During any construction project today, crews will use many different tools and materials alike to finish the project, but this means exposing both the work professionals and nearby materials to hazards of varying levels of danger or at least inconvenience. For this reason, both people and surfaces need protection during a construction project until it is finished. Safety goggles, hats, and breathing apparatuses may be used for the crews, and for items, various paper, cardboard, fabric, or other sheets and covers can prevent spills and stains from happening and ruining various surfaces. Window shields, temporary floor protection like a carpet shield, a door frame protector, and more can be used to keep paint, glue, and other materials from ending up on surfaces where they do not belong. A carpet shield or covering tiles can keep everything safe and in good condition, and can in fact save money for the crews overall. Why invest in a carpet shield or wall protection sheets?
Injury at the Workplace
It is not just carpets and glass that need protection during a construction project, but also the people whoa re currently at work on the site. These crews are exposed to heat, sharp edges, particles, fumes, glues, and more during work, and they need protection or they could face injury (and they may pursue legal action too). The lungs, in particular, are more vulnerable than many may realize. The National Center for Biotechnology Information released a study in 2017 showing that 51.8% of construction workers, just over half, were diagnosed with moderate pulmonary restriction, and 4.7% of these cases were in fact classified as obstructive, which is a serious health hazard. What are these workers breathing in during a project? One hazard to watch out for is crystalline silica; respirable silica particles are very fine, 100 times smaller than sand grains, and they are often created when crews are cutting, sawing, or crushing stone, concrete, rock, or brick. Carpets can easily soak up dirt like silica particles and more; in one square yard of carpet may be up to one who pound of dirt, and this is a hazard for construction crews and the inhabitants of a finished building alike.
There is also the issue of gases and fumes, such as fumes from paint thinner or glues, as well as exhaust from engines and other devices during construction. These can irritate the lungs as well as the eyes and nose, and can lead to dizziness or even fainting. What can crews do about all this? Goggles can keep silica particles and fumes away from the sensitive eyeballs, and surgical masks or more heavy-duty gas masks can protect the lungs and nose from fumes and airborne particles alike. The strength of the protection may be based according to the danger of the airborne materials and the time spent exposed to them, so crews should gear up accordingly. Even a full body suit may be needed in some cases.
Carpet Shield Placement and More
The workplace itself will also need protection from the materials being spread around during work, especially in the later stages when surfaces like carpets, wallpaper, tiles, and more are already in place. This may also apply to renovation or remodeling jobs in a completed building, where of course everything is fully fabricated. In these cases, using a carpet shield will protect any carpet, especially a more expensive and lush one, from accumulating materials like plaster dust, silica particles, sawdust, and much more during construction or renovation. The same is true for if paint or paint thinner is being used, as this can quickly stain and ruin a carpet, and the afflicted material may have to be cut out and replaced, and this wastes both money and time. Glue can also be harmful to carpets.
A carpet shield is helpful, but window protection film can protect glass in a window from paint, dust, and more during construction or renovation, and prevent the need to clean or replace the windows due to splashes or particles getting on them. Other surfaces like tiles, kitchen counter tops (such as granite), porcelain, wallpaper, and more can be protected with paper, cardboard, rubber sheets, or anything else during work to keep glues and powders away from these delicate surfaces.
