The most important consideration in selecting PPE for your operation is its ability to provide protection from the hazards of the job. A very close second, and often overlooked, is the comfort factor. I have heard it said that "none of that stuff (PPE) is comfortable, so just put it on and you'll get used to it". Nothing could be further from the truth. No worker should ever have to wear uncomfortable or ill-fitting PPE on the job.
As mentioned in prior posts, in a BLS study, 40% of those injured were not wearing the PPE that had been issued to them. The reasons given were "it is too hot, too heavy, doesn't fit well, and is so uncomfortable, I can't do my job". Upon inspection, a number of those complaints actually resulted from not utilizing the comfort features built into the PPE or from using cheap PPE that did not contain comfort features.
Our own research showed that when PPE was ergonomically designed, fitted properly, and adjusted for working conditions, most of the complaints were resolved and PPE was worn instead of sitting in a locker. So whenever PPE is being considered, the evaluation process should include comfort features. In fact, a "comfort profile" of features required in every brand being considered should be part of the buying decision choice criteria.
Consider a welding helmet for example:
Electric arc welding produces sparks and spatter along with smoke and fumes. A welding helmet shell should be designed to extend far enough to protect the throat area from sparks and spatter and should be slightly curved at the bottom to block a lot of the smoke and fumes from filling the inside of the helmet. You cannot block all of the smoke and fumes so the helmet shell should be wide enough to let air circulate to push any accumulated smoke and fumes out of the curved top. Extremely narrow shell designs with tight under chin curves trap smoke and fumes within the helmet making it very uncomfortable for the welder.
The only part of a welding helmet that comes in contact with the wearer is the headgear. A top quality, well designed welding helmet headgear should have multiple built-in design features and adjustments to allow the wearer to achieve a perfect individual fit and feel. The headgear design shown is the Fibre-Metal by Honeywell "Free Floating" design. Long acknowledged to be the top quality headgear in the industry, it is a good idea to pattern your "comfort profile" after it.
The "free floating" feature ergonomically balances and stabilizes the weight of the helmet so it does not directly bear on the wearers head. The normal bumps against the head that can occur in welding are absorbed by the free floating arms rather than being transmitted to the wearers head.
The headband is offset to comfortably grasp the nape of the head for even more balance and stability. The unique material is custom blended to be pliable enough to be warmed by the wearer’s body heat to conform to the exact contours of the wearers head for a perfect fit. Yet it is strong enough to be the only headgear on the market that has not had cracking and breaking problems.
The headgear has a large strip-proof ratchet sizing knob that can be adjusted with a gloved hand without having to stop welding and remove the helmet.
There is an overhead band with a sizing "track" that positions the headgear comfortably and securely on the wearers head. Note that the track is on the outside of the headband so the welder’s hair or welders cap does not get caught in it. Many lower quality headgears have the track on the underside which causes problems.
The headgear connects to the helmet with "friction joints". Applying or relieving tension on these joint knobs determines the ease with which the helmet can be pushed up to a "rest" position and returned to the working position with a simple nod of the head. Each welder likes to apply just the right setting for how he works this. Working in conjunction with the friction joints is a "position stop" that controls where the helmet is positioned after it is nodded down. The Fibre-Metal brand position stop provides multiple options that a welder can select for just the right fit and feel.
The position stop and the overhead band can also be adjusted to determine where the filter lens holder is positioned. Many times a welder has to bend into an unnatural work position to be able to see out of the filter lens holder. That puts strain on his neck, shoulders and back. Being able to adjust where the filter holder lines up relative to his line of vision, even if it is just a small adjustment, is a big comfort plus.
The key to friction joint/position stop mechanics is simplicity. In a harsh welding environment, you want as few moving parts as possible. It only takes a tiny drop of spatter to jam up any overly complicated moving parts on a welding helmet. Some lesser brands of helmets and headgears offer "locking" headgears as a sales gimmick. Instead of having a smooth, up and down mechanism, they have a ratchet device that locks the headgear in the up or rest position. That requires a welder to "nod" that much harder which can put strain on his neck and shoulders. Plus, a welder usually strikes his arc just as he nods his helmet down. If it does not come down, he can suffer serious flash burns. Simple smooth, and easy is how most welders prefer it.
Those are the comfort features you should insist on no matter what brand welding helmet you are considering. Make them part of your "choice criteria" or "specs". If a brand does not have what you want, ask why not, what do they have to offer that is better.
A protective cap should also have multiple, built in comfort features and adjustments.
From an ergonomics standpoint, the cap shell should be designed to have a low center of gravity so that the wearers head fits deeply and securely within the shell. Most cheap protective caps have shallow shells which makes the cap sit high on the head and results in what wearers call “wobble”.
It should have as many suspension contact points with the shell as possible. That is a vital factor in impact attenuation but during day-to-day wear, it spreads the weight of the cap over the broadest head area for balance and stability.
The headband should be able to be raised, lowered, angled, and moved front to back for the best possible individual fit and feel. The sizing adjustment should have numerous, small increment adjustments. Non-ratchet models should have full, 360 degree padded headbands for extra comfort all shift long. Headbands should be easily removable for cleaning or replacement.
