Buying Workwear And PPE For A Large Team

Buying workwear and PPE for a large team

Buying workwear and PPE for a large team can feel like an overwhelming task. Health and Safety responsibility has never been of greater importance for employers. Failure to provide the correct PPE to your employees puts them at a higher risk of suffering an injury in the workplace. Combining this responsibility with the challenges of multiple sites, the need for consistent branding and cost-control across different teams, you need a supplier that is 100% reliable. Clad Safety has a proven track record and is trusted by some of the UK’s largest brands.

I need to buy workwear and PPE for my team – where do I start?

The first step in the process is a high-level assessment of your whole team and their roles. Are the staff happy to launder their workwear at home or do some garments require commercial laundry? This might be because they get very dirty or require a specialist laundry process for hygiene standards. Remember commercial laundry contracts which include workwear rental will mean a higher cost per wearer so it’s worth carefully considering at this point. Speak to us if you are looking for advice on a good quality workwear laundry service – we can recommend a suitable provider.

What tasks will they be doing?

Once you’ve decided which teams can launder the workwear at home the next step is to consider their role in detail. Here are some key points to consider:

• Are there any specific H&S risks which require a minimum PPE standard e.g. Anti-static or ESD (Electro Static Discharge), High Visibility, Thermal or Cut-Resistant clothing? Your Health and Safety (H&S) team will have compiled Risk Assessments to identify specific workplace hazards and it’s a good idea to involve the H&S manager at an early stage.
• Ask your staff! Feedback from staff at this stage is very valuable. What works and what doesn’t work currently? Set up a simple survey form or online survey. Not only will this make sure you don’t overlook important details but it will make them feel empowered. Workwear is an emotive subject and often people feel overlooked or even dictated to about items which they feel strongly about.
• Consider how they feel at work. Having to work in poor quality or poorly fitted garments has a hugely negative effect on morale. If staff working outdoors know that their coat or boots are not properly waterproof this likely means you are paying for a lot of downtime!
• Which staff are customer-facing? If your customers visit your premises this may be all of them! Consider how many garments each wearer requires to ensure that they arrive at work looking smart and well-presented every day. Do they travel for work? Remember to provide enough garments for this.
• It’s a good idea to organise the lists of garments in a spreadsheet by job role. That way you can quickly identify items which are common to all departments and separate the more specialist items which only certain roles require. This will be very useful when it comes to building your order-portal as the system will manage access to the products by department.

I need the workwear to match our pantone colours

Did you know over 560 colour shades are available from our extensive stock? This means we can deliver a perfect match to your branding requirements. We understand the need to keep every garment on-brand while delivering comprehensive protection for your workforce. We can provide you with unique off-the-shelf solution to match your unique brand.

Are bespoke workwear items available?

Yes! Even though Clad Safety has access to thousands of off-the-shelf solutions, we know that there are situations where bespoke items are required. Whether that’s combining the designs of two different jackets to create one that is as unique as you are, or adding a stretch panel to cargo trousers to improve wearer flexibility, we work with you to turn your ideas into reality. Remember, functionality is only one element of workwear design – garments must also be comfortable to wear. Our team of in-house designers will help you combine practicality with comfort when developing your unique workwear, plus each range can be adapted in line with feedback from wearer testing.

Often the best solution is a combination of a few bespoke items teamed up with off-the-shelf items such as trousers, base layers, headwear and so on. This reduces your commitment to investing in a fully bespoke range which speeds up the initial rollout, decreases the underwritten stock value and gives more flexibility if you decide to change the range in future.

The company logo is very complex – can this be correctly applied to our workwear?

Of course! Clad Safety know the importance of ensuring your brand is correctly represented therefore we utilise our in-house facilities to apply your branding directly to your workwear, PPE and corporate uniforms. We have more than 2,700 logo designs held on our system for regular use and have the capacity to embroider 52 million stitches every week. This ensures a rapid turnaround and guarantees we are in complete control of the branding process.

Heat Seal Transfer (HST) is a cost-effective way of applying intricate, high-colour designs and works well for larger logos. Transfers are exceptionally durable, last the lifetime of the garment, and are suitable for the harshest conditions, including industrial washing.

Is it possible to control spend and avoid uniform wastage?

Yes! The Cladserve portal is an easy-to-use ordering and reporting system that is customised to your requirements. We work with customers to establish ordering systems that put you in control. Our portal can be customised to provide a seamless procurement service for any company, with all their information easily accessible via the ordering and reporting system. Customers can stay in control of spending by using points allocation and user authorisation levels to manage procurement procedures. Our adaptable grade system allows you to simplify and segment your approved product range by role or department, delivering clarity for everyone involved in workwear procurement across your company.

My employees work across multiple sites – can their workwear be delivered to different locations?

Delivering workwear to employees working across multiple sites or at the same location is easily achieved by Clad Safety utilising the Man-Pack distribution system. This allows orders to be bundled according to the needs of the end user rather than simply being supplied in bulk for customers to distribute themselves. By packing orders for the individual wearer, we also improve accuracy and consistency.

Are there sustainable alternatives available?

Switching to recycled workwear is a hot topic at the moment as more and more businesses start to look at their environmental impact and find sustainable solutions at work. New garments are constantly being introduced by suppliers and all these items have different sustainability features whether it’s the number of plastic bottles used to make recycled fibres, or the sustainable methods used in manufacturing process. Clad Safety have recently introduced our own custom range of Eco Recycled Base Layers meanwhile brands such as Cofra, Engel, Leo, Regatta and Rock Fall all have sustainable products available including workwear, high visibility clothing and safety footwear.

Is there an Account Manager who can look after our account?

Clad Safety keep the lines of communication open by providing dedicated account support to every customer. This allows us to identify challenges before they become problems and to address them effectively in a way that guarantees the smooth-running of your business. We believe in a supply service which evolves to meet the needs of our customers, recognising it as the only way to deliver lasting success. We provide supporting literature tailored to your range which can be complemented by site visits, client exhibitions and toolbox talks. We’re keen to improve wearer knowledge and engagement across your company, so we’ll support your efforts to increase engagement wherever possible.

Your Account Manager will also keep you updated with any product innovations and news relevant to your industry.

Clad Safety provide a superior level of support which is fully personalised to your organisation. We are consistent in our behaviour across all areas from garment design to stock solutions, branding, delivery, and account management. Our commitment to our customers has built lifelong relationships where trust and reliability have created much greater value than mere price savings.

Are you interested in buying workwear for a large team? Contact us on 0800 161 3661 or email [email protected] and you can discuss your requirements with one of our technical experts.