Safety plus comfort

Although for health and safety managers the primary focus is - correctly - always on the welfare and protection of their employees, they often neglect to consider whether the PPE they procure is comfortable to wear, says supplier KIMBERLY-CLARK PROFESSIONAL* "If PPE is comfortable, then employees are more likely to wear it all times, thereby reducing the risk of an incident," says Marc Besson, Safety SBU Director, at KIMBERLYCLARK PROFESSIONAL*.

For respiratory-related safety, the company's JACKSON SAFETY* range of moulded dual-valve particulate respirators offers a softer adjustable head-strap that holds the respirator in place without irritation. The latex-free respirators also have a soft nose pad with a cloth layer for comfort.

"Our research has shown that 87%-90% of users prefer the comfort levels of our respirator head-straps to those used for other leading respirators in the same class," says Besson. He ends, "Uncomfortable PPE can result in a lack of adherence to safety procedures, putting staff at risk."