Best Practice for Maintaining PPE
The BPG for Personal Protective Equipment on page 3 notes, high-vis garment that is dirty or faded will be less obvious to other workers and thus will provide less protection to the wearer. Garments should be washed regularly to preserve their high visibility. If washing does not restore high visibility, the garment should be replaced
On page 7, the BPG notes, "Leather boots should be treated with a water resistant seal before being worn and every 2-3 months thereafter. Importantly it notes that any work boot, but particularly chainsaw cut-resistant gumboots, should be replaced when cut. A cut gumboot does not provide adequate protection and can be a hazard in itself if it catches on something."
On page 5, the BPG notes, "Getting oil on your protective legwear is common and if too much soaks into the protective layers, they bind together."
Therefore, it is recommended, "That leg protection is replaced after 6 months' continuous use (Pertaining to daily useâe.g. skidwork) or after a total of 0.5 litre (one chainsaw tank) of oil has been spilt on to them."
NB: The Hi Vis testing kit as illustrated above is a prototype of a swatch designed to assist wearers of Hi-Vis clothing.
View this article in Health and Safety Bulletin 94