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The workwear tradies in Australia have become a particular sector that deals with industrial workwear and safety uniforms and apparel. There are specialized clothing by fabric and material type. The needs and requirements are different for different sectors according to their safety standards and hazard type.
In this article, we will identify the need of the Tradie industry and the type of men and women workwear required.
Types Of Tradie Workwear By The Industry Type
The list of trade industries in Australia is long and detailed, but we are making some broad categories of the main sectors. This article will give you an overview of the type of existing tradie sectors and the specified requirement of the tradie uniforms for men and women.
Following are considered the main sectors of tradie industry;
- Construction Sector [Carpenter, Plumbing, heating, electrician, plasterer etc.]
- Engineering Sector [Maintenance mechanic & engineer]
- Automotive Sector [motor mechanic, panel beater, car washer]
- Food industry [Baker, chef, sous-chef]
- Electronic Trade sector [Specialized mechanic for air conditioning, refrigerator or food factory etc.]
What Clothes Do Tradies Wear?
As we discussed earlier, there are specialized workwear clothes for different tradies requirements. We will explain the type of job in the trade industry and the suitable workwear options by keeping in mind the safety and protection of the worker.
Plumber
The plumber job varied by the scale of the project, whether it is residential or commercial. They are responsible on different levels, from planning, installation, maintenance to repairing. Their crucial job involves the fitting and installation of pipes, fixtures, valve working mechanism and modification. They deal with water sanitation, water heating system, leakages and blockage clearance.
Workwear Bodysuit
There are few options for the plumber body cover apparel. It can be trousers and shirt, dungaree or coverall is another option. In both cases, the clothing is made of thick fiber with many good size pockets. The suit comes with padded knees and shoulders to avoid injury. It should be waterproof.
Top or Jacket
The jacket or top must be appropriately sized with some additional pockets/slits to keep the tools handy and accessible. The coat should be Hi-Vis and waterproof.
Work Boots
Steel toe cap and work boots with thick material are recommended to protect the worker from injury or possible hazards.
Safety Equipment
Goggles, knee protectors and respirators
Electrician
From installation of the wiring and electrical system in the new houses, factories and commercial business block, electricians are responsible for planning to implementation to maintenance and repairing stages. They are usually considered the extended team in construction who specialized in their field. Since they deal with high voltage in fixing wires, the only licensed electricians are recommended by the regulatory body of Australian standards of construction and business.
Workwear Bodysuit
The electrician uniform can be a coverall or separate trousers and shirt. The fabric material should be heat and flame resistant and must incorporate the risk factor or electric shock. By Australian standards of ATPV, the resistant rating should not be less than 4.
See More: Your Guide To Australian PPE Standards & Requirements
Top or Jacket
Jackets or tops must be heat and electric shock resistant. It can have an additional pocket to keep the tools accessible.
Work Boots
Rubber sole and antistatic shoes are essential to avoid the electric shock and other hazards attached to the job.
Safety Equipment
Rubber gloves, flame protection for neck and face, eyes protecting goggles should be a part of the PPE kit, and If the work sight is on the height, the electrician should wear a protective helmet.
Carpenter
Carpentry is one of the oldest skills in the trade sector. Carpenter’s job is to erect structures, construct frames, repair and fix systems in wooden and other materials too. There are many specialized sub-sectors within the sector of carpentry which includes making frameworks for roofs and buildings called the rough carpenters. Joisters lay floors and fix the smooth surface and joinery. There are cabinet makers, furniture makers, and carpenters skilled in making frames and performing special molds and trims.
Workwear Bodysuit
The hazard for a carpenter involves flying debris, and that means they need a full-sleeved shirt and pants with a thick fabric material that can protect them from the debris hit. The fit should be relaxed but not loose, as they can get caught in the machinery that leads to significant injury.
Read More: Work Pants: How To Select the Right One?
Top or Jacket
The carpenters should wear an appropriate fitting and size of a jacket. The pockets are necessary to keep selected tools in your nearest approach. Depending on the work schedule, the Hi-Vis jacket helps the visibility of the worker.
Work Boots
Steel toe boots will be excellent footwear for the carpenter.
Safety Equipment
Safety glasses to protect the eyes, earmuffs to protect the ears from noise pollution.
Respirators and face masks with full-face shields are highly recommended.
Welder
As the title says, the welder’s job is to fix and join the metal, whether about repairing a hole or fixing the joinery by using intense heat and gas. The nature of work could be domestic or commercial, and it can vary from retail to industrial scale. Manufacturing or repairing of the ships and boat hulls, underwater oil rig foundations, or metal joinery work all come under the work scope of a welder.
Workwear Bodysuit
The welder workwear should be heat, flame and electric shock resistant uniform with specialized insulations and padding material. The options of the body cover could vary from the coverall to a separate trouser and shirt choice. The waterproofing and Hi-Vis also depend on the type of project at hand.
Top or Jacket
The welder jacket should be heat and electric shock resistant. It can be waterproof and Hi-vis depending upon the type of job in hand.
Work Boots
Rubber sole and antistatic shoes, or waterproof and antistatic shoes, will be the two main work boots choices.
Safety Equipment General
Rubber gloves, spark protection for the neck and face, eyes protecting goggles should be a part of the PPE kit. The welder should wear a protective helmet with full face screen coverage to avoid sparks.
Suggested Read: Selection of Hard Hats For Safety At Work
Safety Equipment Underwater
The welder needs the additional equipment to perform a job underwater, and the other PPE could have a diving helmet, accessories, diving suit, electrodes, stinger, power supply.
Conclusive Line
The safety assurance and protection of the worker should be the prime intention of the employer. We explained the types of workwear tradies and requirements of different industry sectors to select the suitable workwear for your worker. This article also refers to the kind of fabric material needed to counter the potential risk associated with the work type. Following the Australian workwear, safety standards are essential to follow for the betterment of your employees and your business’s reputation.
Image Sources: Shutterstock
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