Safety has always been an important issue in construction. Let’s face it; this is not an office job. The more prepared Laborers are, the less chance they will encounter accidents and injuries. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), the focus of this series, is a key part of that preparation.

Employers are required, whenever possible, to reduce or eliminate exposure to hazards through engineering or administrative controls before resorting to personal protection. When such controls are practically or economically infeasible, PPE must be issued.

“The purpose of protective clothing is to prevent harm to the body from potential exposures associated with work,” says Noel C. Borck, Management Co-Chairman of The Laborers’ Health and Safety Fund of North America (LHSFNA). “When a worker’s environment presents the potential for a hazardous situation, it is the employer’s responsibility to provide adequate PPE.”

Protective suits

Protective suits, commonly called Tyvek suits, are the industry standard for protecting workers in all sorts of hazardous working conditions.

Tyvek is a brand of spunbonded polyolefin, a synthetic material made of high-density polyethylene fibers. The material is very strong; is difficult to tear but can be easily cut with scissors or any other sharp object. This is a lightweight, breathable material, which allows the body’s perspiration to pass through as water vapor, making it useful in a variety of situations, including:

.Painting, spray painting.
.General maintenance.
.Lead or asbestos abatement.
.Mold remediation.
.Dry chemical applications.
.Radioactive dust.
.Abrasive blasting.
.Environmental clean-up.
.Mining.
.Construction  

Protective suits come in different styles: coveralls, smocks and aprons.