Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE, is used every day by manufacturers to prevent injuries on the job. With the current pandemic, PPE is now more important than ever for not only protecting against injuries, but health as well.
As many people begin to return to the workplace full-time, it’s important to have the right PPE available to protect yourself and other employees. Here’s a closer look at what you need to know about PPE to stay safe on the job.
Types of PPE You Need
Before COVID-19 changed the way we think about PPE, manufacturers were already utilizing protective gear to complete daily tasks, such as goggles, hard hats, ear plugs and respirators. Along with these common forms of protective equipment, manufacturers now have to consider new ways to protect themselves against contamination, such as:
- N95 respirators for everyone, even when not performing manufacturing tasks
- Cloth face coverings when outside of the factory floor to prevent contamination through coughing, sneezing or talking
- Face shields may be beneficial to not only protect your face from dangerous dirt and debris on the job, but also from close contact with others
- Disposable gear such as gloves and masks when possible to prevent contamination from shared equipment
The addition of extra PPE in the workplace will help provide safety and peace of mind for workers during this unsettling time.
The Benefits of Face Shields
According to the CDC, face shields may serve as both PPE and source control—preventing potential injuries and controlling contamination. Some of the most important benefits include:
- Providing additional protection from process-related splashes and person-to-person contact
- When using a combination of face masks and goggles, goggles have been known to fog up. Face shields avoid this by serving as both goggles and masks in one device
- May help minimize the contamination of cloth face coverings
Face shields can attach directly to helmets, making it easy for workers to implement greater protection into their everyday PPE. Workers should be sure to disinfect shields after every shift and avoid sharing to prevent further contamination.
At Apple Rubber, we’re doing our part to provide PPE to our staff and keep them as healthy as possible. We have added more distance between workstations, provided masks to our employees and installed hand sanitizing stations around the plant. To further promote a safe environment, we have also hired additional cleaning personnel to sanitize high-contact areas throughout the day. In order to lower the amount of people in the facility and minimize risk, our office staff will continue to work from the safety of their homes.
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