If you work outdoors for a living, it’s important that you have the right workwear in order to keep you safe and warm.
Work and safety wear covers a large range of clothing, from outer layers to shirts, including hi-vis. Whether you work on a building site or a farm, this clothing is important throughout the year, but what do you need? What is workwear?
Well, Winfields is here to not explain what work and safety wear is, but we’ll detail the key pieces of clothing you need for working outdoors or around heavy machinery. So, whether you’re buying for yourself, a colleague or a business, you can understand everything about workwear.
Read on to discover more about workwear clothing and how it can keep you safe…
Workwear is the clothing that is worn for manual or heavy labour. The clothing is made to provide high durability and safety, which is why you may have seen these clothes on building sites, engineering, services and manufacturing industries. Plus, if you work outdoors for a living, it’s important that you have the right workwear in order to keep you safe and warm.
Workwear is made from durable material that is resistant to abrasion and is often fully-waterproof. This also means that you will be protected against everything, from adverse weather conditions to chemical splashes. If you will be facing temperature extremes, potential falls, electrostatic build-up, or slippery surfaces, safety clothing must be provided.
When it comes to workwear clothing, there are key items to be aware of that are crucial throughout the year when working outdoors. These can include:
Workwear will also include hi-vis clothing, which is usually found on jackets and trousers.
As the name suggests, hi-vis clothing is a type of clothing that is designed to be highly visible with reflective panels on top of fluorescent, matt material. For example, a jacket may be made featuring yellow or orange matt material with reflective stripes on top.
According to the Health and Safety Executive, there are rules on when reflective PPE – Personal Protective Equipment – must be worn.
Due to the wide range of items for work and safety clothing, they come with a whole host of features to keep you safe and warm. We’ve detailed some, on a jacket as an example, to give you an idea before providing extra information.
Some of the features can include:
For trousers, they may feature stretchy knee sections for freedom of movement but to also allow you to insert knee pads when necessary. On top of this, they can come with a behind-knee vent to allow for air circulation.
When buying your work and safety clothing, there are important questions you need to bear in mind so you get the PPE that will keep you safe.
As everyone knows, the British climate can be unpredictable. So, before starting any project or job, you need to consider the time of year and what weather you can expect to have while working.
In the summer, you can expect warmer, hotter weather, while in winter, temperatures drop, and the earlier nights can cause low visibility. All of this needs to be considered. We’ve made some tips to help you choose your workwear to match with the weather.
Dry and hot weather:
Wet and cold weather:
A key mistake that you can make is taking a generic approach when buying workwear, rather than actually thinking about the specific needs of a job.
You should always carry out a full and proper risk assessment, and ensure that the equipment you use or provide is fit for purpose. You can’t just hand your workers or grab a hi-vis jacket, a hard hat and some safety gloves for every task.
This means that you need to think about the specific risks you may be exposed to and for how long. Then, you should invest in clothing that will offer comprehensive protection, from head to toe, throughout the project and in all weather conditions.
You should also make sure that the PPE you purchase fits comfortably and securely. Poorly-fitting workwear can be less effective in offering protection, and it can also hinder your productivity as a result.
Not all items of PPE and workwear are created equally. Both the UK and European regulators have strict rules in place to make sure that workwear is fit for purpose. You will need to follow these rules at all times.
Therefore, you need to make sure you’re buying products that are CE Mark-approved, and are in accordance with the UK’s Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 2002. It’s also vital to keep up-to-date of changes in legislation that might affect PPE and workwear policies.
For workwear, you need to consider what you or your employees actually do in their day-to-day jobs. Do you need extra pockets? Maybe your work trousers need some protective knee pads? These small details will make the difference between good and great workwear that is safe and functional.
You should always choose high-quality clothing for your workwear as you will save money in the long run due to them being more durable. Cheap work clothing may cause more trouble than the savings are worth by not lasting or providing protection.
Now you’re all prepared to know everything about safety and workwear when buying your clothing, and you can find the top brands and newest releases at Winfields.
Click on the links below for more workwear essentials.
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