Blue Collar Job: 6 Essentials You Must Know
Blue-collar jobs are those that require manual labour. These industries employ blue-collar workers; Construction, Mining, Manufacturing, Waste Disposal, Fishing, Logging, etc.
Workers in blue-collar jobs can be skilled or semi-skilled, with an education qualification up to the high school level, while their jobs might not be so heavy on science and computing, their jobs too are tough and effort-requiring. Moreover, there are huge risks to loss of life and property lurking around their daily roles; thus, to protect the workers, there are certain guidelines in place. They have to stick to a specific set of gear for their workplace. This article lists down 6 essential parts of a blue-collar worker’s uniform.
Safety Harness
Not every worker puts on a safety harness. If you are working with a building maintenance firm, you would need this protective equipment. Safety harnesses stop workers from falling. Generally, these harnesses are tied around the waist and connected with a long boom on the roof of the building.
Fluorescent Uniforms
Shiny uniforms help to locate workers working in dark environments such as mines. They are also worn by road construction workers so that drivers can spot them afar. Fluorescent uniforms aren’t meant for every blue-collared employee. If you run a manufacturing company, probably you won’t need this PPE. But you might want to check with the Australian government on this subject.
Helmets
Hard hats and helmets must be worn by every blue-collared worker irrespective of his industry. This protective equipment helps in;
- Preventing head injuries
- Reducing casualties on the workplace
6.4 % of all injuries in the workplace are due to contusions on the head & other parts of the body. You can prevent them by wearing well-designed helmets made of high-quality material.
Helmets also save you from Traumatic Brain Injuries, i.e., wounds that can affect your brain temporarily or permanently. Miners wear the same helmets as the construction workers, but with a slight modification. They have torches installed on them to guide the miners through dark places. Some of the PPE listed above can be purchased easily offline or online
Earplugs
Manufacturing and construction activities emit noise. Though there are certain regulations on noise levels, continued exposure to even low levels of noise can lead to hearing impairment.
As a construction or manufacturing business owner, you might want to buy earplugs for your employees. You don’t need to buy bulky stuff; very small pieces that fit inside the ear will do.
Protective Footwear
One of the essential pieces of PPE is footwear. Safety shoes help your workers by;
- Preventing injuries to the toe
- Stopping injuries on the shin and the ankle areas
- Stopping rusted nails from hurting your workers
- Maintaining a firm grip on the ground
- Staying safe from spilled acid and uninsulated electric wires
Different work environments need different shoes and boots. For example, you don’t need a heavy shoe for doing light work and vice-versa. Visit website and choose your footwear, harness, and other personal protective equipment.
Gloves
Almost every blue-collared worker needs good-quality gloves. Gloves perform different functions across different industries. For example, a worker in a building maintenance firm needs gloves that can help him get a better grip on the wires. On the contrary, a worker in a power generation plant needs gloves that protect him from electric shocks.
There are other PPE that a blue-collar worker would need. For example, a man working in a refinery or a chemical plant must have a face mask to stop fumes from injuring him. A worker in a car manufacturing company would need a visor to save his eyes from sparks.
To sum up, you need different PPE for different work environments. But as a business owner, you must protect your blue-collar workers from accidents and injuries.
