All the PPE You Need: Construction Industry

Ana Ilie

July 16, 2021

From working at heights to experiencing silica dust exposure and welding burn risks, workers face many job site hazards in the construction industry that can lead to injury or even worse: a fatality. That’s why workers need to be equipped from head to toe with the required PPE for each application.

Statistics consistently show that construction is one of the most dangerous industries to work in. In fact, almost 20% of worker fatalities in the year 2019 were in construction and there were about 196,000 construction-related workplace injuries. However, fully understanding what makes a construction site so dangerous and what the proper mix of PPE is for workers on the job can better help mitigate those hazards and risks.

Why Personal Protective Equipment Matters in the Construction Industry

The Center for Construction Research and Training examined trends in employer-reported nonfatal injuries in construction using the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and found that there was a 42% increase in falls from 2011 to 2019, and fatal injuries were at the highest level since 2011, reaching 1,102 in 2019.

Coined the “Fatal Four” by OSHA, the main construction hazards that can lead to injury or death are:

1. Falls

2. Being struck by an object

3. Electrocution

4. Being caught-in or caught-between objects

Falls are the number one cause of construction worker fatalities and account for one-third of job site deaths in the industry. Falls can lead to accidents and even death, which not only means a lot of pain and suffering, but also project downtime and lost productivity costs. Additionally, construction sites abound in other dangers to worker’s health and wellbeing as well.

Construction workers risk hearing loss from exposure to loud machinery and drilling noises, or they can suffer hand injuries when manipulating metal, concrete, or other hard materials. Another risk workers face is to their eyesight – sun exposure, haze, flying debris, dust, or even larger particles can harm a construction worker’s eyes if they aren’t wearing the proper safety eyewear.

There’s also the risk of respiratory exposure to dangerous airborne contaminants, such as dust, gases, and vapors. Respirable crystalline silica is frequently present on construction sites as workers are grinding, sawing, and cutting materials like concrete, stone, brick, mortar, and sand.

Foot protection is also of special concern – as worksites are often laden with sharp objects or have rugged terrain which can lead to sprains and strains or even worse. Additionally, workers need head protection to help protect them from all sorts of hazards leading to head injuries, including dropped objects or bumping into fixed objects.

With so many hazards on a construction site, workers need comfortable PPE they can trust. At Honeywell, we’ve spent decades researching and testing different materials, fits, and styles to deliver protection for every application.

Our products are designed to protect the lives of 500 million workers every day. From adjustable face and head protection to footwear that balances comfort and protection, we offer innovative and comprehensive head-to-toe solutions.

Learn Why Fit, Comfort and Style Matter for PPE

What Personal Protection Equipment Do Construction Workers Need?

Head Protection:

The Honeywell North Short Brim Hard Hat delivers protection, quality, and performance. It can be used for long periods of time, it increases workers’ comfort with features like adjustability, cooling efficiency, vented or non-vented (for protection against electrical hazards).

Used for its excellent impact absorption, Honeywell’s Fibre Metal Safety Helmet features an ABS shell for great impact resistance and durability and is resistant to extreme temperatures -22° F to +122° F. It also offers a secondary level of protection, shielding the eyes against debris, wind, dust, and particles in conjunction with the required safety glasses or goggles.

Hearing Protection:

The Verishield 100 series offers superior hearing protection, a lightweight design, and optimum comfort even over long periods of use. It’s easy to use, integrates with Honeywell’s face shields, and can be assembled to a hard hat in approximately 7 seconds.

The Verishield 300 series combines cloud-based software and protective headsets to help identify risks before they become a health issue or a significant business cost.

The Max family - the Max® packs superior noise-blocking performance and high comfort, while Max Lite is fit for workers with smaller ear canals, is easy to use and its soil-resistant closed-cell foam skin prevents dirt build-up.

The QB2 hearing pods are designed for people who are exposed to intermittent noise. They are lightweight, portable, and rest partially in the ear canal providing a balance of comfort and protection.

All Howard Leight™'s disposable earplugs are compatible with the HL400 AM Dispenser for earplugs. It comes with a prefilled canister of 400 pairs of earplugs, is easy to install, and has a durable and recyclable plastic canister.

