Safety aspects (I didn't know) in petrochemicals
In the petrochemical industry, the risk of accidents must be taken seriously. This affects workers and their duties because there are many factors to consider.
In the petrochemical industry, contact with chemicals is almost impossible to rule out. With this type of risk, it is important to properly distinguish between frequent contact and/or incidental contact. And also the risk of the amount of chemicals one may come into contact with; is it a few drops or just a larger volume.
Only based on this information can a proper consideration be made for the type of chemical protective clothing. Within chemical protection, a number of types can be distinguished.
From workwear made of a woven cloth with protection against small splashes with chemicals and acids, to gas-tight suits with an internal compressed air system. Of course, this difference in type of protection also has implications for the wearability and comfort of the clothing. A risk inventory and evaluation should contain the appropriate information about the risks in order to make the right choice.
Limited visibility can be very dangerous for a worker. This is especially true when working in the dark and/or along roads. The risk of being hit from the side by a car or truck is many times greater if high visibility clothing is not worn. High visibility clothing ensures that the wearer is highly visible from all angles in all weather conditions, thanks to the fluorescent and reflective materials on the clothing.
To ensure the function of the clothing, high requirements are placed on fluorescent material, contrast and the continuation of colors. If the materials of high visibility clothing do not meet the specified safety requirements, the safety of the wearer cannot be guaranteed.
Clothing that offers too much protection defeats its purpose. When only safety is considered and other factors are not taken into account, the effectiveness of safety clothing can be reduced. Workers may then be unable to perform their tasks properly or the clothing may force them to perform the tasks in a different, more time-consuming or unsafe way.
Therefore, it is crucial that workers wear clothing appropriate to their specific jobs. The clothing must protect the wearer from the appropriate risks. This will benefit the company by reducing the cost of excessive use of protective workwear and equipment will be reduced.
Safety clothing must fit. Safety clothing that does not fit properly will negatively affect the wearers safety. For example, if a flame retardant jacket is worn open rather than closed, the wearer's safety will be reduced. This means that the wearer must have the knowledge and awareness of how to wear the clothing correctly. A proper sizing session is very important in this case.
While sizing up an employee, the correct size should be considered, as well as the length of the sleeves and pant legs. The length of jackets and whether they fall properly over pants is also important. A bare back when bending over can be a risk. This ensures that all employees can work safely and comfortably.
When work clothes are dirty from oil, grease or other substances, wearing them can be dangerous for the wearer. Many companies are not aware that cleaning and maintaining protective clothing are essential to keeping keeping workers safe.
Therefore, it is important to continually monitor and properly maintain the work clothing so that the protective functions of the clothing are not compromised. When a workwear item is broken, it must be repaired with the right materials and proper knowledge of its specific design functions.
Professional industrial laundries use a specific wash program for all different types of workwear. This keeps the protective properties unaffected and restores the workwear to its original condition. Once the clothing has been washed, the clothing is dried in the same batch. Before and after washing, the clothes are carefully checked for quality. After each wash, the chemical-resistant layer of the clothing is tested. If necessary, clothing is repaired with certified materials by trained personnel. If clothing is damaged beyond repair, it is replaced immediately. This ensures that the safety clothing complies with all standards and employees never walk around in unsafe clothing.
Material and design of workwear is well thought out. Therefore, it is wise to give employees extensive safety training.
First, the wearer of the clothing must know the types of hazards he is exposed to and second, how wearing the protective hazards can prevent the possibility of accidents. With this knowledge, they are more likely to wear the protective clothing properly.
