Safety Equipment - Continued

TM 9-243 SAFETY EQUIPMENT - Continued EYE PROTECTION Proper eye protection is of the highest importance for all personnel. Eye protection is necessary because of hazards caused by infrared and ultraviolet radiation, or by flying objects such as sparks, globules of molten metal, or chipped concrete and wood, etc. These hazards are always present during welding, cutting, sol- dering, chipping, grinding, and a variety of other opera- tions. It is absolutely necessary for you to use eye pro- tection devices such as helmets, handshields, and gog- gles during eye-hazard operations. Appropriate use of goggles will limit eye hazards. Some goggles have plas- tic windows which resist shattering upon impact. Others are designed to limit harmful infrared and ultraviolet radiation from arcs or flames by the use of appropriate filter lenses. Remember, eye damage can be extremely painful. Protect your eyes. HELMETS Protective helmets (hard hats) come in a variety of shapes. They may be made of tough polyethylene or polycarbonate, one of the toughest hat materials yet developed. When falling objects strike the hats, the shock-absorbing suspension capabilities minimize injuries. Regular hard hats must be insulated so that personnel may be protected from accidental head contacts with electrical circuits and equipment at comparatively low voltages (less than 2200 volts). Electrical workers requiring head protection necessary to their duties or to the working environment, must wear insulating safety helmets or all-purpose protective hel- mets which must be capable of withstanding 20,000 volt minimum proof-tests. GLOVES Use gloves whenever you are required to handle rough, scaly, or splintery objects. Two types are shown above. Special flameproof gloves are designed for gas and electric welding in order to limit danger and damage from sparks and other hot, flying objects. Personnel working with electricity are usually required to wear insulating rubber gloves. Be sure to follow all regulations prescribed for the use of gloves. Gloves must not be worn around rotating machinery unless sharp or rough material is being handled. If such is the case, extreme care should be used to prevent the gloves from being caught in the machinery. SAFETY BELTS AND SAFETY STRAPS The safety belt and safety strap are a must when work- ing in high places. The safety belt, strapped around the waist, contains pockets for small tools. It also has two D-rings used to attach the safety strap. The safety strap is a nylon-reinforced leather belt that is placed around the item to be climbed. It is then attached to the two D-rings on the safety belt. Detailed use of the safety belt and safety strap is described in chapter 49 of this manual. EAR PROTECTION Proper hearing protection is a must when working with or around certain types of power tools. Some tools are capable of producing dangerously high noise levels which, if ignored, can result in serious hearing loss or injury. Use the hearing protection regularly. 2-4