When a ratchet headband is necessary, look for the same attributes as the headband of the welding helmet headgear described above. And for the ultimate in wearer comfort, consider the Fibre-Metal by Honeywell brand patented “SWINGSTRAP”. That will give you the extra comfort of a full 360 degree padded headband and the extra security of a ratchet headband. As the ratchet is tightened, it pulls in the padded headband on the sensitive temple areas rather than the more rigid ratchet headband. No other brand can offer that.
Just as with the welding helmet, include these comfort features in your head protection choice criteria or “specs”. Insist that any brand that wants your business provides them. If they don’t have them, ask them why not and what do they have that is better.
When you drill down into the comfort features that are available, and you upgrade your PPE to include them, you have taken a giant step in reducing wearer resistance and improving morale. Simply by having more of your workers wear their PPE, you will reduce injury costs and increase profitability.
As mentioned in prior posts, in a BLS study, 40% of those injured were not wearing the PPE that had been issued to them. The reasons given were "it is too hot, too heavy, doesn't fit well, and is so uncomfortable, I can't do my job". Upon inspection, a number of those complaints actually resulted from not utilizing the comfort features built into the PPE or from using cheap PPE that did not contain comfort features.
Our own research showed that when PPE was ergonomically designed, fitted properly, and adjusted for working conditions, most of the complaints were resolved and PPE was worn instead of sitting in a locker. So whenever PPE is being considered, the evaluation process should include comfort features. In fact, a "comfort profile" of features required in every brand being considered should be part of the buying decision choice criteria.
Consider a welding helmet for example:
The only part of a welding helmet that comes in contact with the wearer is the headgear. A top quality, well designed welding helmet headgear should have multiple built-in design features and adjustments to allow the wearer to achieve a perfect individual fit and feel. The headgear design shown is the Fibre-Metal by Honeywell "Free Floating" design. Long acknowledged to be the top quality headgear in the industry, it is a good idea to pattern your "comfort profile" after it.
The "free floating" feature ergonomically balances and stabilizes the weight of the helmet so it does not directly bear on the wearers head. The normal bumps against the head that can occur in welding are absorbed by the free floating arms rather than being transmitted to the wearers head.
The headband is offset to comfortably grasp the nape of the head for even more balance and stability. The unique material is custom blended to be pliable enough to be warmed by the wearer’s body heat to conform to the exact contours of the wearers head for a perfect fit. Yet it is strong enough to be the only headgear on the market that has not had cracking and breaking problems.
The headgear has a large strip-proof ratchet sizing knob that can be adjusted with a gloved hand without having to stop welding and remove the helmet.
There is an overhead band with a sizing "track" that positions the headgear comfortably and securely on the wearers head. Note that the track is on the outside of the headband so the welder’s hair or welders cap does not get caught in it. Many lower quality headgears have the track on the underside which causes problems.
The headgear connects to the helmet with "friction joints". Applying or relieving tension on these joint knobs determines the ease with which the helmet can be pushed up to a "rest" position and returned to the working position with a simple nod of the head. Each welder likes to apply just the right setting for how he works this. Working in conjunction with the friction joints is a "position stop" that controls where the helmet is positioned after it is nodded down. The Fibre-Metal brand position stop provides multiple options that a welder can select for just the right fit and feel.
The position stop and the overhead band can also be adjusted to determine where the filter lens holder is positioned. Many times a welder has to bend into an unnatural work position to be able to see out of the filter lens holder. That puts strain on his neck, shoulders and back. Being able to adjust where the filter holder lines up relative to his line of vision, even if it is just a small adjustment, is a big comfort plus.
The key to friction joint/position stop mechanics is simplicity. In a harsh welding environment, you want as few moving parts as possible. It only takes a tiny drop of spatter to jam up any overly complicated moving parts on a welding helmet. Some lesser brands of helmets and headgears offer "locking" headgears as a sales gimmick. Instead of having a smooth, up and down mechanism, they have a ratchet device that locks the headgear in the up or rest position. That requires a welder to "nod" that much harder which can put strain on his neck and shoulders. Plus, a welder usually strikes his arc just as he nods his helmet down. If it does not come down, he can suffer serious flash burns. Simple smooth, and easy is how most welders prefer it.
Those are the comfort features you should insist on no matter what brand welding helmet you are considering. Make them part of your "choice criteria" or "specs". If a brand does not have what you want, ask why not, what do they have to offer that is better.
A protective cap should also have multiple, built in comfort features and adjustments.
It should have as many suspension contact points with the shell as possible. That is a vital factor in impact attenuation but during day-to-day wear, it spreads the weight of the cap over the broadest head area for balance and stability.
The headband should be able to be raised, lowered, angled, and moved front to back for the best possible individual fit and feel. The sizing adjustment should have numerous, small increment adjustments. Non-ratchet models should have full, 360 degree padded headbands for extra comfort all shift long. Headbands should be easily removable for cleaning or replacement.
Just as with the welding helmet, include these comfort features in your head protection choice criteria or “specs”. Insist that any brand that wants your business provides them. If they don’t have them, ask them why not and what do they have that is better.
When you drill down into the comfort features that are available, and you upgrade your PPE to include them, you have taken a giant step in reducing wearer resistance and improving morale. Simply by having more of your workers wear their PPE, you will reduce injury costs and increase profitability.
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