The Need for Quality Materials and Better Protection in the Industrial Workplace
Industrial workplaces are among the most dangerous places to make a living. Contractors to welders need to protect themselves from dangers most people do not encounter in their lifetimes. Some of those dangers can cause serious physical damage, while others can cause long lasting effects that take years before anyone notices anything is wrong.
The Silent Danger The latter is by far the more dangerous of the two, as there is little recourse left to the victim once the condition sets in. In addition, it is much harder to file claims for conditions that take a long time to manifest, as much of the evidence in their favor is situational. One example of such a condition is deafness; most industrial workers immerse themselves in high noise environments that cause significant damage over the course of time.
The standard course for making the workplace safe from noise damage is to confront the noise at its source, and control the noise levels from there. Unfortunately, this is not always possible because some heavy machinery produces loud noises as a by-product of it performing its function. Manufacturers could design machines that give off less noise, but they would be costlier to make, and impractical even. The only recourse for this kind of situation is to protect the potential receivers of the noise, and hope those methods are effective enough in keeping the workers hearing intact. This is why many industrial companies entrust their supplies to highly recognized companies like Wasatch Steel. Premium quality products and materials, from railings to cutting tools, would go a long way. These are a significant step towards protecting workers.
What Needs to be Done First, managers need to target the specific areas that need extra hearing protection. The danger threshold of human hearing is around eighty-five decibels, if routine operation noise reaches anything near that figure. Second, just buying a pair of earplugs is not nearly enough considering workers still need to communicate with the rest of their team to perform their duties efficiently. Incorporating an entire hearing protection program may be in order for such situations.These programs include education in the use of noise protection devices; even the most technologically advanced protective gear is not helpful if they do not fit, or is only used some of the time. Only through recognizing these threats and preparing for them appropriately will workers be able to do their jobs without having to wonder about any debilitating condition.
SOURCES:
http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers /prevention/ppe/ear_prot.html
http://www.wasatchsteel.com/
http://www.slate.com/articles/lif e/shopping/2005/05/the_sound_ of_silence.html