If you’ve recently gotten accepted into a job that regularly deals with compressed gases, or you’ve been looking into going into a field that uses them, there are certain things you’ll need to know. One such thing will be what kind of personal protective equipment (PPE) you’ll have to wear while you’re at work. That’s why we’ve put together a list of some of the must-have PPE for working with compressed gases.
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Respiratory Protection
When you’re dealing with gases, the most obvious thing you’ll need to protect is your lungs. While not all gases will be harmful to breathe in, some of them will. That’s why you’ll need a respirator on hand. You never know when there might be a leak.
Even if the gas is safe to breathe, you’ll need a source of oxygen for yourself. If the leak is bad enough, it could displace all the oxygen in the room and lead to asphyxiation. This is most likely to happen in smaller spaces, so make sure you’ve prepared yourself before going in.
Face Protection
You’ll also need to protect the rest of your face from any harmful gases. Wearing heavy-duty protective goggles or a face shield will block out gases from making direct contact with your face.
Of course, not all injuries in this line of work are going to be gas-related. Some will result from the equipment that holds the gases in place. If a canister ruptures, pieces of it will fly everywhere. If and when that happens, you’ll want to make sure your face is thoroughly protected.
Hand and Foot Protection
Hand protection is vitally important. For example, your employer will have to keep some gases at freezing temperatures. If your job is to handle them, you’ll need well-insulated gloves to ensure you don’t get burned.
Additionally, since these canisters are quite heavy and could break your toes if they get dropped on your feet, you must get steel-toed boots.
Body Protection
Body protection is the final must-have PPE for working with compressed gases. While thick clothing will protect you from flying debris, the more important PPE to have is fire-resistant clothing.
Some of the gases that you’ll be working with will be flammable. If they spill outside of their containers, it doesn’t mean they’ll always catch fire—but you’ll want to be safe if they do. Protect yourself (and free yourself from worry) by wearing fire-resistant clothing.
The key thing to remember before starting this kind of job is that most of these accidents are completely preventable. As long as you follow proper safety protocols when handling gases, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.
