Benefits of Customizing PPE for Glass Manufacturers

By John Heniff, Safety Writer, Magid

Sometimes, unique manufacturing environments require specialty PPE that goes above and beyond the standard. The glass industry is a prime example of a unique environment that’s more dangerous than other manufacturing industries. It’s the perfect place to customize specially crafted PPE to keep workers safe and protected. If you’re looking for different ways to customize garments to meet your workers’ needs, here are a few suggestions.

Replacing PPE items that wear out quickly can drive up costs and consume your workers’ time when they need to replace their gear frequently. Adding features such as leather, Kevlar, or Twaron patches onto an apron, quarter zip, or pair of chaps can provide additional protection from sliding glass abrasions that wear down the patch itself and not the garment. This will help your company save money in the long run by only having to replace a more affordable patch rather than a more expensive piece of clothing.

People come in all shapes and sizes, so a one-size-fits-all pair of chaps isn’t going to fit every worker perfectly. Differences in leg length and size can be addressed through four size options that will fit and protect properly. For example, chaps can be shortened by increments of two, four, six, or eight inches to provide better fitting options for your workers. 

Hi-vis PPE can help workers stand out to avoid accidents when handling heavy, hot, or sharp materials. When your workers see a fellow worker wearing hi-vis PPE, they can immediately recognize them from farther distances away and notice if they are handling any dangerous hazards to avoid contact. Adding hi-vis patches, striping, and colors to pullovers through customization can make specific workers or visitors stand out at your facility. Whether someone is a new worker who has less than a year on the job, or a veteran who has been with your company for years, distributing work shirts or sleeves with different colors can help workers immediately recognize the ranking or authorization of different individuals. This can also be done through adding company patches or branding to products for identification purposes.

Customized PPE can provide creative solutions and reduce PPE costs through replacing less expensive PPE, creating better fitting options for different workers, and helping team members visually identify rank and authorization level. Dangerous work requires outside-the-box thinking. When you’re looking to get your PPE just right, look for a manufacturer that offers customization!