Top tips for keeping your PPE budget in check
As an employer, providing enough effective PPE for all your employees can represent quite a financial commitment. With the global pandemic resulting in many businesses struggling financially, keeping the budget in check and ensuring every penny works as hard as possible for your company and its team members is vital. However, that also needs to be balanced against maintaining appropriate standards, quality and safety of workwear.
It is the sole responsibility of the employer to provide PPE to the workforce and you cannot pass the buck over to your employees and ask them to pay for their own essential PPE. That said, there are some ways that you can maintain cost efficiency and ensure your workwear budget is lean, trimmed of wastage and still priorties the health and wellbeing of your team.
- Use Wardrobe Management Systems
Using an online wardrobe management system is a must if you’re looking to keep your budget in check and ensure your workwear and PPE needs are managed as efficiently as possible.
There are numerous benefits to wardrobe management systems; bulk orders can be made easily for example, which can deliver cost saving benefits. You can also decide how your uniform is managed, which gives you better control over your business and where your money is being spent.
Relying more heavily on technology and embracing digital transformation in this way is also an opportunity to reduce admin costs and save on time, both of which can deliver financial benefits to your bottom line.
- Always Opt for Quality
While low-quality PPE may seem more cost-effective on a short-term basis, the cheapest option available usually ends up being more costly for your business in the long run as it will need replacing more regularly. Poor fitting or below par workwear and PPE will also put your employees at risk and could contribute to time off work – something which costs UK businesses millions of pounds and lost hours each year.
- Complete Regular Checks
You should regularly check PPE for signs of damage and wear and tear. If the item of PPE is damaged and ineffective, it will need to be replaced. Otherwise it could lead to work absences as a result of accidental injury or illness.
However, checking the state of your PPE regularly has another benefit: you can catch issues quickly. If an item of PPE is starting to show signs of damage, it is possible that these could be rectified before any real defect is caused. While simple fixes such as replacing a set of broken laces on a pair of boots can be done by the wearer, technical repairs should be done by a specialist.
