Timber iQ October - November 2018 // Issue: 40 | Page 44

FEATURES
Technological advancements in PPE is revolutionising safety for future protection.
Continued from page 40
The latest industrial smartphone apps also offer
functionalities such as on demand training with
clear visual instructions and provide both the
worker and safety manager with information on
which PPE is needed for a specific task.”
Berman-Jacob says one of the many great things
we’re seeing across the protective wear industry
and in companies is a new focus on PPE for women.
“More often than not women have to ‘make do’
with whatever clothing their employer has on hand
and most of the time these garments are made for
men which results in a bad fit. As many people
know, badly fitted protective wear can cause a lot
of harm. For example, because women have
narrower faces so protective eyewear designed for
a man leaves gaps at her temples and allows wood
chips and dust to fly in. New eyewear is therefore
being specially developed,” explains
Berman-Jacob.
He continues, “There are several exciting
developments underway in PPE thanks to ‘Industry
4.0’, the term given to the current trend of
automation and data exchange in manufacturing
technologies. Wearable tech has started to take off
internationally with companies experimenting with
a number of things such as work boots that can
monitor and regulate the worker’s temperature,
pick up if the worker is fatigued and authorise or
restrict access to various work areas. Rumour has it
they even glow in the dark.”
42 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2018 //
PPE IN TIMBER MANUFACTURING AND WOODWORK
• Hard hats, safety glasses, goggles and face shields.
• Gloves (including chemically protective gloves).
• Padded kickback aprons.
• Steel-shanked, steel-toed safety shoes with
slip-resistant soles.
• Earplugs and earmuffs.
• Particulate-resistant and/or chemically resistant overalls.
• Respirators.
MAIN CAUSES OF INJURY AND ILLNESS IN
TIMBER MANUFACTURING
• Blows to the head from stock and equipment.
• Threats to the eyes and face from flying wood chips,
splinters, dust and machine parts.
• Cutting and tearing hazards, particularly to the hands and
arms, during equipment operations.
• The threat of kickback blows to the body, groin and legs
during stock-cutting and shaping.
• Crushing and laceration threats to the feet, particularly
around loading equipment (for example, forklifts) and
hand-held power tools (such as chain saws).
• Irritation of the skin, mouth, nose, throat and lungs from
dust, paint, adhesives and other chemicals.
• The constant threat to one’s hearing from machine noise.