The mining industry is said to be one of the riskiest sectors to work. The workers of this industry face various health hazards. Although they use tools and machines that are manufactured with the latest techniques. But these machines do not stop the injuries and accidents entirely.
Different techniques are used for different mining operations such as extracting metals, non-metallic minerals, coals, and many more. But the hazards of these operations are almost the same. To save workers from these injuries, employers provide personal protective equipment to them. These safety wear protect the workers from a minor injury to a life-altering accident. With advanced safety wear, the rate of injuries is getting lower. Let’s discuss some protective wear that is essential for mining industry workers.
Head Protection: In mining work, head injuries are very common. These injuries are caused by falling objects. So, miners must wear head protection cap or hat as per the requirement. Protective caps have a front peak and hats have a full brim. When working on the surface, a hard hat with a chin strap is preferred. For the incorporation of side slots for mounting flashlights, face shields, and hearing protection, you should wear safety caps.
Hearing Protection: In mining operations, workers use underground vehicles, machinery, and power tools that generate noise at high ambient levels, which could have long term damage to human hearing. To avoid this, miners should wear ear muffs which are slot mounted on safety caps. Closed cell foam earplugs are also useful for supplementary hearing protection.
Eye and Face Protection: To prevent eyes and face from dust and dirt, it is compulsory for workers to wear safety spectacles, goggles, and face shields. For major mining works, safety spectacles with side shields are preferred. These face shields protect miners from weld spatter, grinding residues or other large flying particles that appear by cutting, chipping or scaling. These safety wear are specially designed to cover the entire face while performing hazardous works.
Foot Protection: Mining work boots are commonly made of leather or rubber depending on whether mine is dry or wet. A safety boot should have a steel toe-cap, metatarsal guard, and a full puncture proof sole with an outer layer to protect a worker from slipping. With these fundamental requirements, safety boots are also manufactured with advanced technology. So, these are able to provide a more protective environment for the workers.
Cap Lamps: There are areas where permanent lighting is difficult to install. In this situation, it is mandatory for mine workers to wear cap lamps to work effectively and safely. The cap lamps should be rugged, easy to use with gloved hands, provide sufficient brightness, and should accompany till the end of the work.
In addition to providing lighting, these caps have been integrated into a safety communication system. Now, cap batteries are embedded with radio receivers and circuitry that help miners in receiving messages, warnings and evacuation techniques.
Respiratory Protection: Dust protection is one of the common concerns in mining operations. An inexpensive dust mask can filter coal as well as other ambient dust, but airborne contaminants produced by welding, flame-cutting, fuel handling, blasting, and other operations need twin cartridge respirators to get rid of dust, mists, fumes, acid gases, and many more. To reduce the level of these contaminants, the usage of appropriate respirators is necessary.
Coveralls: In mines, workers usually wear ordinary cotton coveralls or treated flame-resistant coveralls. These coveralls also have reflective material stripes to make miners more visible to drivers, and other workers. To protect themselves from cutting fluid, hydraulic oil and lubricating oils, miners also wear rain suits over their coveralls.
If you work in the mining industry, these safety apparel are necessary to wear. To buy high-quality safety wear, browse through moglix.com. Moglix offers the best protective apparel at the best price.
