When You Need to Replace Your Safety Equipment

 It is essential to use personal protective equipment (PPE) on any worksite where chemical hazards are likely to occur. It is not the only step in compliance with safety regulations and best practices (the SWMS ahead of any project highlight the full requirements of the risk mitigation plans), but it is an important one. 

Employers are obligated to provide every employee with this equipment. It is not up to the employee to provide their own safety gear. It is also the responsibility of the employer to educate their employees on how best to utilize the equipment and make sure that all the Chemical Hazard Suit is maintained. 

Safe Work recommends that a chemical hazard suit needs to be:

• Applicable for the nature of the work

• The right size and fit for the person

• Appropriately stored and maintained

• Frequently replaced on first signs of degradation

How rapidly does PPE degrade?

A minor tear from a frayed edge on normal clothing isn’t any cause for alarm. Actually, there is a whole fashion trend where one deliberately tears or strips their clothes. With PPE, things are a little different, as the slightest defect in the equipment could expose someone to danger. 

The smallest gap in an arc flash suit is a good example. Fire and chemicals could break the barrier and cause harm to the person wearing it once they get inside. 

There is no set rate at which you need to replace a chemical hazard suit, but it all depends on how often the equipment is worn and how frequently it is exposed to hazardous conditions. The best thing to do is to have a rule of thumb that the equipment needs to be replaced every six months under normal circumstances. 

What You Should Be Looking For

Your chemical hazard suit requires scheduled inspection that should be maintained throughout its lifespan. This will help to identify any piece of equipment that may need to be changed earlier. Some of the things that inspectors should look out for as an indicator that the chemical hazard suit may be worn out beyond use include:

• Any staining or material degradation – thin or faded material suggests delicate and disposed to failure.

• Rips, indention, cracks, holes, tears, or visible damage – this is an instant warning that the chemical hazard suit will no longer function as required.

• The age of the gear as compared to that of the manufacturer’s expiration date – if it is closer to the expiration date, then it needs to be checked more carefully.

• How many owners has the gear had – various owners will wear the gear differently. This will accelerate degradation.

• Failing adapters, locks, straps, or security devices

Why is working from heights still a risk?

 Do you have a team that is working from heights? Then there is the need to ensure that height SWMS is taken seriously since it is a critical part of OH&S obligations. Safe Work Australia has stated that falling from heights usually accounts for a considerable percentage of fatalities at worksites, which is why you should pay more attention to some of these risks.

It’s not just about protecting your staff since that’s the right thing to do. There are some penalties when you fail to focus on such responsibilities. 

It is in your best interest to protect your staff to avoid being penalized. For instance, a firm based in Toowoomba incurred a penalty worth $75,000 in 2017 since the workers were exposed to a level of risk that was unacceptable, and they could have fallen from heights.

Safety Usually Starts by Working with Heights SWMS

Working At Heights SWMS is mandatory for each site where you’ll have people working, and there is a risk of injuries resulting from a fall. The document should be completed for each new site since the risk profile varies from one site to the next. As a result, the risk mitigation strategies will be different.

The SWMS usually outlines the equipment that is required for a site. Some of the equipment required includes visibility equipment, head protection, and harness equipment. You also need to adhere to on-site practices if you want to minimize the exposure to risks. 

You need to understand the work won’t stop there. The working at heights SWMS is supposed to be in the form of a document that you can refer to throughout the construction project, especially in such situations: 

• Subcontractor and employee toolbox talks must be undertaken to control, identify, and communicate site hazards.

• Regular observations and inspections should be carried out by the person in charge of the construction site to make sure the SWMS has been complied with.

• The SWMS should be accessible for review or inspection, and it should be retained until the project is complete.

• Work is supposed to cease when an incident takes place. The SWMS needs to be amended after consulting with the relevant parts to make sure the incident won’t take place again.

The safety measures also need to be communicated accordingly to all the workers before the project kicks off. 

How to Organize the Working at Heights SWMS

To meet compliance obligations, there is the need to purchase the working at heights SWMS template offered by the NECA. It is in the form of a template, and the specifics are supposed to be filled in accordingly.

Keep in mind the SWMS isn’t only a starting point for meeting safety obligations. When you join NECA, you gain some benefits, such as the organization’s ability to assist clients in remaining compliant regardless of their working environment.