Welcome to our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. This is where we will include the answers to some of the most common questions asked from our 10 years experience in Making Safety Easy.
I hope you find the information useful, or feel free to ask for more information if one of our answers does not answer your question.
There is a lot of confusion around the life span of hard hats, or when a hard hat needs to be replaced. Hopefully this excerpt below from Standards Australia will help clarify the requirements for you.
Hard hats do not have an expiry date at the point of manufacture. AS1800:1998 states:-
At the time of issue to the wearer, the helmet should be marked with the issue date.
Field tests have shown that generally , helmet shells have a life of at least 3 years from the time of issue. Components of harnesses may deteriorate more rapidly in service and harnesses should, therefore, be replaced at intervals not longer than 2 years.
For helmets that are used infrequently and stored away from sunlight, dirt and temperature extremes, this guideline/recommendation may not be applicable. The user should examine the helmet regularly and discard if any damage is evident.
Extract of Australian Standard AS1800:1998
On behalf of the team at BIG Safety we wish all of our clients and guests the very best for this Christmas season.
BIG Safety customer service will be closed from the 23 Dec – 8 Jan 2012.
Orders can still be placed online, by fax or email during this time and they will be processed commencing Monday 9 Jan 2012.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Hello, Earthlings. Everyone knows I am Safety S.A.L.
(Safety Aware Lifeform) from the planet Camino.
First Aid Tailor Made in Dural is, like, so privileged to have me as its exclusive P.P.E. supermodel.
I, like, don’t get out of bed unless I’m wearing my 100% cotton hard hat brim from Big Safety because, like me, it’s soooo cool.
Has anyone seen my, like, P.A.?
Hendra virus is a public health concern and can create substantial workplace health and safety issues. It requires careful management.
There are several steps you should take while you are waiting for veterinary confirmation of Hendra virus:
Ask your veterinarian for help with putting on, taking off and safe disposal of PPE. Ensure P2 masks are fitted correctly to reduce your risk of infection.
The above information has been taken from Department of Primary Industries Website :- http://new.dpi.vic.gov.au/agriculture/pests-diseases-and-weeds/animal-diseases/horses/hendra-virus . The links have been added to enable customers to view the products on the BIG Safety website.
In September 1994, a prominent Queensland horse trainer Mr Vic Rail, his stablehand, and most of his horses fell ill to a sudden and mysterious illness.
Within several days, the trainer and 14 horses were dead.
As the Queensland Department of Primary Industries (QDPI) collected specimens from affected race horses and submitted them for testing at CSIRO’s Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) in Geelong, Victoria, newspapers ran with headlines like ‘Death virus cancels races, threatens Cup’.
AAHL’s diagnostic team isolated and identified what proved to be a new virus that had not been reported anywhere else in the world.
Researchers initially named it equine morbillivirus, however, further genetic analysis showed that the most appropriate classification of the virus was as a new genus within the Paramyxoviridae family.
The name Hendra is now used, after the name of the Brisbane suburb in which the outbreak occurred.
The strength of AAHL’s capabilities was clearly demonstrated by the manner in which the infectious agent was isolated, the disease reproduced in horses and the virus eventually identified using electron microscopy and gene sequence analysis.
With the cause of the disease outbreak known, AAHL researchers developed diagnostic tests.
QDPI, Queensland Health and AAHL tested more than 2 500 horse samples and 150 human samples, not finding any new cases.
In the last 17 years, seven people have been confirmed to have been infected with Hendra virus, four of whom have died as a result of the disease.
In addition to the initial case in 1994, a farmer from Mackay died in 1995 and two Queensland vets passed away in separate incidents in 2008 and 2009.
There have also been 14 clusters of Hendra virus infection recorded in horses since the virus was first identified.
Here is a quick video of how to put on a full body fall arrest Height Safety Harness.
When a hardhat shows signs of wear and tear to either the helmet shell and the harness it should be replaced. It should also be replaced after any impact that would have caused the wearer injury as the integrity of the structure will have been weakened. Although there is no set service life for hard hats, we recommend replacement after no more than 5 years.
In-use, head protection gear is generally treated with a lack of care, often being thrown or dropped, used as a receptacle or carried on the rear window shelf of a vehicle. None of these actions are conducive to continued performance so ProChoice recommend users to regularly inspect both the helmet shell and its harness for signs of wear and tear and to store in a cool, dry place when not in use.
Click here for more information about our Hard Hats
Is your worksite covered?
