpose protection up to an ANSI cut level 4 or 5 protection How much dexterity is needed? - Are you working with small parts or are your hands working in tight areas? 6
Assess the Hazard And The Environment What kind of a grip is needed? - Are there oils, water, coolant, etc. involved? Are you dealing with extremely hot or cold materials? - Protection from burns Will one glove work for the entire operation? - You don t want to offer too much or too little protection 7
Glove Examples For Various Hazards General Purpose - General handling - Offer good grip - Keep hands clean 8
Glove Examples For Various Hazards Cut Resistant - ANSI Cut Level 2 - Handling small or ultra-fine, sharp parts - Forming, machining and handling small parts - Small part stamping 9
Glove Examples For Various Hazards Cut Resistant - ANSI Cut Level 3 - Handling sharp edged objects - Cutting dry or lightly oiled parts - Machining/metal working - Stamping 10
Glove Examples For Various Hazards Cut Resistant - ANSI Cut Level 4 And Above - Press and welding - Stamping - Heavy duty metal handling - Knife handling 11
Conduct a glove trial Choose people for the trial who are serious about safety on the job and who will provide honest and constructive feedback Use feedback cards to capture their experiences with the test glove and their personal preferences. Does the test glove offer comfort, fit, flexibility, dexterity, etc.? Let the testers know that this feedback will determine what gloves will ultimately be provided to the team Using the data collected, you are now in a good position to identify your final choices 12
Questions Regarding Selecting The Appropriate? 13
Additional PPE Head Protection Hearing Protection Eye And Face Protection Arm Protection (cut resistant, heat protection) Body Protection (welding jacket/ sleeves) Foot Protection 14
PPE IN THE METAL FABRICATION INDUSTRY ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE NOT TO USE IT 15
Questions? Mary Alati Ansell Territory Manager 248-379-9968 Mary.alati@ansell.com 16