The other day I was talking to a friend who does construction for a living. He was having problems with his eyesight. He told me that five times over his career, splinters of wood and metal have shot off his equipment and into his eye. His goggles were dusty, so he didn't wear them,
Mount an Akro-Mils tilt-out set of storage boxes to store your goggles and gloves to provide safe, clean spaces for your safety equipment. You're more like to use protective equipment if it's easily accessible and clean.
Safety Equipment Can Be Annoying, But So Is Losing an Eye
I have found that plastic safety goggles get fogged up, get warm with use, and fall off my face.
When I leave goggles out in the garage, they get dusty and buggy.
So when I need to wear eye protection, these goggles couldn't be less appealing.
I don't want their dusty crud on my face.
But what is the alternative?
My friend's failing eyesight reminded me how much I like the ability to see.
Is a little annoyance really such a big price to pay for protecting my eyes from angle grinders and cleaning chemicals?
Acquiring decent safety equipment is just as important as finding clean and dry storage for it.
First, upgrade the goggles to ones you can wear for hours.
DeWalt's anti-fog goggles are inexpensive, but they're not cheap. You can get these goggles on Amazon.
Do you have comfortable ear protection?
My neighbor across the street never wears earmuffs when mowing the lawn.
He rides a lawn tractor for 2 hours every Saturday.
I'd say he's about 50% deaf.
The same rules apply to earmuffs as goggles.
I think the 3M Peltor earmuffs are comfortable, and have enough noise suppression to protect the ears from tractor engine noise.
You can get the Peltor earmuffs on Amazon.
Now you need a good place to store them.
Some place that is easy to reach, but still protected from dust and dirt.
A Strange But Effective Garage Storage Solution
The Akro-Mils TiltView boxes mount on the wall.
The fronts tilt out to allow you to access what's inside.
When you use this storage solution, you don't need to feel around in a drawer for your goggles.
Only one item fits per bin, making your equipment clean, dry, and accessible.
Plus you can see the contents of each bin, so you never lose your stuff to clutter.
To mount the bins to the wall, place the cabinet in the desired location, and pass screws through the back of the cabinet and into the wall.
Then add the clear bins into the cabinets and you're ready to store your safety equipment.
Size the Storage for the Contents
Before buying the TiltViews, ensure your equipment will fit in the bins.
The DeWalt goggles are 8.1 in. x 6.7 in. x 4 in.
The 3M earmuffs are 4.41 in. x 6.54 in. x 6.54 in.
This means the bins have to be at least (approximately) 9 in. wide and 7 in. deep, or vice versa.
The bins are 12 in. x 13 in. x 14 in., meaning there is enough room in each bin to store either the goggles or the earmuffs.
