No matter what industry you are in, chances are you use safety equipment in the workplace. Whether it is protective gloves, ear plugs or steel toed shoes, it is easy to forget how far we have come. Safety equipment is used to reduce employee exposure to hazards, which can be anything from wet floors to falling debris. To go over everything you need to know about the purpose of safety equipment and how far we have come in health and safety, we spoke to industry leaders, US Standard Products.

US Standard Products distribute high performance and safe chemicals for the industrial and janitorial markets. With years of experience in the field, they know the importance of safety equipment in the workplace and supporting the personal health and well being of workers. Using eco-friendly products, the company is dedicated to doing their part not only to protect the environment, but to produce products that protect workers to create safe work environments.

The History of Safety Equipment

US Standard Products explain that workplace safety concerns began in Europe with the labor movement during the Industrial Revolution. During this movement, workers formed unions and began to demand better working conditions. From construction sites to factories, the line between life and death was very thin. Statistically speaking, the National Council for Industrial Safety estimated that 18,000–21,000 workers died from workplace injuries in 1912 in America, a startling realization for many. This statistic changed public perception around workplace safety, which led to major regulatory changes around safety equipment and laws around use.

Personal Protection Equipment

Safety is a major issue for all industries. Each year, accidents happen and often it is due to the lack of Personal Protective Equipment. US Standard Productsexplain that the goal of every company or organization should be to reduce an employee’s exposure to hazards. Common safety equipment in many workplaces includes gloves, helmets, goggles, safety boots, hearing protectors, respirators and highly visible clothing. Depending on your industry, there may be hazards that you never would have thought about, including noise.

Noise

Industrial noise is often discounted as an occupational hazard as it is not visible, however, 22 million workers in the United States are exposed to potentially harmful noise levels annually. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, about 72% of occupational hearing loss cases occurred to workers in the manufacturing sector. Therefore, having access to protective, noise cancelling earplugs and headsets, helps to reduce this problem.

Hand Injuries

Many jobs require the use of your hands, and each year, US Standard Products explain that around 150,000 hand injuries are reported in the United States. There are occupational skin diseases like contact dermatitis, skin cancers, and other skin injuries and infections are the second most common type of occupational disease, which can be costly in the long run as well. For this reason, gloves are an essential item in providing skin protection.

When you are purchasing protective safety equipment for your workers, you want to make sure that it is the best possible quality. You want to ensure that your earplugs work effectively, that your gloves don’t break, and that the cleaners you use aren’t harmful to your team or the environment. For this reason, U.S Standard Products ensure that all their products are high performance and have a minimum impact on the environment.