Many clients are unclear about exactly what standards are required for an Emergency Deluge Safety Shower. This article aims to clarify in laymans terms to assist worksite Safety Managers in determining the right product to meet their needs.
Unsuitable Equipment
There are a number of myths in the marketplace about suitable substitute equipment for plumbed Emergency Safety Showers and Eye / Face Washes. However the following are not acceptable in accordance with the standard:-
- Personal Eyewash equipment, such as squeeze bottles, do not meet the requirements of plumbed or self-contained eyewash equipment.
- Hand held drench hoses do not meet the criteria of a plumbed or self – contained eyewash.
- Self closing shower valves do not meet this standard and should be replaced with stay open valves.
If these are the only means of protection, they should be replaced or supplemented with equipment meeting the requirements of AS4775-2007.
When Required
There are a number of reference documents relating to when and where the emergency safety showers and eyewashes are to be located. Below is a brief summary of the main ones
Workcover requirement – Where the eyes or body of any person may be exposed to injurious corrosive materials, suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body shall be provided within the work area for immediate emergency use.
AS19400 – 2004 para 4.6 (c) The following items shall be provided within 10 m of, but not nearer than 2 m, to stores where packages are opened:
i. Eye wash facilities complying with ANSI Z358.1
ii. Water for the washing of hands
(d) A Safety Shower shall be installed where –
i. the quantity of liquids exceeds 2000L; or
ii. required by risk assessment or regulation.
NOTE: Safety Showers should comply with ANSI Z358.1
AS3780 – 2008 Explains the regulations regarding eye/face wash or a deluge shower to be located within an area used for the charging and maintenance of electric storage batteries.
Self Assessment
A simple first step in determining if you worksite requires a Emergency Safety Shower or Eye/Face wash can be a simple self assessment. This Self Assessment will be the first step and will assist you in determining if a more detailed risk analysis is to be completed.
- Look for containers used to handle or store these materials and make sure ANSI Z358.1 – 1998 compliant Emergency Equipment is within 10 seconds travel distance.
- Look for areas where workers are using Personal Protective Equipment such as goggles and liquid proof gloves. These are found in areas where hazardous materials are being used and eyewashes and/or showers will/may be required as secondary protection.
- Look for signs of hazardous materials and make sure eyewashes and showers are within the required distance.
- Make sure emergency equipment is properly located near these hazards.
- Review the storage, transfer and use of flammable liquids in your workplace and these areas may require showers and/or eyewashes as secondary protection.
Requirements of Emergency Deluge Safety Showers
The following features are essential when considering selection of an Emergency Deluge Safety Shower or Eyewash in commercial and industrial environments. This includes schools, universities and hospitals.
- ANSI Z358.1 – 1998 requires that shower valves be of simple operation, turn off to on in one second or less, and provide hands free operation once activated.
- ANSI Z358.1 – 1998 requires that flushing fluids shall be tepid. Make sure that supplied water temperatures are in the range of 15º C and 35º C. This is important in hot environments where the pipes are exposed and heated during the day.
This article is just a general introduction to some of the requirements and myths surrounding Safety Showers and emergency eye / face washes. This article needs to be considered in conjunction with the following relevant standards for Requirements of Emergency Deluge Safety Showers and Safety Eye washes:-
- ANSI Z358.1 – 2004 Emergency Eye Wash and Shower Equipment (This is the base document that was used in the production of the Australian Standard AS4775-2007)
- AS4775-2007 Emergency Eye Wash and Shower Equipment
- AS3780-2008 The storage and handling of corrosive substances
- AS1940-2004 The storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids
Here is a general video on the Speakman Emergency Deluge Safety Showers and Eye / Face Wash to get an understanding of some products available.
A supplier of the Speakman product range of safety showers and eye washes in Australia is Big Safety. There range can be viewed by clicking Emergency Deluge Safety Showers .
BIG Safety was quick to respond to clients and customers needs as preparations for swine flu protection kicked into full swing.
Some clients were ordering enough masks for their workers to last up to one month. Our clients have the philosophy that they need their businesses functional and operational therefore it is better to be safe than sorry. The investment in P2 masks is a small price to pay for insurance to ensure their businesses do not stop in the event of an epidemic.
The P2 disposable masks are usable for five years from the date of manufacture, which makes the investment pretty small if amortised over five years.
The most common masks purchased were the P2 disposable face mask with exhalation valve.
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