Using the correct PPE is extremely important, especially when working on or visiting waste disposal sites. This blog aims to outline the risks associated with not wearing a hard hat, and how wearing one can often be the difference between life and death!
Reasons to Wear a Hard Hat
Falling Objects
The most obvious reason is the risk of falling objects, especially objects that are heavy and/or falling from a significant height. Gravity causes items to fall towards the ground and accelerates them as they fall. The heavier an object is and the longer it is in free fall, the quicker it will descend. Subsequently, the quicker an object descends, the higher the impact will be on whatever stops its descent.
Depending on the object in question, the damage caused upon impact could be catastrophic. If a large or heavy item were to fall from a significant height onto a person, the threat of serious injury or even death is very real.
Hard hats can help to mitigate the impact of falling objects and protect workers or site visitors from incurring potentially life-threatening injuries.
Visibility
Another reason to wear a hard hat is to make yourself as visible as possible to others. This allows people operating potentially dangerous machinery to be fully aware of your whereabouts and make a conscious effort to exercise greater caution if necessary.
Electrical Hazards
When visiting or working on a waste disposal site, t’s possible that you won’t always know the nature of the waste being handled or if there are any live electrical currents present (e.g. if a live electrical wire was struck in the process of waste removal). Wearing plastic-shelled hard hats prevents the conduction of electricity and can therefore protect visitors and workers from falling victim to electrical hazards.
The Hard Hat Colour Coding System
Build UK established a hard hat colour coding system in 2017 that sites across the UK must now adhere to. Here are the ones you should be aware of:
- Black – This is typically worn by a managing member of staff.
- Blue – This is worn by somebody who should never be left at the site unattended. This could be a visitor, child or a person who is a liability.
- Red – Will be worn by your fire safety coordinator in the event of a fire or fire drill. They will invite you to your nearest fire assembly point.
- Green – These should be worn by any trained first aiders within your team.
- White – Anyone who is proficient in their field trained in a certain skill should be equipped with a white hard hat. A vehicle marshal may also sometimes wear one.
- Orange and Yellow – Worn by anyone who is a regular employee on a waste collection site.
At Batesy Skip Hire, We Understand Safety
Customers and employee safety has always been a number one priority for us and is something we take very seriously. With over 21 years of experience, we are more than qualified to ensure you get a high-quality skip that can be delivered, used and removed safely. If you have any safety questions relating to your skip hire needs, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
