When you're first thinking about starting a decking project, your initial thoughts might focus on whether you want timber or composite decking or what colour staining you'll have. You might even focus on how much you want your deck to blend in with your garden or what furniture you'll adorn your stunning new addition.

While many might fuss over timbers and garden furniture, the first thing you should consider when starting a decking project is your protective equipment requirements.

Often overlooked, PPE is a central component of any successful construction project. It ensures that you stay safe during your project and avoid any long-lasting consequences of not protecting your body against dust and timber fibres.

We've heard a lot about PPE in the last few years, mainly related to infection control, but PPE is all around us and should be your priority alongside searching for decking products. To help you stay safe during your project, we've compiled this complete guide to all things PPE so you're ready to build your decking safely.

We'll discuss the meaning of personal protective equipment, the PPE kit you'll need for decking and where you can find these critical products.

What is a PPE kit?

Before we get into the specifics of PPE, it's first important t debunk any preconceptions you might have about PPE. PPE stands for personal protective equipment and is the safety gear you wear on your body to protect you from injury or illness while working.

Many of us associate PPE with the Covid-19 pandemic as countries worldwide scrambled to secure protective equipment to control infection in hospitals and care settings. While surgical masks, gowns and full hazmat suits are all valid forms of PPE, that's not the kind of PPE we're talking about.

The PPE we're discussing is the gear designed to protect your body from injuries or long-lasting effects of loud noises, fine particles or sharp instruments. Many construction settings will have individual requirements for PPE, such as construction sites usually requiring professionals to wear hi-vis clothing and hard hats.

Whether you're a professional tradesperson with decades of experience when it comes to installing decking or you're freshly starting on a DIY project, you'll need PPE.

PPE for installing decking

Although installing decking might sound pretty simple, you must choose the correct PPE to keep yourself safe during the installation process. This is because installing a deck can lead to severe long-term health conditions without the correct equipment.

 

From serious injury to lung or eye damage, it's integral that you take your safety and comfort seriously. To help, we've compiled this list of critical PPE for your project. Here are seven products you'll need:

Ear protection

Anyone who has been near a drill for extended periods will tell you that ear protection is one of the most important pieces of PPE you'll need to install a deck. While constant drill sounds might be a mild inconvenience to neighbours, those nearby can risk long-term hearing damage due to drills and saws.

It doesn't take long for DIY tools you'll use for your decks, like handheld drills and circular saws, to do severe hearing damage. Anything that emits above 80decibels of sound can do permanent hearing damage in seconds, so you'll need hearing protection like ear pods or plugs.

For example, a standard circular saw you'd use to cut timber emits a maximum of 110 dB of sound. That means you have about 60 seconds of unprotected hearing before seriously damaging your ears, resulting in uncomfortable conditions such as tinnitus, pain and hearing loss.

Safety glasses

Whether using timber or composite material for your deck, you should always use safety glasses to protect your eyes from dust, wood and plastic particles.

We don't need to tell you how painful and dangerous splinters in your eye can be, so you should always wear protective eyewear when sawing and drilling timber or composite planks.

This is especially important to consider if you're working with pressure-treated wood. This is because pressure-treated wood is caustic, which can burn or corrode organic materials like the tissues in your eyes.

If you're concerned about not being able to see if you're working in the bright sun, you can find safety glasses with tinted lenses from Trade Warehouse that will keep you comfortable and safe at all times!

Respiratory protection like surgical masks or respirators

Surgical masks and respirators are likely to be the PPE that everyone is most familiar with. Not only is this essential for keeping your work colleagues safe from your coughs and sneezes, but this vital for keeping you safe from dangerous timber and composite fibres that can cause serious harm to your lungs.

Of course, the apparent risk of inhaling dust or composite fibres is the initial discomfort and a few coughs and splutters as you try to clear your airway. However, there's a much more sinister risk when you breathe in these dangerous particles. Prolonged exposure to wood dust is linked to an increased risk of nasopharynx and lung cancer. This is because wood dust is classed as a Group 1 carcinogen.

A carcinogen is a substance that causes carcinogenesis, otherwise known as the process of forming cancerous cells. This is common in trades jobs requiring professionals to saw or sand wood.

The risk of this carcinogen is so severe that government agencies administer official guidance and legal requirements for all trades employers to maintain safe working environments when working with wood dust.

To keep yourself safe when working with dust from timbers, wear a respirator to filter out dust particles. While surgical masks can provide a baseline level of protection, they're unlikely to protect against ultra-fine particles that can enter your lungs. Consider a half-face respirator to protect your mouth and nose as you work.

Gloves

While we know using gloves can be a pain as they sometimes inhibit some of your fine motor skills, they're essential for a decking project. You'll need gloves for hauling heavy materials like timber or composite beams and drilling and sanding down your desk.

You should use thick gloves for hauling to protect your hands against cuts, scrapes and splinters, and thinner gloves when drilling or sanding so you can still have a full range of movement. Welding gloves may be beneficial for heavy-duty hauling, while leather gloves may be better for tasks requiring more dexterity.

Knee pads

As you install your deck, you're likely to kneel for long periods, meaning you're more prone to sore knees and achy joints at the end of your working day.

If you're only working on your decking project for a few days and don't plan on doing any other DIY tasks for a while, then investing in knee pads is mostly about comfort and avoiding having to ice your knees at the end of the day.

However, knee pads are essential for avoiding painful conditions such as knee bursitis if you're kneeling for prolonged periods.

Sunscreen

Installing a deck typically requires working for long periods in the sun. While it might be nice to have a nice dry day to install a stunning timber deck, this can carry a hidden risk. Many of us are well-acquainted with the horrific feeling of a particularly severe sunburn after a day in the sun which leaves us cursing our past selves for opting to save five minutes and not put on sunscreen.

While the annoyance tends to dissipate with our burns, the risk of sunburn never goes away. Prolonged exposure to the sun and frequent sunburn can result in deadly diseases like melanoma, also known as skin cancer.

The skin is our largest single organ, so it's much easier for melanoma to spread to other body parts if not caught quickly enough. Because of this, it's the most severe form of cancer.

Melanoma is primarily caused by frequent exposure to the sun, and while you can't always prevent it, you can reduce your chances of developing melanoma by not getting burnt. Regularly applying SPF50 sunscreen reduces your chances of getting seriously sunburnt. You should apply this throughout your day, not just once in the morning.

To keep your skin safe, you should try limiting your exposed skin, such as wearing breathable long-sleeved clothes while working out in the sun.

Summary

Are you looking for decking PPE at competitive prices with nationwide delivery? Look no further than Trade Warehouse. We have a vast range of PPE stock waiting to keep customers safe during their decking projects. You'll find all your PPE requirements, no matter the industry you work in or the services you provide. Visit our online store today or contact us to find out how we can help you!

FAQs

1. What does PPE stand for?

PPE stands for personal protective equipment. This is the equipment you use during construction projects to keep yourself safe from injury or illness

2. What are four essential PPE I will need for decking

In order to work safely during a decking project, you'll need eyewear, hearing gear, a respirator and sunscreen.

3. Why is wood dust dangerous

Wood dust is a carcinogen, meaning, if inhaled, it can begin the carcinogenesis process that results in the formation of cancerous cells.