Safety is never something to play with, but when it comes to construction safety, that’s really not something to take lightly! Last year in the United States alone, more than 200,000 non-fatal injuries were reported on job sites. No one ever plans on being hurt or injured at a construction site, but the best and easiest thing you can do is take every necessary precaution possible. This includes proper safety gear at all times and following job site rules and regulations. We’re breaking down two easy ways to practice construction safely, but they aren’t just your everyday hardhat and safety vest. These two items will change the way you look at construction safety.
Safety Glasses Are a Must
On a construction site, a worker faces numerous ways to suffer from an eye injury potentially. In fact, more than 40 percent of on-the-job eye injuries reported occur in construction, manufacturing, and mining industries. There are more than 10,000 eye injuries on the job site each year in the United States. Possible causes of eye injury on a construction site can range from flying sawdust to mechanical damage, not to mention a variety of suspended matter such as pollen or sand. But the number one cause of eye injury while on a construction site is from chemicals being used. Safety glasses are the perfect way to keep your eyes protected at all times and should be a requirement at any construction job.
When we talk about the importance of safety glasses, the first issue that’s always presented is, what if I wear glasses? That’s where Stoggles comes in clutch! Stoggles even states on their website, “Not everyone has perfect vision, but everyone can have protected vision.” Stoggles makes several different types of safety glasses, including a version with your prescription, an option for readers, or just the safety glasses with no corrective vision. Stoggles come in four different styles and a plethora of different colors, so you don’t have to sacrifice style for safety. This also allows for every pair to be unisex, so really the only question you have to ask yourself is, which style looks best on me? Round, square, rectangle, or cat-eye?
Stoggles are meant to improve the look of safety glasses but still have the option to look good while being safe. Every pair of glasses comes with anti-fog lenses, blue-light blocking, and 100 percent UV blocking. They have top and side shields for ultimate protection, a feature regular safety glasses don’t always offer. The company provides a size guide on their website as well, so you can make sure your glasses will fit as well as they look. And unlike real glasses, Stoggles are completely shatter resistant, which is a must on a construction site because accidents happen.
Stoggles make wearing safety glasses easy and more desirable on any construction site! We love that they are set at a great price point, too, making these safety glasses our top choice for eyewear protection made easy.
Walk a Mile in My Shoes
As a construction worker, you can expect to spend most of your time on your feet. Whether you’re walking miles each day or just a few steps, wearing the proper shoes is imperative not only for safety but for comfort and health too. Construction workers also work in all kinds of weather – spring, summer, fall, and winter. That makes it even more important to wear a solid pair of boots that can bare the elements, regardless of what season it is.
It may seem like a no-brainer, but wearing closed-toe shoes is a must for construction safety. But if you’re on a construction site where there could be falling debris, no matter the size or type, or where heavy machinery is frequently used, finding a good steel toe boot is an easy way to save your feet. Before steel toe boots hit the market, many individuals would wear wooden clogs or leather boots, but because of their less-than-strong material, workplace injuries were becoming more frequent. Steel toe boots evolved from their predecessors but were made using solid material, steel, in both the toe and plate in the sole of the boot. This provided superior protection for workers in case of falling objects or walking into an item. Boots that come with a steel sole are intended to protect the worker’s foot from a possible puncture in case a nail or another sharp object is stepped on at the job site.
The style of steel toe boots varies, as they have continued to evolve the look of the boot to follow current trends. So, like with Stoggles’ safety glasses, you don’t have to choose between style, comfort, and safety. You can have the best of both worlds.
This is not an all-inclusive list of safety equipment or measures that should be taken for construction safety, but they are our top two! We hope you take these innovative items and use them to make it easy to practice construction safely.