Eye Protection:

The Avatar® family (Avatar®, Avatar OTG®, and Honeywell Uvex Avatar® RX) offers stylish and protective eyewear with premium Uvex HydroShield Anti-fog coating and anti-scratch hard coating, maximum all-day comfort, and a customizable fit for most facial profiles. The new Honeywell Uvex Avatar® RX prescription safety frame and the Uvex Avatar® OTG (over-the-glass) spectacles are designed for workers with Rx needs.

Uvex Hypershock delivers protection along with a sporty style and features an HYDROSHIELD® Anti-fog coating, offering consistent 90X longer anti-fog protection than the majority of other anti-fog coatings, and 2X scratch resistance. It is ideal for indoor/outdoor work environments.

Change Your Outlook on Safety Glasses: Learn More about Honeywell Uvex Avatar® RX

Face Protection:

Honeywell’s Disposable Face Shield protects a large portion of the face from splashes, splatter, or spray. It features an anti-fog coating, which helps reduce moisture build-up and avoid low visibility and hazing and can be worn concurrently with other face and eye-protective equipment or prescription eyeglasses.

Honeywell’s Uvex Bionic Face Shield offers face protection for workers exposed to impact, chemical splash, airborne debris, and welding infrared radiation. It is lightweight, highly adjustable, and balanced for all-day wear and can be worn comfortably with most goggles and respirators.

Respiratory Protection:

The DF300 series of Flatfold Disposable Respirators is designed for all-day comfort, as it can accommodate the user’s facial movements and has an adjustable nose clip and soft foam nose cushion which provide a custom secure seal. A humidity and moisture-resistant filter media repels moisture while a smooth inner lining adds to the wearer’s comfort.

The DC300 Disposable Respirators offer 95% filtration efficiency against solid particulates and non-petroleum-based liquid aerosols while featuring a design that minimizes pressure points and fits comfortably.

The Honeywell North® HM500 Series Half Mask received a Red Dot Design Award for its innovative design. With easy operation features and full compatibility with the HM500 Honeywell N-Series Filters and Cartridges, it ensures comfort and convenience for extended wear. The drop-down option allows workers to remove the masks without taking off hard hats, earmuffs, or eyewear.

Hand protection:

The new Rig Dog gloves are designed for enhanced grip when handling hazardous oily surfaces. They achieve a high level of cut and impact protection and have special additional layers which guard against abrasions and enhance comfort.

Honeywell’s CoreShield Gloves are very light, breathable, and comfortable, featuring a superior grip. With cut resistance for all levels, from lowest (A/A1) to highest (F/A9), these gloves are able to withstand damage from sharp metal, efficiently protecting workers’ hands.

Check Out The Hands-On Guide to Find the Right Safety Gloves for the Job

Fall Protection:

The Honeywell Miller H100 Harness is a cost-effective harness, built to be lightweight, comfortable, and reliable, while the Miller Relief Step™ Safety Device is designed to alleviate workers’ suspension trauma until rescue arrives.

The Honeywell Miller® H500 Construction Standard harness sports anatomically and ergonomically designed pressure-relief breathable padding for more comfort and freedom of movement, while being lighter than ever.

At the same time, the Miller Standard Revolution Harness™ blends all-day comfort and safety with innovative design. Workers benefit from a series of design features intended to minimize the impact from sharp/heavy snap hooks and self-retracting lifelines, reduce stress to the shoulders, and more.

Designed for climbing and confined spaces, the Miller AirCore™ Front D-ring Harness is durable, light, and has a corrosion-resistant front D-ring. It has minimal contact around a worker's neck, lower back, and inner thighs to reduce chafing and improve comfort.

The Miller Positioning and Restraint Lanyards are recommended for positioning and restraints only and enable the user to work “hands-free”.

Learn How to Prevent Falls When Working at Heights

Safety footwear:

The Oliver 55 Series is made with liquid-resistant leather and sports toe and heel protection to help prevent impact, punctures, cuts, and abrasions. Its embedded technology helps reduce leg fatigue and has an outsole that is slip-resistant, to prevent workers from slips and falls.

With the multitude of hazards present on a construction site, having the right solutions to help protect your workers is critical. Let Honeywell be your guide to creating a safer working environment. With our legacy as an expert in worker protection and our continued innovation in safety solutions, you can rely on Honeywell for peace of mind in helping provide workers the safety they need.

Learn more about our Honeywell PPE solutions that help protect workers when and where they need it most.

Trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners.