Scrapping can be both lucrative and fun. Getting hurt while scrapping, though, can ruin both of those aspects. When it comes to Houston scrap metal recycling, it pays off to take extra safety precautions. At Gulf Coast Scrap Metal, we truly care about the wellbeing of our clients. Below are some tips that we have come up with over the years.

1. Wear Gloves

Welding Gloves

Usually when you are collecting scrap metal, you are dealing with just that — scrap. Typically you are rummaging and picking up broken appliances or piping. The broken pieces of a metal can have jagged, sharp edges that will cut right through you if you are not wearing protection. Not to mention, you may need to deal with other materials that have nails and screws in them, which could also easily cut you. We recommend wearing thick gloves to protect your hands from any unexpected sharp surfaces. Gardening and rubber gloves will also do, just avoid thin plastic gloves that my easily break and puncture.

If the metal scrap you are sifting through has been laying out in the hot, Texas sun, it may be also be extremely hot. Wearing protective gloves will allow you to scrap no matter the weather!

2. Wear a Breathing Mask

Paper breathing mask

Sometimes when you are scrapping, especially if you are at a construction or demolition site, you will find a lot of dust and debris mixed with your metal scrap. This will get kicked up in the air when you sift through the pile of metal.

To prevent breathing in all these particles, it is best to protect your mouth a nose with a mask. A simple paper breathing mask will work just fine. It will save you a lot of sneezing and coughing down the line.

3. Wear Protective Eyewear

Goggles are not always necessary for Houston scrap metal recycling but they can be helpful when you are looking for scrap in construction sites or alloy testing.

Protective Eyewear

The logic for wearing goggles or glasses is the same as using a breathing mask: it is simply uncomfortable to get dust in your eyes, so it is best to prevent it if possible.

On the other hand, if you are testing scrap to determine what type of alloy it is, you must wear protective eyewear. With all the sparks that go off, you need to make sure your eyes are covered so that you do not get hurt.

We hope that you will implement this advice the next time you are Houston scrap metal recycling. Call Gulf Coast Scrap Metal at 713-868-4111 for more safety tips.