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Safety is a top priority in any workplace, and protective workwear is crucial in keeping workers safe from on-the-job hazards. While all workwear must meet safety standards and regulations, there are significant differences between certified and compliant workwear. It is essential to understand why certified workwear is safer than compliant workwear. By understanding the benefits of certified workwear, you can make informed decisions about choosing the correct workwear to keep yourself and your colleagues safe in the industry.
Understanding the Differences Between Certified and Compliant Workwear
TRu Workwear is committed to making its garments Certified. Certified workwear goes through more extensive testing and inspection by a third-party organisation to ensure that it provides higher protection against workplace hazards. Whereas compliant workwear only meets the minimum safety requirements set that may not be suitable for all work environments. In Australia, it is not compulsory for workwear to be certified. However, it would benefit the industry by becoming safer and more protected, changing to becoming certified.
Workwear standards in Australia are:
AS/NZS 1906.4:2010
Retroreflective materials and devices for road traffic control purposes, High-visibility materials for safety garments. The testing methods under this standard are fabric properties and durability testing.
AS/NZS 4602.1:2011
High-visibility safety garments. Understanding what garment construction is safest for day, night, and day/night use. The configuration of two safety materials, fluorescent and retroreflective, provides the best visibility depending on the site's working requirements.
AS 4399:2020
Sun protective clothing. Evaluating the effectiveness of fabrics in protecting against sun ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Rigorous testing is to determine how much UV radiation can penetrate the material and reach the skin. The AS 4399:2020 stipulates that all compliant garments be labelled with the level of protection and maximum skin coverage.
Unknown to most people, workwear garments in Australia are almost always sold with the claim that they are compliant with AS/NZS safety standards for workwear. For TRu Workwear, this is not acceptable. TRu Workwear recognises the importance of certified protection levels. The BSI Group - international independent notified body, ensures that certified TRu garments meet Australian safety standards. The certification process ensures manufacturing processes and facilities, test certificates, and the product itself are audited & scrutinised so that all claims are accurate. A garment is then able to be marked certified.
Certified Workwear Benefits vs Compliant Workwear
Certified Workwear
- A greater degree of protection against potential hazards.
- Adheres to safety requirements and has undergone independent testing to ensure Compliance.
- Improved quality is achieved by subjecting the garment to extensive testing.
- The certification process ensures that all claims are accurate to be marked certified.
Compliant Workwear
- Minimum safety requirements set by industry standards.
- Not undergone independent testing.
- Not the same level of protection as certified
- It may be less durable or long-lasting, requiring more frequent replacement and increasing the overall cost.
TRu Workwear is committed to educating the industry on the importance of certified workwear and promoting a safer working environment. Certified workwear provides more protection from workplace hazards than compliant workwear. Understanding the differences between the two is essential, and choosing the suitable workwear to ensure maximum safety for yourself and your colleagues.