Foam Ear Inserts (Ear Plugs) | These protect from damaging levels of noise. Anything louder than city traffic (85+ dB) can cause permanent hearing damage after 2 hours of exposure. |
Hard Hat | Most hard hats are designed only to protect from falling hazards from above. By law, employers must provide appropriate PPE to workers, if you bring your own, it must at minimum meet the current ANSI Z89.1 standard. Climbing helmets are acceptable if they meet the same ANSI standard. |
Safety glasses | To protect from projectiles or dust hitting your eyes. |
Gloves (Insulating rubber)  | In some cases when working with high voltage, gloves with an electrical insulation rating may be required. |
Gloves (welding) | When welding, sturdy leather gloves are required to shield your hands and for arms from sparks and hot slag. |
Welding Leathers | In absence of a strong and flame-resistant coat, welding sleeves can be used to protect your arms and upper torso from welding sparks and hot slag. |
Welding helmet | Welding helmets are required for welding work due to the massive amount of UV emitted by an open arc. Without covering, your skin and eyes can be burned by an arc flash in a matter of seconds. |
Work gloves | These protect from burns due to hot lighting instruments or abrasions from handling rough materials. Some people prefer fingerless gloves for dexterity. |
Full Body Harness | Whenever someone is working at a height above 4 feet, by law an employer must provide a fall protection or prevention system. The choice of system should be evaluated by trained qualified person. Usually, if working at height in this industry you will need to be able to don a full body fall arrest harness, and use a shock absorbing lanyard to stay tied off 100% of the time. |
Respirator | Various types of masks protect you from exposure to dust, airborne biohazards, fumes, or chemical in the air depending on the type of filter used. These types of respirators have vents that allow air to expel without passing back through the filter and are not considered acceptable to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses. |
Dust Mask | A NIOSH approved dust mask, like an N95, is acceptable for protection from air-born particles and droplets. If you are using an N95 or any type of mask to prevent the spread of respiratory illness, it must not feature a valve that allows exhaled air to bypass the filter. |
Boots (Safety Toe) | These protect your foot from piercing damage by objects on the floor as well as from crushing damage. Many venues Local 15 workers are employed in require workers to wear ANSI Protective Toe compliant shoes. The protective toe can be either steel or a composite material. |
Representing Stagehands of Western Washington