FEATURES 23
What are you wearing ?
By
Tanya Olckers
Getting the right clothing for the job is an important element to consider for any business . Safety should always come first , and considerations need to be made for the weather you ’ ll encounter , the environment you are in , and the scope of the work undertaken .
With the weather in South Africa doing all kinds of crazy things these days , it is hard to know how to dress in the morning before heading out . One thing we do know is that March signals the start of autumn and then we are plunged into a sometimesunpredictable South African winter .
How do you keep warm and stay cool at the same time ? If you ’ re rooting around in a roof – even on a cold day – it ’ s easy to get quite hot , which means that layers are a great option . A good thing to keep in mind is that technical fabrics , which are used in a lot of workwear out there , are a good choice . You can indeed top this off with a warm woolly beanie and some gloves .
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO GET THE JOB DONE ? Well , that depends on the job . Plumbers often find themselves in all kinds of places : up a ladder and on a roof , in the trenches , under a sink or walking through a construction site . For this reason , it ’ s difficult to point to any item of clothing and make it the standard . Essentially , the clothing needs to fit the job .
Ideally overalls should be worn , and this is perhaps the closest clothing item to a standard for the industry , although many prefer to get the job done in jeans and a t-shirt .
“ Plumbers normally work on various things , so different areas come with different risks ,” says Steve van Zyl , National Technical Manager of IOPSA . “ There are always risks . Safeguard yourself by wearing the correct PPE for the job .”
All images : Plumbing Africa
Uniform with hat for sun protection and steel-toed shoes to prevent injury .
Visibility jacket and heavy-duty protective gloves .
February 2024 Volume 29 I Number 12 www . plumbingafrica . co . za