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Buyers Guides
- HOW TO USE COMFORT RATINGS
- BUYERS GUIDE: INSULATED WORK GLOVES
- BUYERS GUIDE: COLD WEATHER WORK BOOTS
- BUYERS GUIDE TO PAC BOOTS
- BUYERS GUIDE TO BASE LAYERS
- BUYERS GUIDE: PANTS OR BIB OVERALLS?
- BUYERS GUIDE: COVERALLS OR BIB OVERALLS?
- BUYERS GUIDE TO GLOVE DIPS & COATINGS
- LATEX vs. NITRILE COATED: WHICH IS THE RIGHT GLOVE?
- WHAT KIND OF WORK GLOVES ARE RIGHT FOR MY JOB?
- HAND PROTECTION THAT KEEPS PRODUCTIVITY HIGH
- THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF HAND PROTECTION
- VITACOMFORT: A NEW LEVEL OF COMFORT & SAFETY
- WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN CHOOSING A WINTER WORK COAT
- WHY IS SYNTHETIC INSULATION BETTER?
- AIRBLAZE INSULATION DELIVERS MORE WARMTH WITH LESS WEIGHT
- WARMPLUS GRAPHENE LINING MAKES WARMER WORK GEAR
- DON'T COMPROMISE PROTECTION FOR PERFORMANCE
- WHY SOFTSHELL JACKETS ARE PERFECT FOR WORKING IN THE COLD
- EMBRODIERY
- Case Studies
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Best Practices
- COLD TIPS
- HOW TO USE GLOVE LINERS
- THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF HAND PROTECTION
- PROPER FOOT CARE FOR WORKING IN THE COLD
- HOW TO PREVENT SLIPS, TRIPS & FALLS
- HOW TO CHOOSE HIGH-VISIBILITY WORKWEAR
- HOW TO LAYER WITHOUT OVERHEATING
- HOW OVERDRESSING HURTS PRODUCTIVITY
- HOW TO DRESS FOR WORKING IN THE COLD
- HOW TO DRESS FOR WORKING IN DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES
- HOW TO STAY SAFE & WARM WHILE WORKING OUTSIDE IN THE WINTER
- HOW TO STAY WARM WORKING WITH PRODUCE
- PREPARING FOR TEMPERATURE SWINGS
- THE SCIENCE OF STAYING WARM
- HOODS OR HATS: WHICH ONE IS SAFER?
- HOW DRIVERS & TRANSPORTATION WORKERS STAY DRY
- PERSONAL PROTECTIVE GEAR EVERY DRIVER NEEDS
- CHALLENGES OF WORKING IN LOW TEMPERATURES AS A DRIVER
- PROTECT YOUR TRUCK DRIVERS WITH HIGH-VISIBILITY WORKWEAR
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Industry Knowledge
- TRADESHOWS & EVENTS
- KEY TERMS & DEFINITIONS
- BEST CLOTHING FOR MAINTENANCE STAFF IN FOOD PROCESSING
- HOW DO I STAY WARM WHILE WORKING IN MEAT PROCESSING?
- HOW TO STAY WARM IN A COLD STORAGE FREEZER
- 5 IMPORTANT PIECES OF CLOTHING FOR COLD STORAGE WORKERS
- GEAR THAT DRIVES PEAK PRODUCTION AS A FORKLIFT DRIVER
- CHALLENGES OF WORKING IN LOW-TEMPERATURE INDOOR ENVIRONMENTS
- PROTECTING PERISHABLES IN FOODSERVICE DISTRIBUTION
- TEMPERATURE CONTROL UNDER FSMA
- BEST HIGH-VISIBILITY JACKETS FOR CONSTRUCTION WORKERS
- COLD WEATHER SAFETY CHECKLIST FOR CONSTRUCTION WORKERS
- TOWER CLIMBER'S GUIDE TO WORKING OUTSIDE IN WINTER
- UTILITY WORKER'S GUIDE TO KEEPING WARM IN WINTER
- HOW TO IMPROVE DRIVER RETENTION AND RECRUITING
- THE IMPACT OF PROPER ERGONOMICS ON DRIVER WELLNESS
- QUALITY WON'T BE COMPROMISED
- WHY IRON-TUFF IS THE MOST ICONIC COLD WEATHER CLOTHING
- WHY ALL WORKERS NEED HIGH-VISIBILITY WORKWEAR
- HOW TO SAFE IN LOW VISIBILITY & HIGH TRAFFIC CONDITIONS
- THE REAL COST OF HIGH EMPLOYEE TURNOVER
- HOW DOES PPE AFFECT YOUR BOTTOM LINE?
- MEDICAL COSTS OF PREVENTABLE INJURIES
- Use & Care
HOW DOES PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AFFECT YOUR BOTTOM LINE?
Spend money to save money? Seems contradictory, but the cost of investing in good PPE to keep your workers safe on the job is priceless.
Managers Measure the True Cost of PPE
Every manager has big boots to fill. Not only do they have to constantly monitor expenses and revenue, but they also must measure productivity, numerous other details, and very importantly, employee satisfaction. There are a lot of factors to consider in choosing the right Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for your employees.
