Be on the Lookout for Overhead Hazards
May 19, 2020
Many of our technicians work in conditions that pose a threat to our safety from above. Whether you’re working in a scissor lift, leaning inside an HVAC unit or climbing a ladder, overhead hazards can cause head injuries.
Before you begin working, assess the safety of your workspace. If there are areas overhead that can be potentially dangerous, put on your hard hat. When others are working above you, always wear your hard hat to protect yourself from falling tools and parts.
There are many tasks you perform every day that you might not consider potential head-injury hazards. For instance, when you climb a ladder to a roof, the roof hatch may not be working properly and could come back down as you are about to transfer onto the roof. When you lean into HVAC units, there is metal all around you that you could hit your head on or stand up into.
These hazards can lead to anything from a knot on your head to a skull fracture. It could also cause you to become disoriented—and that could have horrible consequences if you’re high up.
Protecting your head should be one of the first things you think of when you assess the hazards of any job. If you don’t have a hard hat, ask your manager for one today.