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Hearing damage isn’t always the result of explosions or other single, loud noises. A lot of damage occurs at much lower levels and more gradually, especially if you’re exposed to constant low background noise. Noise intensity, duration of exposure, and the type of sound all contribute to how it can damage your hearing. Even slight hearing loss can have an impact on your life, and the damage is irreversible above certain decibel levels. Symptoms include ringing in your ears, noises sounding …

Any job or worksite where your eyes are at risk from flying objects, liquids, gases, or other materials is one where you need to wear protective eyewear. Your regular prescription eyewear or sunglasses aren’t going to cut it: eye and face protection is designed for workplace hazards. Choosing the right eye protection is like choosing any other piece of PPE, so use this guide to be prepared for making that decision.Eye Hazard AssessmentOSHA provides guidelines for job hazard analyses as well as t …

Many jobs that involve confined spaces, even if you don’t use them every day, require a basic confined space kit in order to be OSHA compliant. A wide range of industries require work in confined spaces at least some of the time, and while this work is important it also has the potential to be very dangerous. Rescue plans must be put into place before anyone sets foot on the worksite, and they need to be thorough: workers need to know the dangers of the space through testing, research, and docum …

Gas monitors are designed to detect harmful substances that can affect air quality and put workers at risk. But the monitor needs access to the air in question to do its job. Choosing where to install fixed gas monitors depends on a number of factors, including the work environment, who’s entering the space, and the target gas. Use this guide to find the right place for your fixed 4-gas monitor, so you can stay safe in any situation.Breathing ZoneWhen monitoring the space for oxygen to maintain …

Field decontamination can be a complicated process, and it’s one that should be taken very seriously. Proper doffing procedures require a well-trained team to avoid contamination hazards from biological, toxic, or otherwise dangerous worksite hazards. Your personal protective equipment (PPE) won’t necessarily be safe for reuse after you remove it, as a lot of hazmat gear is designed for limited use, but it depends on your work and your gear. While specific details will vary depending on what you …

A proper respirator is essential for a wide range of industries with threats to the health and safety of workers. It’s crucial to get the right kind of breathing protection, whether it’s a half-face respirator or a full SCBA respirator system. Respirators are classified by the types of hazards they’ll protect a wearer from, the assigned protection factor, and the substances they’re approved for.Determining Which Equipment You NeedConduct an exposure assessment to learn what hazards you need to p …

Facial hair is just a part of life, but it shouldn’t be a safety hazard. Employers need to make sure their workers have access to reliable OSHA-approved respirators for beards when working in hazardous environments. Facial hair often gets in the way of the seal that connects the respirator to the worker’s face, leaving room for airborne pollutants and hazardous gases.How Should a Respirator Fit with Facial Hair?There are lots of different kinds of facial hair. According to OSHA, employees with n …

Jobs that require a lot of contaminated area cleanup—like asbestos and lead removal—require hazmat suits. Hazmat suits are overall garments that protect workers from chemicals, biological agents, radioactivity, and other hazardous materials.There are a variety of Hazmat suits, each created for different hazards, and it’s crucial to make the right choice in protection.Consider Your CriteriaWhen selecting your hazmat suit, no matter what hazards you’re facing or what protection levels are used in …

Hands are a valuable tool in nearly all workplaces, and proper safety gloves are an important piece of PPE on worksites where there are on-the-job hazards that put workers’ hands in danger. Wearing no gloves at all or the wrong kind of gloves can increase the risk of injury on a worksite. Luckily for employers, there have been many innovations in the materials and technology that produce gloves, so there are plenty of options available.It’s not necessarily true that the most protective glove is …

There’s a lot to consider when shopping for cut resistant gloves, but most importantly, they should protect your hands from cuts, scrapes, and other sharp hazards. To help you narrow your search, the American National Standards Institute/International Safety Equipment Association has created a clear set of guidelines that rate gloves based on their ability to protect your hands on the job. Use this guide to find the right safety gloves and PPE for the task at hand.ANSI/ISEA Hand Protection Class …