What Should Construction Workers Wear?

A construction worker wearing a bib overall and hardhat.
A construction worker wearing a bib overall and hardhat.

Whether it's choosing between a high visibility bib overall or vest, here's your guide to construction attire.

Proper attire is crucial in maintaining workplace safety. Construction wear must be comfortable, durable, functional, and secure. Whether it's choosing between a high visibility bib overall or vest, here's your guide to essential construction attire.

What are the construction attire essentials?

While construction workers don't spend their morning routine choosing stylish clothes, they have standards to maintain regarding their work attire. On top of staying comfortable, warm, and dry, they must comply with local occupational health and safety regulations. The following are the essential construction site attire: • Hard hats • Safety glasses or goggles • Earplugs or muffs • Work gloves • Sweatshirts • High-visibility vests • Work jacket • Bib overall • Work pants • Tool belts • Work boots

Body protection

Working on a construction site presents many hazards. There's a higher possibility of fatal injuries without proper safety measures. On top of that, some jobs like roofing, demolition, and freight hauling are more dangerous than others. Knowing the risks that come with the job, it's crucial to prioritise protecting workers on the construction site. Here is the essential construction safety gear for overall body protection: • Hard hat or safety helmet • Safety glasses, goggles, or face shield • Earplugs or earmuffs • High-visibility clothes (bib overall, vest, pants, etc.) • Work boots

Head protection

The head is among the most crucial body parts your worker must protect during construction. Different tasks may demand different types of headgear. For starters, your workers must wear hard hats or safety helmets. Your hard hat must also include a hard hat liner to enhance the fit and comfort of the headgear. There is a difference between hard hats and safety helmets. Hard hats have become a symbol of construction work that even visitors wear when near a hazardous site. Although, today's construction industry is leaning towards safety helmets since they have a snugger fit and provide additional safety features. These features include padding and a chin strap to prevent the headgear from falling off.

Eye protection

The eyes are targets of the many dangers in construction. The type of protective gear varies per task. One clear difference is the best time to use safety glasses versus goggles. While safety glasses protect your eyes against debris, they don't provide full coverage, whereas safety goggles give full wraparound coverage alongside a strap. In this case, goggles are preferable for jobs where dust and sparks are always in the air.

Leg protection

Leg protection begins with high-quality work pants or bib overalls. Buying flimsy and thin shorts will do more harm than good on a construction site. When purchasing work pants, check for flexibility, comfort, and sturdiness. Aside from work pants, other vital additions to construction attire for leg protection include knee pads and leggings.

Feet protection

Injured feet can cost your construction worker's livelihood. Wearing the appropriate shoes is crucial for safety. While roofers can do the task with durable yet lightweight sneakers, workers who deal with iron need steel toes and anti-slip and electric shock absorption properties in their shoes. The rule of thumb when choosing proper construction attire is to stick to high visibility and durable materials. Whether buying a bib overall, a hard hat, or work boots, the quality must withstand heavy-duty work. After all, investing in proper gear and attire is vital for your workers' protection.

License: You have permission to republish this article in any format, even commercially, but you must keep all links intact. Attribution required.