Many workers probably go through years of service at their jobs, dutifully wearing the same PPE each day, and never having any potentially dangerous experiences that prove the necessity of their safety gear. It’s great that this is the norm, but it is when an incident occurs that people get to understand why safety gear is issued to them. CHARNAUD® presents three stories that prove that occupational PPE is essential for workers’ safety.

PPE Success Stories

These stories almost ended in disaster, even tragedy in some cases, but the danger was always averted by the presence of correctly specified and worn PPE.

Read our blog for more tips and advice on all varieties of PPE.

1. Hard Hats DO Matter

There are many stories that prove how effective hard hats are at preserving life. Here is one that serves as an excellent example. A 24-year-old man was working on a construction site in Miami, Florida, where he and his colleagues were moving a huge sewer pipe with a pulley weighing several hundred kilograms. At one point, the cable broke and this massive pulley came down on the worker’s head. Unprotected, he would have suffered fatal head trauma but, because he was wearing a hard hat, he suffered only a cut on his forehead. He needed to be treated for head, back and leg pain, but he ultimately made a full recovery.

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2. Don’t Forget Your Eyewear

A story from a construction site in New Jersey in the US proves that you should never underestimate the importance of protective eyewear. A team was pouring concrete footings for pipe supports when the safety manager reminded the carpenter foreman to put on his safety glasses. A few hours later, the foreman came to the safety manager and showed him the broken safety glasses. The foreman had been standing near the cement truck, watching the concrete being poured, when the chute swung towards him, hitting him in the face. Thankfully, the only damage was a broken pair of glasses and a small scratch on the foreman’s forehead.

3. PPE Averts A Deadly Arc Flash Incident

Anyone who works near electrical cables – not just electrical workers – are at risk from arc flash. One story from the UK involves an operative who was using a jackhammer which happened to strike a high voltage electrical cable, causing an arc flash incident. Although he suffered some burns, he was wearing his arc flash gear. The PPE he was wearing took serious damage itself but ensured that he survived without any serious injuries.

Make Your Workplace Safer In 2022 With CHARNAUD®’s Quality PPE

CHARNAUD® is a supplier of quality PPE for a variety of professions. We can help equip your staff for their daily duties and risks, and help you add your stories to this list of PPE successes. Contact us for advice and quotations on PPE for your business.

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