Most people don't think twice about wearing a helmet, but when it comes to protecting other body parts, many neglect to take the proper precautionary measures. As a worker, you may understand the importance of gloves when you’re job requires constant use of your hands, but what about your arms?

You Should Know: The Many Workplace Threats to Your Arms

In most cases, your arms are exposed to the same dangers as hands. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) simply states in their PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) assessment document that arm protection should be worn whenever “the risk of injury includes the arm.” Sure, that’s obvious, but think about how many situations it covers.

Environmental Health Safety (EHS) reminds us that “hands and arms are the most exposed part of the body” and both are susceptible a wide range of workplace injuries. According to EHS, injuries that can be mitigated by protective hand and arm equipment include: 
• Traumatic injuries, such as limbs getting “caught, pinched, crushed and amputated [...] punctured, torn or cut.” 
• Contact injuries, where “contact with solvents, acids, cleaning solutions, flammable liquids and other substances that can cause burns or injure tissue.”

Princeton University Environmental Health and Safety adds electrical dangers and even bad bruises to this list of dangers. Workers often lose function of the affected arm or even the arm itself, leading to loss of employment, decreased quality of life, and depression. 

You Should Know: Employers are Legally Accountable 

Due to the importance of PPE, such as protective sleeves, OSHA regulations hold employers legally accountable for providing the correct items. As an employer, you don’t want to neglect PPE. As a worker, you should know your PPE rights.

Employers are generally responsible for not only repeated assessments of the workplace and providing appropriate PPE, but also training employees in use and care of this equipment, maintaining PPE and replacing worn or damaged equipment. Knowing the dangers of the workplace, employees should attend training sessions, wear PPE, care for, clean, and maintain PPE, and let employers know as soon as PPE needs to be replaced or repaired.

You Should Know: What to Look for in a Sleeve

Each workplace is different. Like gloves, there are a wide variety of options for arm protection, each fitting certain industries and occupations. For example, for occupations that involve heat and fire there are burn-proof sleeves, while other industries may need to focus more on cut resistance. Gloves come in different lengths, materials, and levels of flexibility and thicknesses.

New developments in synthetic fibers allow for more durable protective sleeves that are also thinner (allowing for increased dexterity), cooler, and more comfortable. One amazing new development is Taeki5® and Kyorene®, which is noted for both its strength and comfort.
Of course, durability and industry-specific protection are still the most important factors when choosing any protective equipment. QS Safety offers a selection of sleeves suited for any industry, from appliance manufacturing to construction to metal fabrication. Get the right sleeves for your industry today.