Three Pieces of Safety Gear That Must Be Worn When Operating Powder Coating Equipment in an Industrial Facility
There are a number of types of safety gear that should be worn when operating powder coating equipment in an industrial facility. Read on to learn more.
Coveralls
Non-flammable coveralls should be worn at all times when standing close to or handling powder coating equipment. These coveralls serve several purposes.
Firstly, they can prevent the airborne powder coating particulates from landing on the wearer's skin; this, in turn, minimises the person's risk of developing contact dermatitis as a result of exposure to the powder coating chemicals.
Secondly, by preventing the power coating particulates from settling on the wearer's skin and clothing, coveralls also significantly reduce the risk of the wearer accidentally transferring potentially toxic chemicals to other parts of the industrial facility via their clothing or their hands. This, in turn, minimises the chances of other employees in the facility being exposed to and harmed by these chemicals.
Thirdly, non-flammable coveralls will help to protect the wearer from being burnt if the airborne powder coating particles come into contact with any sources of ignition and burst into flames. This is a particularly important point to note, as powder coatings are highly flammable.
A respirator
A respirator is another essential piece of safety gear that employees must wear when operating the powder coating equipment. When the powder coating dust emerges from the equipment, some of the particles will remain in the air. If the equipment operator is not wearing a respirator that covers both their nose and their mouth when this happens, these particles may enter their nostrils or their mouth. Ingestion or inhalation of these chemicals may result in a wide range of health issues, including lung irritation, digestive problems and shortness of breath. As such, employees must wear respirators at all times when using this equipment.
Safety goggles
Employees who need to apply powder coatings should also be provided with safety goggles which form a tight seal around their eye area. This will ensure that none of the airborne powder coating dust enters their eyes or settles on their eyelashes. This is important, as some powder coatings can cause severe eye irritation.
If the operator of the equipment does not wear safety goggles whilst they work, they could not only end up with a serious eye injury but could also put the safety of their colleagues at risk, as they could end up aiming the equipment's nozzle at someone who is working next to them if their vision is temporarily compromised.