Whatever apparel an employee may don (or doff, for that matter) can make a difference in the prevention of both worker-related injuries and cross-contamination of harmful bacteria. From headgear to shoes and gloves to garments, apparel can be considered another useful tool in safety and quality programs.
The consequences of ineffective protection are significant. From a worker-safety standpoint, most head, eye, foot and leg injuries in manufacturing and production settings are linked to employees who were not wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. From a food-safety standpoint, the inadvertent transmission of pathogens in a production area that includes raw meat or poultry can result in costly recalls or worse, illnesses and deaths.