How Workwear Suppliers Benefit Employee Safety, Comfort, and Productivity
The main threat to office workers and those in predominantly sedentary occupations is that they might develop poor posture and accumulate extra fat around their waistlines. However, employees in many other lines of work, such as chemical plant, factory, and construction site workers, are often exposed to more serious risks. In such cases, specialised workwear suppliers frequently play a crucial part in ensuring workplace safety and enabling personnel to be optimally productive.
Protective clothing is not just a nice-to-have option. Under the terms of South Africa’s Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993, the nation’s employers are legally obligated to institute whatever measures may prove necessary to ensure that all employees and visitors to the workplace are adequately protected from any potential hazards whilst on their premises.
Workwear Suppliers Provide Protection and Safety
The primary purpose of workwear is to shield workers from exposure to hazards like fire, extremes of temperature, falling objects, and sharp tools. To minimise the risk of workplace injuries and accidents, suppliers offer a range of personal protective equipment (PPE) that includes items like the following:
- Fire-Resistant Clothing: Fire is a constant threat in industries like oil and gas, while burns are a danger to welders. Fire-resistant clothing can protect the wearer from burns and other heat-related problems, allowing workers to pursue their tasks with confidence and safely. By contrast, some employees operate in extreme cold and wet conditions. For them, a range of insulated and waterproof clothes can enhance workplace safety, protecting them from the risk of hypothermia,
- High Visibility (Hi-Vis) Gear: In occupations like construction and highway maintenance, there is a constant risk to personnel of accidents involving heavy machinery or vehicles, especially in low-light conditions. Workwear suppliers offer bibs, caps, vests, jackets, windbreakers, and beanies with reflective properties that are more visible, as well as reflective tape that can be attached to other clothing items.
- Chemical-Resistant Clothes: Workers in laboratories and chemical plants are at risk from accidental skin or eye contact with corrosive liquids. To protect staff from such trauma, many of the fire-resistant and flame-retardant materials used in the jackets, pants, and Conti suits supplied by us at XCO Group are also resistant to acids. In addition, our PPE range includes a selection of goggles, visors, and wrap-around spectacles to protect the eyes from acid splashes and face shields to safeguard welders from sparks.
Corrosive chemicals often produce fumes, which, if inhaled, could cause respiratory distress and even irreversible damage to delicate lung tissue. Hence, the XCO range also includes masks and respirators. These PPE items can also provide respiratory protection for spray painters and farmers for use when spraying pesticides and weedkillers.
- Protection from Impact and Crush Injuries: Falling objects are a common occurrence in the construction industry and some factories. Hard hats and jockey-type safety caps with replaceable liners are the best form of protection from this type of hazard.
Workers who operate cutting and pressing equipment risk cuts and crush injuries to the hands and fingers, while operating a furnace, forge, smelter, or welding machine can cause severe burns. For their comfort and protection, workwear suppliers have an extensive range of gloves to protect from these and other common workplace hazards.
Other Offerings from Workwear Suppliers
The work attire industry is not just about protection and safety. It must also address the needs of those in less hazardous occupations, offering employee uniforms and more casual clothing. In such cases, the focus is more on style, comfort, and durability and somewhat less on protection.
That being said, in addition to permitting the wearer to move freely without feeling restricted, good quality casual workwear or uniforms will utilise:
- Breathable Fabrics: Many parts of South Africa experience high summer temperatures while high humidity levels are almost constant in coastal regions. Garments made from breathable, moisture-wicking fabrics help keep the wearer cool, reduce fatigue, and protect from heatstroke.
- Ergonomic Designs: Work clothes that fit well and have reinforced areas at stress points like knees and elbows permit greater comfort and agility and help prevent strain injuries.
Other Benefits from Workwear Suppliers
Equipping employees with state-of-the-art PEP and other workwear indicates a management team prioritising workers’ safety. It inspires confidence, loyalty, and improved productivity while ensuring compliance with labour laws. At XCO Group, we offer South Africa’s workers all the above workplace safety benefits and more.
