User Guide for Construction Workers
Working in Construction
There are so many different types of jobs in construction that it’s a good idea to consider all your options before you get involved in this sector. As a specialist supplier of protective footwear and clothing to construction workers, we meet lots of very productive and successful people who had always planned to work in this industry. We also meet some customers who have found themselves working in construction with no planned career path. For many contractors and professionals in the businesses, that’s not a problem but for some, the lack of planning can be a mistake. You’ll discover the rates of pay and qualifications needed vary hugely depending on the type of construction work you take on. But whether you’re starting out in your working life or already involved in construction, it’s worth assessing your options today and it’s never too late to upskill or re-train. But it definitely pays to do your research! One of the best sources of information on different types of jobs is the National Careers Service and if you check out the A-Z listing of job types you’ll see there are plenty of construction-related roles listed; each listing gives you an idea of the type of work involved, the qualifications needed and how much you can expect to get paid.
Useful Construction Trade Organisations
There are a number of useful trade organisations that you might want to touch base with also. The UK Contractors Group, http://www.ukcg.org.uk/ represents a large number of independent contractors while The Chartered Institute of Building represents professionals in construction. There’s a useful list of many relevant trade organisations here. Many of these groups can help to educate you about the industry and Brixworkwear has had various associations with relevant organisations over the years as a premium supplier of protective footwear and clothing to the construction sector.
The Need for Protective Clothing & Safety Boots
Whether you’re working in construction already or kitting yourself out for the first time, it’s worth checking out our online store. Brixworkwear supplies construction workers with the very best in protective clothing and safety boots, selling leading brands including Carhartt Workwear, Haix Boots, Snickers Workwear and Caterpillar Safety Boots.
There are two main driving forces that help dictate our product range and the choice we offer customers and these include
- Health, Safety and Comfort considerations for individual contractors
- Regulatory requirements for employers
We have focussed on premium brands because they typically not only meet the regulatory and certification requirements, but they offer a degree of comfort and flexibility not found in cheaper products.
Protective Footwear/Clothing and UK Regulations
These items are generally referred to as “Personal Protective Equipment” or PPE under UK regulations. If you’re working on a site, Construction workers are required to wear protective footwear and clothing.
Safety Boots
In terms of footwear, the main reason for this is the delicate nature of the structure of the foot, which includes a variety of bones, muscles and tendons. It’s easy to take our feet for granted but most construction workers would struggle to maintain productivity at expected levels with damaged feet. In terms of the requirements, steel toe-caps are essential and for most site work, mid-sole protection i.e. a steel plate, is also required. While the onus is on the employer or site manager to ensure that onsite workers are kitted out in a compliant manner, most contractors will want the comfort of a premium brand – given the fact that they are often on their feet all day and their livelihoods can depend on their physical well-being.
In terms of looking for the right footwear, besides comfort and durability, there are a number of recognised standards to look out for. First up, the steel toe cap should meet the EN 345 standard and the boot needs to cover and protect the ankle. Secondly look out for the “CE” mark and finally make sure the safety boots comply with the Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 2002.
Brixworkwear provides a wide range of safety boots and besides the safety and compliance aspects other factors to consider when buying a boot include;
- The reputation of the brand. Haix and Caterpillar are probably two of the most highly regarded manufacturers of safety boots. Good brands will also often give a guarantee for one or two years.
- Water-proof qualities; given the climate we work in, this is vital for outdoor work.
- The amount of padding, as this can give added comfort
- Breathability; this can be achieved through both the materials used (such as Gore-tex) and the design of the boot.
- The returns policy of the store; buying boots online is a hassle-free way to shop but you want to know that if there’s any issue with the fit when the boots arrive, that you can return them easily and swap for another pair or simply get a refund straight away.
What should you pay for a good safety boot?
Given the importance of both foot protection and comfort for anyone who works in construction, its well worth paying a little extra for a quality product. Happily, in practice these boots represent excellent value as the UK government doesn’t apply VAT on this type of safety protection so you may well find them better value than the equivalent leisure-wear, such as hiking and climbing boots.
While we would encourage workers to invest that little bit extra to look after their feet, there is a huge range of price options even across the premium brands we sell. And while prices obviously fluctuate a little from time to time, at the minute our general construction safety boots start in price from just £20 or so, for the Centek FS825 S1-P Safety Boot and go up to around £160 for a premium, top-of-the-range product offering superb comfort; such as the Red Wing 3218 Safety Boot, for example. Some of the most popular products are priced around £80, like theCaterpillar Holton Brown S3 Work Boot.
Protective Clothing
For anyone working in a trade or in general construction work, the main workwear items you need to buy often include
- High Visibility Jackets and Trousers
- Work Trousers with Suitable Pads and Pockets
- Overalls, Covers and Boiler Suits
- Jackets and Bodywarmers
We offer a full range of workwear and can advise you on any specialist requirements. Being visible onsite is a practical consideration that seems simple but could save your life. Check out our Hi-Vis range here. When it comes to trousers, knee pad pockets are a standard feature of most garments these days and they allow you to easily insert and replace padding so that you can work comfortably on your knees as necessary. Holster pockets are also popular for easy access to small items during the working day. Boilersuits are mainly designed to offer light, full body protection and they are typically used in manufacturing facilities. Brixworkwear has an extensive range of boilersuits and we can give you the heads up on the best choice given your own working environment.
Two of the most popular workwear brands we sell are Snickers workwear and Carhartt Workwear UK.
Hand Protection
We often find that construction workers put hand protection low-down on the list of priorities when it comes to kitting themselves out but that’s a shame if you think about it – the very hands that we owe our livelihoods to can be treated like neglected second cousins! Yet your hands come in contact with every tool you use and you can pick up a comfortable and durable pair of quality protective gloves for a pittance! Brixworkwear has a great range of gloves and the things we recommend you look for include
- CE Certification for safety compliance
- Breathable material for comfort
- Re-enforcement around key areas e.g. knuckles, palms
- Secure closure around wrists e.g. elastic hook and loop closures
Carhartt manufacture superb quality gloves and workwear and one of the most popular gloves we sell is the Carhartt A533 The Dex Glove At just £24 or so it’s a no-brainer to invest in a good quality brand like this.
Other Protective Measures
The need to protect your head, eyes and face is clear and naturally plenty of regulations apply to all relevant personal protective equipment as these areas are vital yet extremely exposed and easily damaged. We recommend that construction workers only buy recognised quality brands that clearly meet the regulatory requirements when it comes to this type of protective workwear.
Buy by Product, Buy by Brand
There are so many great brands out there in the marketplace that we soon discovered that while some customers aren’t too bothered by the name on the label – others are keen to kit themselves out with specific leading brands only – Haix boots, Carhartt workwear, Caterpillar safety boots and Snickers workwear are some of the firm favourites.
So we’ve designed out online store to facilitate shoppers to either select a range of products or select a specific brand and view all products in that range. Why not sort yourself out with some quality safety boots and workwear now and shop online for a hassle free experience? We offer free delivery and a no-quibbles refund policy. Once you start shopping with us, you’ll be coming back over and over again as this is the easiest way to buy great value, high quality workwear and footwear that you’re likely to come across! We look forward to welcoming you as a customer.