How the Right Uniforms Can Prevent Workplace Injuries
Workplace uniforms provide numerous benefits to all types of businesses in any industry. They help promote your brand and image. Uniforms help address employee dress code issues and concerns. Your employees are visually noticeable to your clients and customers. Uniforms help save your employees money on clothes and laundry when you participate in industrial uniform rental programs.
The list of benefits can go on and on, depending on your industry and type of business. One benefit many businesses may not be aware of is that the right uniforms and employee training can also help prevent workplace injuries and accidents. There are all sorts of workplace hazards employees can experience, such as:
- Chemical Hazards
- Fire Hazards
- Electrical Hazards
- Visibility Hazards
- Cross Contamination Hazards
- Bacteria and Virus Hazards
- Bodily Fluid Hazards
- Extreme Temperature Hazards
- Oil and Grease Hazards
- Petroleum Fuel Hazards
- Natural Gas Hazards
As you can see, your employees could easily be exposed to all sorts of hazards on a regular basis. With the right uniforms, you could help reduce the risks of such hazards and help promote a safe working environment.
In fact, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires employers to provide safe working environments for their employees. In addition, in certain industries, employers may be required to provide and supply personal protection equipment (PPE) as part of satisfying said requirements.1
How Industry Specific Uniforms Protect Your Employees
Within each industry, there are specific types of uniforms that provide certain protections for your employees, including the following:
- Healthcare: From lab coats to scrubs, along with face masks and gloves, employees in the healthcare industry need to take added precautions. They need to protect themselves from airborne viruses and bacteria. They also have to collect bodily fluids and need sufficient protection to avoid coming into contact with such fluids.
- Automotive Repair: Employees in this industry can be exposed to oil, grease, gasoline, and different fluids used in vehicles. Repair garages can be busy places, so they also need to be visibly noticeable.
- Construction: Construction workers provide a wide array of services, from electricians and plumbers to welders and general laborers. Not only do they need high-visibility uniforms, but they also can require special PPE uniforms for protection against fire, electricity, and other such hazards found on job sites.
- Restaurant/Food Service: In this industry, uniforms should provide different types of protection, especially in the back-of-the-house. For instance, chefs and line cooks need proper protection from kitchen hazards. . In food manufacturing plants, employees need entire HACCP clothing, gloves, hairnets, and other such items to ensure the safe handling and processing of food.
- Utility Repair: Utility repair workers can be exposed to arc flash which requires flame resistant uniforms, raw sewage, and other such risks that could result in injuries without the proper uniforms.
When selecting uniforms for your employees, it is beneficial to make out a list of potential and known workplace hazards. These can help you determine what protective features you require in your uniforms. For assistance in selecting the right uniforms for your workplace and our nearest location in your area, please feel free to contact Prudential Overall Supply at (800) 767-5536 today!
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