MAY 2019 PPE
The problem with
universal PPE
The number of female workers
in the industry is on the
incline, and while increasingly
mixed gender workforces is a
positive change, the traditional
universal fit of PPE can pose
risks to female workers.
The universal fit of safety
garments combined with
increasingly mixed gender
workforces across all industries
is posing a great risk to female
workers, due to protective
clothing that is not tailored to
their size and shape. Women
have different hip to waist
ratios from men, as well as
wider forefeet and shorter foot
arches, meaning that simply
offering menswear in smaller
sizes, or a unisex range simply
isn’t sufficient. Women may
often have to opt for their
trousers to be the size bigger,
to accommodate for their hips,
resulting in trousers that are
too long and kneecap pads in
the wrong location, all posing
risks to the wearer.
Five health and safety essentials
As part of ensuring a safe environment for work, a series of health and safety precautions must be
taken in order to control and effectively manage risks. Reece Safety has considered some of the
top health and safety essentials which should be implemented to ensure a safe system of work.
1 Training: every workplace should ensure
that their employees are trained to a high
standard to recognise potential hazards and how
to effectively control them. Clear and up to date
training should be provided for all employees,
along with ensuring any outside contractors
have also received the required training before
conducting any work.
2 Risk Assessments: before work can commence,
a full risk assessment must be completed to
ensure that health and safety is being effectively
managed. Risk assessments include highlighting
any potential hazards and implementing effective
controls and steps to prevent accidents or injuries
occurring. As part of a risk assessment procedure
you must first identify the hazard, consider who this
affects, evaluate the risk it poses, then consider the
controls required to prevent this hazard occurring.
3 Written Procedures: health and safety policies
and procedures should be written down to
clearly communicate your methods of eliminating
Many women are often faced
with wearing either unisex or
men’s jackets, which are many
sizes too big and not suitably
fitted, making them bulky and
often uncomfortable to wear.
While many may not realise
it, these ill-fitting clothes
hugely impact the level of
protection. Uncomfortable
and baggy jackets make it all
too tempting to roll up the
sleeves or unfasten the jacket,
which leaves areas of the
body unprotected against the
potentially fatal dangers of
an Arc Flash. Additionally,
ill-fitting PPE makes it tempting
to use an everyday belt to
ensure a better fit, however
these are vulnerable to catching
fire or melting into the PPE
should an Arc Flash event occur.
However, uncomfortable
PPE can now be a thing of the
past. Garments made with
inherent protective fibres,
instead of a protective coating
added post-production, allow
movement, breathability and
moisture management. The
or reducing hazards within the workplace. The
written procedure is a commitment to ensuring a
safe working environment and should be available
to view by any employee or visitor.
4 Compliance: when considering health and
safety in the workplace it is important to be
fully aware of all the laws and regulations which
are relevant to your sector. Remaining compliant
and within the law is vital, not only to protect your
business legally, but most importantly to ensure
the safety of your employees. Any regulation
changes which affect your business should be
acted on accordingly and up to date training or
equipment should be provided as necessary, in
order to remain compliant.
5 Safety Signs: in order to communicate health
and safety procedures and hazards effectively,
safety signs should be clearly displayed around the
workplace. Wherever there are potential hazards,
the appropriate sign should be on show, in a highly
visible and well-lit position.
fabric readily absorbs sweat and then dries
quickly, not only providing cooling in hot, humid
conditions, but also preventing sweat running
down the skin.
Treated vs inherent fabrics
The two phrases regularly used when shopping
for Arc Flash PPE clothing are ‘treated fabric’
and ‘inherent fabric’. Treated fabric is made from
fibres which are not flame retardant by nature
but have undergone a chemical process to add a
fire resistance quality to them. The protection
given by a treated fabric relies on that treatment
not being degraded or worn off in any way during
its lifetime. However, washing or long-term use
can reduce the protection these safety garments
offer, which is why this type of clothing is
generally cheaper.
Inherent fabric, on the other hand, refers to
material which has fire retardant properties as
part of its natural make-up. In other words, they
needn’t undergo a chemical process to become
flame-retardant, as the polymers which make up
the clothing are inherently so. Inherent fabric
does not lose any of its protective qualities after
long periods of wear or washing but does tend
to be more expensive due to its durability.
It is these inherent fabrics that provide
increased levels of comfort to the operative,
which only further enhance the protection
provided by the garments.
Many women are
often faced with
wearing jackets
designed for men
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