If you're in construction and you're wondering if you have to provide workwear for your employees, the first thing to recognise is businesses throughout the United Kingdom are governed by strict workwear regulations, with health and safety legislation being administered in Great Britain by HSE and in Northern Ireland by HSENI, so depending on your business, your decision should at the very minimum, be based on the legal requirements.


Health and safety rules exist to ensure the safety of employees and members of the public and many operations often require the protection workwear offers, the HSE in Great Britain and HSENI in Northern Ireland are best placed to help you understand the requirements if you’re unsure.


Most construction operations will have a health and safety manager who is responsible for the safety of the employees and who will make sure those individuals have access to the right kind of workwear for the roles they’re carrying out.


Employers can’t rest on their laurels when it comes to safety and there is no other industry where having safety workwear is more important than the construction industry. There is a duty of care to ensure that employees are able to carry out the tasks they’re assigned to in the safety possible manner because if there are injuries, it’s not just the individual who is impacted but the business as a whole. Sanctions for failure to protect employees can be large compensation claims, very removal of the right to be a company director, fines and even time in prison, so it’s important businesses get this right in the beginning.


If you’re asking yourself is workwear is important for business, then you’re probably thinking about PPE and maybe wondering if you need to provide your employees with workwear or protective clothing. This is what the government has to say about it:

Regulation 4 states:

"Every employer shall ensure that suitable personal protective equipment is provided to his employees who may be exposed to a risk to their health or safety while at work except where and to the extent that such risk has been adequately controlled by other means which are equally or more effective."


The accompanying guidance states:


"Employers should, therefore, provide appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and training in its usage to their employees wherever there is a risk to health and safety that cannot be adequately controlled by other means.


"In order to provide PPE for their employees, employers must do more than simply have the equipment on the premises. The employees must have the equipment readily available, or at the very least have clear instructions on where they can obtain it.


"By virtue of Section 9 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, no charge can be made to the worker for the provision of PPE which is used only at work. Section 9 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 states: "No employer shall levy or permit to be levied on any employee of his any charge in respect of anything done or provided in pursuance of any specific requirement of the relevant statutory provisions". Section 9 applies to these Regulations because they impose a 'specific requirement' - i.e. to provide PPE.” (taken from http://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/faqs/ppe.htm)


Of course the other way of looking at it is from the perspective of creating branded clothing that’s either printed or embroidered with your logo, telephone number, website etc. Thinking about whether you need to get personalised clothing for all of your staff, to essentially create a uniform for your business is a business decision however it provides a fantastic branding opportunity for your business with your employees carrying a big aspect of your company’s identity with them wherever they go.

 

View our full range of workwear and PPE products or call us now on 01772 786000 to speak to one of our workwear specialists.