How to know when it’s time to update your employee’s workwear

Although you may have invested in high quality, durable workwear, every garment will need replacing at some point.

You may have also followed all of the required steps for maintaining, storing and checking PPE, but due to the nature of the work you carry out, you may have found that your workwear didn’t last as long as you were expecting.

If you find that your PPE is no longer fit for purpose, it’s important that you’re aware and replace it as soon as you can.

The longer you wait to replace workwear, the more at risk you’re putting yourself from accidents or injuries at work as damaged PPE won’t provide the necessary level of protection.

Here’s how to know when it’s time to update your employee’s workwear.

If your workwear garments have been damaged beyond repair

If your garments have become damaged – whether they’ve been ripped, the zips have stopped working, or the material has started to show signs of extreme wear and tear – it’s definitely time that you update your workwear wardrobe.

Some issues may be able to get repaired, but if this is not possible, you should replace the garments.

If you’re working in an intense environment, like operating machinery, dealing with hazardous substances etc., you’ll probably notice this damage occurring faster.

If your garments have exceeded their shelf life

Some pieces of PPE have a specified shelf life, this will be made clear in the care instructions when you purchase the item.

After this shelf life has passed, the PPE may not be as functional and protective as it once was and will need replacing.

If cleaning your garments no longer makes them usable

If your garments have been heavily soiled, sometimes even washing your garments isn’t enough to restore them to their former glory.

Normally cleaning can get rid of dirt, grime or grease, but if this isn’t possible you may want to think about replacing the items.

If your employees have changed positions

Different tasks require different items of workwear so, if one of your employees has changed positions in your company, you may need to replace their workwear to be more fit for purpose.

If you’ve decided to replace your employee’s workwear, firstly make sure that you dispose of it in the correct way, then shop for new items in our full collection of long-lasting workwear.