When you work for a company or factory, one of their policies may be a dress code with a mandatory uniform. There are various reasons why uniforms differ in each workplace. Work attire comes in many forms as it will depend on the industry you work for.
For instance, if you work in an office, you’re expected to wear business formal or business casual wear. When you work in the field, you’re expected to wear a helmet and matching protective suits. When you work at a hospital, you’re required to wear scrubs. In many cases, the company will work closely with a custom business uniform supplier to create a work attire with its logo. The employees’ work attire can serve as a symbol of unity for the company, indicating a sense of professionalism and safety standards.
In some cases, your work attire has something to do with maintaining safety in the workplace. To give you a better understanding, here are ways your work attire influences workplace safety.
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Safety for the Employees
On reason your workplace may require you to wear proper work attire is for your safety. If your workplace is hazardous and may involve falling objects or heavy materials, you need to wrap yourself with proper protective gear.
Once you are inside the company’s premises, you are their responsibility. That is why the wearing of a uniform is mandatory. To strictly implement it, most companies reprimand employees who don’t abide by this simple policy. After all, this is for everyone’s safety, so it’s everyone’s responsibility to look after each other during working hours.
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A Reliable Barrier or Protection
If you work in a factory, you may be dealing with hazardous liquids or critical substances. Not only that, but this also applies to people who are working in restaurants, such as cooks, bakers, and chefs. In these types of working environments, you are required to wear the proper work attire to protect yourself from spills, stains, or leaks from the tools or materials you’re working with.
This also occurs to nurses working in a hospital, wherein they need anti wrinkle scrubs for men and women, which must be waterproof and don’t get wrinkled quickly despite the heavy work. Your work attire may either include a face mask, an apron, or gloves, and this will serve as a reliable barrier and protection between you and any material you’re handling.
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Easier Identification
Another way for the management to quickly identify their employees is through your uniforms. For instance, if you work in a hospital where it’s crowded most of the time, you wouldn’t want nurses and doctors to get mixed up with patients and hospital visitors. In case worst scenarios occur and investigations are conducted, it’s easier to identify in CCTV footage which are the employees and which are just mere passers and visitors.
Besides that, uniforms also make it easier for clients to identify which are the right employees to approach if the business has a storefront. For example, if a company is not implementing uniforms, a client may mistakenly address another client.
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Comfort and Easiness
Your work attire should not only secure your safety but also guarantee your comfort while wearing the said clothing. Is your work attire too hot for you to wear? Does it allow sufficient air flow?
If not, you may be at risk for heat stress. Heat stress occurs if you are psychologically stressed due to excessive heat. When you are stressed, you more likely to not function well during your working hours. Much worst, you could suffer from heatstroke, especially if your working environment is a closed area with limited ventilation.
You may be wearing the safest clothing against any work accidents, but your safety is still compromised if your work attire does not give you comfort while doing your job.
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Flexibility and Durability
One of the most critical factors that your company must take into consideration when providing your work attire is its flexibility and durability. Is your work attire too tight or too loose for you? Can you move freely while wearing your uniform?
Flexibility in your work attire is very important as part of workplace safety. If an employee is having a tough time moving around due to their work attire restrictions, they are more prone to having accidents or making mistakes while doing their job. Plus, their productivity will be much affected.
Moreover, it’s essential that your work attire is durable. A durable uniform will make you feel safe while doing your job. It can withstand any conditions, and in case you do make mistakes or accidents, it won’t get easily torn and worn out due to its robust quality.
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Effective Garment Design
This may seem like a minor requirement to secure workplace safety, but this is actually one of the important factors to consider when planning your company’s work attire. Before you settle for a final design to let your employees wear during their working hours, evaluate first how effective the uniform’s design is for their job. This is not only about keeping them safe from dangerous things, but it’s also about the other functions of the uniform, such as its pockets or sleeves.
For instance, if your employees will be working with many tools, pockets will be handy. You may have to consider how many pockets you should incorporate in their uniform depending on how often they should use it for their tools and other essential small equipment. This way, they won’t misplace their tools on areas where it’s not supposed to be kept. The same is true for the uniform sleeves. If your employee is assigned to work in a factory that would involve machinery, a work attire with long sleeves is highly discouraged. Long sleeves can get caught up in running machines by accident, which can be disastrous for your employee’s safety.
Bottom Line
Your company’s work attire must not only be about establishing your brand and making your company look smart—it’s also about your employees’ safety and making sure that their work attire is appropriate in their work setting.