the oil and natural gas industry is one of the largest employers in the United States employing well over two and a half million Americans. Petroleum refineries alone contribute almost $500 billion to the economy in the United States. Going beyond oil and gas, U.S. factories create over $5 trillion in products each year.
The oil, natural gas, and manufacturing industries contribute significant to the United States through supply, economic impact, and jobs. The downside is that these jobs carry with them risks. There are a lot of things companies and factories can do to reduce the risk of injury, and they are closely regulated by independent organizations such as OSHA to ensure worker safety. However, accidents do still happen.
According to recent reports, in 2015 alone, there were nearly three million nonfatal workplace injuries or illnesses. One of the significant risks workers face is burns from working with high temperatures or chemicals. While that are no garments that are 100 percent safe, there are garments specially made to protect workers from high temperatures or other elements.
The process of a chemical passing through a protective film such as a glove is called permeation. Permeation studied in terms of breakthrough time and rate. That is when tested, researchers look at how quickly the chemical permeates the film and at what rate it permeates the film. This research is used to create the safest possible protective films for working with various chemicals.
Chemical protective garments are are essential to overall worker safety in any type of plant or factory that works with or stores chemicals. According to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, roughly twenty million workers in the United States have to where protective gear including chemical protective garments on a regular basis due to the dangers of their job.
Often referred to as chemical suits, chemical protective garments are specifically designed as protective apparel for the specific chemicals you may be exposed to. This means that you wouldn’t use a generally made protective suit. In order to ensure a safe workplace, your employer will provide a chemical suit that is designed to stop the permeation of the chemicals you will be working with.
The best way to protect yourself from possibly devastating workplace injuries is by always wearing the proper protective gear as assigned by your employer and to always follow safety protocols. Working with chemicals or substances that may be unstable, dangerous if inhaled, ingested, or handled puts you at risk. However, being careful and diligent will keep you safe from most workplace accidents.
When it comes to proper safety gear, everything you need should be provided by your employer. However, you can purchase safety gear that may not be required, but will enable you to fear better protected while at work. Workers Compensation claims cost businesses a great deal of money each year, so it is in their best interest to provide as safe of an environment as possible for all of their workers.
This includes protective eye gear, which is an important part of the chemical protective garments. According to recent reports, thousands of workers are blinded each year in work related injuries that could have been avoided had they been wearing proper eye protection. Further, eye injuries cost companies over $300 million each year when you add up lost production, medical expenses and worker’s compensation.
When there is a risk of eye injuries, companies typical require that all workers wear protective eye gear as an extra precaution. Individual workers can actually jeopardize their worker’s compensation claim if they were required to be wearing protective gear, but did not.
When an accident does occur in a workplace involving chemicals or high temperatures, it is essential to follow the designated protocols for how to react in that situation. Different chemicals react different to other elements such as water. Addressing the injury in the wrong way can further the injury or injury those trying to help.
