What you wear to work can keep you safe - or not
Forget the latest fashion fads. In the woodworking plant, designer eyewear and baggy pants just don’t make it. Safety eyewear, ear plugs, face shields and the like are the "in" fashions here. The most up-to-date "style line" comes to you courtesy of the American Furniture Manufacturers Association and OSHA, which have worked together to design effective safety practices and standards, including PPE - Personal Protective Equipment.
In an industry rampant with wood splinters, sharp metal, glass edges, machines that can throw chips and dust, staples and air driven nails, high noise levels and hazardous chemicals, PPE is the last line of defense against injury or catastrophe.
Safety Glasses with Side Shields:
Eyes are easily damaged and often impossible to repair. Safety glasses with side shields are used to protect against flying dust, thrown wood chips and thrown staples. They do not protect against large or high speed flying objects, corrosive or toxic chemical sprays and splashes, or optical radiation from lasers and welding arcs. And yes, you can look good in these; some are actually fashionable. If you wear prescription glasses, safety glasses can be made to fit your prescription. These glasses must meet protection levels set by ANSI standard Z87.1. Proper glasses will have that number engraved on the frames, lenses or side shields. Slip-on side shields do not provide sufficient protection and do not meet OSHA standards.
Fit and care are important. Make sure they fit comfortably. They should not slip down on your nose. With use, lenses will become scratched and cloudy, so replace them when this happens, and keep glasses clean with a mild soap and water wash, drying with a soft, lint-free cloth. Do not use a silicone cleaning product.
Face Shields:
These are used to protect against larger and faster flying objects, around chipper and hog operations, in weed-eater and grinder operations, in chemical mixing operations, and at the wash-off and dip tanks.
Face shields are to be worn like a cap. Headbands are adjustable and should be set firmly around and across the top of your head. They should be cleaned in the same manner as safety glasses and replaced when they become scratched or cloudy.
Goggles:
These protect against splash and spray of chemicals and should fit snuggly around the eyes. Use these in wash-off and dip tank operations using harsher chemicals. If you are working in an areas where safety glasses are also normally worn, you must wear safety glasses under the goggles.
Ear or Hearing Protection:
Sound is energy that moves through the air and moves the tissues and bones of the inner ears. Those tissues and bones are tiny, but tough. However, the more stress they receive, the faster they wear out. Bones and tissues thicken, nerves deep in the ear die; unprotected exposure to loud sounds speed this aging process. Very loud sounds can cause immediate and permanent hearing damage, but short exposure to loud sounds can add up to the same amount of damage.
Earplugs are required in all areas where the noise level equals or exceeds 85db (decibels). High sound levels are found in many furniture rough end departments, machine rooms, cabinet rooms, lumber grading and stacking areas, finishing departments, and rub and pack. There are many styles of these including with or without neck cords, gum, foam and soft formed plastic. The latter last the longest, some in special sizes, and are easiest to clean.
To work properly, they must be inserted properly. Roll the plug between your fingers to soften and shape it, reach over your head and lift the top of your ear to open the ear canal and insert the plug with your other hand. When you let go of your ear, the ear canal closes on the plug for a firm fit. To remove, lightly wiggle the plug as you slowly remove it. This releases air pressure so you won’t damage your eardrum. Keep them clean to prevent germs and ear infections and replace them when they are no longer soft and pliable.
People who medically or physically cannot wear ear plugs can use ear muffs. They can also be used in addition to earplugs to increase your level of hearing protection in areas with very high sound levels.
Because safety equipment is so important to worker safety, Modern Woodworking will continue to review safety equipment in next month’s issue. PPE is the fourth video in the AFMA’s Safe Way video series, and it can be purchased along with other safety films in the series by contacting AFMA at 336-884-5000. Fax: 336-884-5303. Or write AFMA at 223 South Wrenn St., PO Box HP-7, High Point, NC 27261.
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