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Everything you need to know about the Importance of Workwear

Posted on by loorolls
The importance of workwear in the workplace
22
Apr

The Importance of Workwear, why do employers always stress about it?

UK Employers recognise the need to provide safety wear to protect their permanent and temporary staff from carrying out tasks in a high risk environment; for example, to protect from contracting the covid-19 virus if employees work in the front-line of the medical profession close to patients.
What are the thought processes that management goes through when issuing safety workwear in workplaces like hospitals, pharmacies, shops and warehouses?

What is workwear?

Workwear is the clothing worn for work, especially work that involves manual labour. Examples of workwear include overalls, aprons, uniforms for chefs, guards, engineers, etc
Workwear is designed purposefully as safety clothing meaning it can be used to protect it, users, against any health and safety risks at work. In these unprecedented times when the world is trying to fight this plague called Covid-19, safety clothing has become a daily discussion across business setups and even residential and even in the media platforms. We also call them PPE, that is, Personal Protective Equipment.
Why is PPE important?

PPE in simple terms, is aimed at lessening the likelihood of illness, injury, and legal issues, and ensures a safe and happy working environment for everyone.

Research done by health and safety teams indicates that when an employee has to conduct a task in an environment that is risky and full of hazards, and they are not completely protected, they will be keeping an eye on protecting themselves rather than carrying out the task as effectively and efficiently as they could.

In which industries is PPE needed?

– Health & hospitals
– Catering
– Construction
– Engineering
– Gardening & Landscaping
– Security

What are the most important items of safety clothing?

The importance of workwear extends beyond safety, as it also plays a significant role in promoting professionalism and corporate identity within the workplace.

Headwear

The head is the most delicate part of our body and as a result we need to ensure that depending on the risk task being performed this should be protected similarly. If you work in construction and security services you need a helmet, in catering & hospitality you will need a hairnet, cold room you might need a beanie to keep your head warm.

Hands

This area of your body can be protected using gloves and overalls with long sleeves if you need total arms coverage. In regards to gloves, these are designed for various environments including catering, hospitals, industries and therefore it is crucial to buy gloves based on the risk involved. If you work in extreme temperatures you might want insulated gloves that tend to withstand temps of up to 500° C.

Respiratory

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There are a range of respiratory protective equipment (RPE) but generally they are all simply used for protecting us from inhaling airborne contaminants like dust, particles, gas, microbes & biological agents etc. Similar to what we have been saying before, RPE will be different for different industries based on their overall purpose, however, they all need to allow sufficient oxygen to support life whilst still protecting the user. Face masks are an important element of RPE and can be sourced online for use during this lock down period.

Eyes

Eye protection prevents very dangerous particles and infectious fluids from entering the eye. Eye goggles might be appropriate for this however, when the hazard travels in different directions or are small invisible particles then a full face visor is highly recommended for maximum protection.

Ears

Ears and eyes are probably the most sensitive and would need the most protection. The use of ear plugs will help reduce the risk of deafness especially when working in noisy environments and even better you can upgrade to noise cancellation technology equipment for better protection. If you are working in a dog training centre and the dogs keep barking due to behaviour issues you could use noise cancellation earplugs. It is important that whilst using earplugs or earmuffs the employee should still have the ability to communicate and also hear warning signals.

Overalls & uniform

Coveralls and overalls are used to protect the skin against hazardous elements like chemical sprays and other hazardous dry particles. The colour of the overall is important to identify the environment it’s used for, with white being used for clinical areas and blue for construction areas, orange high visibility overalls for engineering areas like rail lines and roads. Manufacturers producing this PPE clothing tend to ensure they are fully breathable, heat resistant, lightweight and also visible to others.

Footwear

When we talk about footwear PPE we often refer to steel capped boots which offer protection from foot injuries. However, we know that there are various versions of footwear for different industries and we often see chefs in catering with special shoes, surgeons and doctors with special shoes.

What existing controls are in place?

Every workplace in the UK needs to follow health and safety guidance and stipulated by law. This is why we often run health and safety risk assessments for everything including our office workstations, the equipment we use whilst performing our tasks, the environment we work.
Doing risk assessments help us understand the risk levels, how effective the current controls are, and if more needs to be done to improve in the safety levels whilst taking the risk close to zero as possible.

Compliance with regulatory standards underscores the importance of workwear, ensuring that employers prioritize the safety and health of their workforce while meeting legal obligations in maintaining a safe work environment.

5 reasons why you need Hi Visibility work wear in the workplace

High-visibility work-wear, often referred to as “hi-vis” or “hi-vis clothing,” serves several important purposes in the workplace, particularly in environments where there are potential hazards or risks. Here are some reasons why hi-vis work wear is necessary:

  1. Safety: The primary purpose of high-visibility work wear is to enhance visibility, making the wearer more noticeable to others. This is particularly important in environments where there are moving vehicles or heavy machinery, such as construction sites, warehouses, or roadwork areas. By increasing visibility, hi-vis clothing helps reduce the risk of accidents, as it allows other workers, equipment operators, and motorists to see the wearer more easily, especially in low-light conditions or adverse weather.
  2. Identification: In busy workplaces with multiple teams or contractors, hi-vis clothing helps identify workers from different groups. This is crucial for coordination and communication, as it allows supervisors, colleagues, or visitors to easily recognize individuals who belong to specific teams or perform certain roles.
  3. Compliance: Many industries and regulatory bodies require the use of high-visibility clothing as part of health and safety regulations. Employers are often obligated to provide and enforce the use of hi-vis work wear to ensure compliance with legal requirements and standards aimed at protecting workers from accidents and injuries.
  4. Risk Management: Wearing high-visibility clothing can contribute to overall risk management efforts within a workplace. By increasing visibility, the likelihood of accidents caused by collisions or being struck by moving objects is reduced. This not only protects individual workers but also helps mitigate the potential financial and reputational costs associated with workplace accidents.
  5. Personal Protection: In addition to making workers more visible to others, hi-vis clothing can also help protect the wearer from environmental elements such as rain, wind, or cold weather. Many hi-vis garments are designed with additional features like waterproof or breathable materials, which can enhance comfort and safety in challenging working conditions.

Discussing the importance of workwear in the workplace should be a regular occurrence.

Discussing the importance of workwear in the workplace & High-visibility work wear is essential, because it improves safety, aids in identification, ensures compliance with regulations, contributes to risk management efforts, and provides personal protection for workers. Investing in and enforcing the use of hi-vis clothing can significantly reduce the risk of accidents and injuries, creating a safer and more productive working environment for everyone involved.

The importance of wearing appropriate work gear cannot be overstated, as it significantly enhances safety and productivity in industrial environments.

In summary, every workplace needs to provide the correct PPE for the task at hand and therefore, businesses need to ensure correct choices are made when buying PPE and work wear and also ensure that employees are also trained to know what to use for each individual tasks with checks in place and health and safety champions leading the use of PPE at work.

Loorolls are a trusted supplier of safety clothing and work wear mostly in the catering and hospitality industry. To find out more visit our work-wear section.

This article was written by Health and Safety champions from the team at Marketing Hub