Health and Safety International | Issue 33
Filtrating Respiratory Protection Devices - tools against hazardous particles
Respiratory protective devices provide protection against different types of air contamination e.g. dusts, fumes, gases and vapours that are hazardous for human health. Respirators are generally classified two basic categories: filtering devices – used as the simplest protection equipment against chemical agents, and breathing apparatus – generally used by specially trained end-users in complex environments.
Safety Is In Your Hands
Slip Resistance of Footwear - Worn outdoor footwear and work footwear: a comparison
Sound Practice - Noise Measurements in Health and Safety
Take the High Ground - Falls from height change lives
Latest statistics from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reveal that falls from height remain one of the most common causes of fatality and major injury in the workplace. Last year 35 workers died as a result of a fall from height in the workplace and in the same period more than 4000 employees suffered major injuries. At their most extreme, falls can result in death and by their very nature, injuries to workers have the potential to be life changing, not only affecting the people themselves, but also impacting upon their families.
Task Lighting in Hazardous Areas
With so many different types of light source available to us today, we tend to forget that for many years people who worked in coal mines had to use candles, using a naked flame with the potential for ignition and explosion if there was a leak of methane. At that time, one of the most important jobs in the mine was that of “fireman”. His purpose in life was not to put out fires, as we might think today, but to actually ignite small fires so that any methane which collected in the roof of the mine was burnt off before it had a chance to ignite. He passed through the mine workings with a lighted taper on the end of a long pole, deliberately inserting the flame into any pockets in the roof where the methane (at about half the density of air) would collect. Rumour has it that he was either the best paid man in the mine or, using a modern phrase, a “prisoner on day release”.
Workwear - Putting the Workers into Workwear
For those involved with providing workwear, it may not always be clear what the hazards are so it is important that manufacturers identify – as far as they can – what their workwear is intended to do or protect workers from. Accurate information is a key to making sure the correct workwear is selected. Without this, it may be difficult for users to decide which product offers the best protection.
