152 Ergonomic Hazards in Construction

Personal Protective Equipment

Safety gear, or personal protective equipment (PPE), includes gloves, knee and elbow pads, footwear, and other items that employees wear.

• Gloves can protect hands from cold or injury. However, gloves may decrease manual dexterity and make it harder to grip if they do not fit correctly. Wear good fitting thermal gloves to help with cold conditions while maintaining the ability to grasp items easily
• Proper footwear and anti-fatigue soles can prevent employees from slipping and prevent fatigue from long hours of standing on hard surfaces.
• Knee and elbow pads can protect the body from pressure points when pressing against hard or sharp surfaces

Back Belts

Back belts are not considered by OSHA to be acceptable for use as personal protective equipment. They may help maintain the proper curvature of the spine during lifting or physical exertion and may also provide comfort and confidence while performing work tasks. However, you can't lift heavier loads just because you're wearing a back belt because it doesn't actually support the lower back. If you use them all-day-every-day, your back muscles may actually get weaker.

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