The limits of fashion are endless. Just take a look at fashion shows and see how the craziest creations make their way in the runway. In the corporate world, it’s a little bit different though. You can’t just wear whatever you like wearing. There are some things you need to consider especially since most companies require employees to wear appropriate clothing. With that in mind, it’s important to comply with these requirements as well as think about the safety of wearing them.
Image from corporateclothes.com.au
While a lot of employers know it’s their basic duty to provide protective equipment at work, how many really consider the importance of health and safety work uniforms?
When a staff member has to conduct a task in a risky environment and don’t feel like they’re properly protected, they’re going to be more focused on their protection than carrying out the task efficiently. By issuing even basic protective corporate clothing, employers can help to overcome the risks.
Hot Environments
Take employees working in hot environments as an example. Materials need to be fully breathable and preferably made of natural fibres which will help with absorbing perspiration. Bulky clothing is going to restrict the employee’s movements.
Workplace Risks
Workplace risks are varied and can include fire hazards, electricity risks, dangerous machinery and chemical hazards. There are even the unseen risks that can have significant effects on breathing, hearing, lungs and skin. So employers should be weighing up risk with comfort when it comes to corporate clothing. The comfort fact shouldn’t only be considered from a value and production perspective, but also from understanding that ill-fitted protective clothing can have rather fatal consequences. Loose fitting clothing, for example, can get caught in machinery.
Assessing the Work Environment
Besides assessing how an employee can be protected by corporate clothing, employers should also be considering how risks can be reduced or, better yet, avoided. The entire package needs to be considered, including:
- The worker as an individual
- The environment – humidity, temperature, noise, light, vibration
- Work equipment – layout, control access
By taking the above into consideration, employers can ensure the safety and comfort of their employees.
Protective Clothing
Corporate clothing and protective clothing comes in all sorts of shapes, materials and sizes to ensure that staff can carry out specific tasks in specific environments.
Disposable coveralls help to protect the skin from hazardous chemical sprays and dry particles which are used in a variety of applications from construction and asbestos removal to pharmaceutical purposes. Coveralls are lightweight and protect the entire body so staff can work freely as well as safely.
This type of clothing shouldn’t be used as fire retardant corporate clothing.
Something else to consider is cross-contamination issues. Personal protective work wear needs to be safely and correctly stored in clean environments to make sure the outfits aren’t damaged by heat, sunlight or chemicals. Cross-contamination can also occur in dirty work environments, or even with private clothes from a cleaner environment.
If such contamination issues exist, employers need to take care when it comes to designing changing areas as well as storage lockers for work uniforms.
Final Word
Due to the number and complexity of different types of work uniforms, as well as the variety of work activities, it’s important that employers make the right choice in terms of protective work wear.
By keeping your workforce safe, protected and in quality work clothing, you can ensure a far more productive and efficient work force who is happy to carry out their tasks and will spend a lot less time worrying about their safety or what sort of hazard they may encounter.
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