Despite razor-thin margins, when it comes to choosing the right PPE for your team, think about how the equipment will enhance your team’s productivity, reduce safety incidents, and reduce overall cost instead of thinking about how much the equipment will cost you.
In the long run, your team will feel safe and perform better, and when your employees are performing, you can increase those tight margins.
Longevity Matters
When it comes to PPE, quality means everything. if you must constantly replace your worker’s gear for every little rip, snag, hole or crack because it is going to affect their ability to stay warm and work productively in the cold, your budget for replacing your worker’s PPE is going to run out fast!
That also means you should reconsider your insulated workwear supplier! RefrigiWear provides your brave workers of the cold PPE that is tougher than the conditions they face.
Workwear should be reinforced to move with the worker to withstand their reaching, bending and movement around wet and slippery floors. When the gear is built to last, your workers will be able to outlast and outwork the cold conditions of the warehouse every day.
Considering the Iron-Tuff® Collection for your team will provide them with warmth down to -50°F, armored in an outershell that’s tough, abrasion-resistant and water-repellent. The durability of Iron-Tuff has made it the proven icon of RefrigiWear for over 68 years. And if by chance your gear does need a touch-up, our in-house repair program offers a quick and cost-effective way to restore your garments to their peak condition.
Let’s face it, it is in our nature to take the path of least resistance and simply replace something that has been damaged but repair is often far cheaper than replacement, extends the lifecycle of the garment, and helps increase your margins in the process.
You should also learn about laundry services to extend the life of products, especially with insulated products that have special laundry needs.
Productivity Matters
Productivity creates a domino effect that has a major impact on margins. The more productive your employees are, the better your revenue.
If the PPE your employees wear hinders movement, doesn’t adequately protect them or otherwise prevents them from performing at top levels, you are losing money on lost productivity. When employees become disengaged from their work, there is a greater chance of turnover in your workplace.
The additional costs and time lost to constantly train new workers to a degree that their performance does not hinder the overall workflow come as a major risk to your business. When choosing gear for your employees, the quality of the gear and how it allows them to perform needs to be considered to boost their morale.
High-quality gear from RefrigiWear for cold environments will provide:
- Complete protection against cold temperatures and environmental conditions
- Full range of motion
- Features to complement job duties, such as extra grip on gloves, slip-resistant boots and Performance-Flex at key flex points
- Functional features, such as oversized pockets, stand-up collars and pen stalls
- A professional and consistent look for your staff
Did you know: Studies show that productivity is increased amongst employees who are outfitted in similar, professional-looking gear as their teammates?
Take your PPE to the next level by utilizing RefrigiWear’s in-house embroidery services to personalize gear with your company logo and employee names to further reinforce that “Can Do” attitude.
Safety Matters
According to OSHA, employers have a legal obligation to create a safe work environment for their employees. That includes supplying them with proper PPE for them to endure working in a cold facility.
The second P in PPE stands for Protective for a reason – the gear is meant to keep your employees safe. It’s no secret that working in cold storage comes with numerous occupational hazards including cold stress and workplace slips and falls. The impact Personal Protective Equipment has on reducing costs and increasing margins is by making up for lost productivity due to job-related injuries that may set your team back a man or two at any given time. Those incidents not only impact productivity but can cause a business to take a major financial hit because of unforeseen worker’s comp insurance premiums and the need to invest additional resources in developing and implementing new safety regulations. The right gear helps reduce the risk of injury, saving you precious time and money.
Set PPE Guidelines for Your Team
Even if you don’t provide the PPE that your employees wear, what you allow them to wear affects your bottom line. It is important to have a defined PPE policy in place for your employees so they can be productive in comfort, avoid contamination issues related to the quality of the gear and reduce the number of work injury claims.
Without guidelines, what your employees purchase may not be well-suited to your work environment. Creating a detailed and defined PPE policy for your employees to follow – such as listing approved vendors (have only one or two), specifying approved materials, and listing the minimum temperature ratings each type of equipment should meet – helps mitigate unforeseen costs due to low-quality, employee-purchased PPE.
Proper training for each individual’s job description will allow them to understand and anticipate any potential hazards in their work environment. But training them on the proper use of PPE for their job type is not a detail that should be left out. In a cold storage warehouse, teaching awareness provides your worker the best chance to succeed safely at their job.
Your Name is On the Bottom Line, Too
News travels fast. And when it is your company’s name that’s in it, you hope that it’ll only be good news.
But if you are not promoting a safe environment for workers who are willing to work in the coldest and toughest conditions, the word is going to spread like wildfire.
If your customers expect the highest quality from your product, they are going to hope your business is taking care of the men and women who are supplying it. Allow your reputation to continue to precede you by outfitting your employees in the warmest, most durable insulated workwear on the market.
Your business is critical to the food supply chain. An unfortunate side-effect of the importance of your business is the high energy and labor costs that create razor-thin margins for your business to operate correctly. Protecting and improving your bottom line is a primary goal for any manager. Recognizing the essential role Personal Protective Gear plays in that will ultimately help you lower costs by keeping your workers safe on the job site, enhance productivity and therefore, increase margins.