When you’re buying workwear, look for the brand that is tested and certified for performance, efficiency and protection to deliver comfort and wellbeing, says Ben Stacey.
MUSCOSKELETAL disorders are many varied and include injuries that affect the back, joints and limbs. They’re covered by laws such as the Health and Safety at Work etc Act which designates that both employers and workers have responsibilities to ensure safety and wellbeing.
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations oblige employers to assess the risks to the health and safety of their workers. However, the Health and Safety at Work Act itself specifies that workers must take reasonable care of their own health and wellbeing and co-operate with their employer so they can ensure personal compliance with their own health and safety responsibilities.
Wearing working clothes such as Snickers Workwear with its comfortable and functional knee protection is the ideal solution.
In potentially hazardous work environments, it’s known that trips, slips, bumps, falls and repetitive strain injuries such as kneeling can be causes of musculoskeletal injuries. But while sprains, bruising and tears can be self-healing through rest, recuperation and physiotherapy, longer term wear-and-tear – particularly in knee joints – can be serious and long-lasting.
That’s why those people whose jobs in the flooring industry can potentially put them at risk, have to have an awareness of the potential health problems and an understanding of how to safeguard against them.
The knees are the largest and most complex joints in our body. Each is made up of the three main leg bones (femur, tibia, and fibula); the kneecap (patella); cartilage which helps lubricate bone movement and fluid-filled sacks (the bursa) which cushions direct impact to the joint. Tendons and ligaments hold the knee components together but if they become weak or damaged, the bones can become misaligned, causing ‘mechanical malfunction’, pain and potential long-term injury.
The severity of pain can vary – depending on the cause of the knee problem. Symptoms include swelling, stiffness and aches; weakness or instability; clicking or crunching sounds and difficulty in fully straightening the knee, each of which can prevent an individual from working safely.
Problems associated with permanent damage to the knee are widespread and It’s said over 100,000 knee replacements are now carried out annually in the UK.
The wait for knee surgery can be both painful and lengthy and private treatment is expensive. An additional burden for employers if knee damage is caused at work could be a costly compensation claim.
Aside from the financial cost of medical treatment and potential compensation, the cost of time off work can be considerable. Following a replacement knee operation, patients are in hospital for between two-to-four days; the return to normal day to day activities takes about six weeks of rest and rehabilitation, while a full recovery can take up to 12 months.
While both employers and workers are legally obliged to ensure that proper safety footwear is worn in hazardous environments for protection and comfort, the same doesn’t necessarily apply to knee protection. Surely it’s surely common sense that the same principle should apply to those whose knees are at risk.
A common ailment is Housemaid’s Knee or Bursitis, which is caused by kneeling for long periods of time and by repetitive knee movements such as crouching down and standing up. Fluid builds up in the Bursa causing swelling, soreness and stiffness in the joint.
So, what’s the answer?
The most effective knee protection in the workplace is, as you might expect, covered by legislation and PPE certification standards. EN 14404 is the accredited Protection Standard for knee protection while working in a kneeling position. It deals with the size, force-distribution and penetration-resistance of kneepads to ensure reliable knee protection for workers in a mobile working environment.
This protection level is designed to protect the knees in all types of working environments where you find rough, hard and damp surfaces such as storage yards and places where there’s debris on the ground.
There have been various types of knee protectors available over the years such as inflexible strap-on pads that cut into the back of your knees, causing bruising and potentially impeding blood circulation.
Effective protection really only comes from combining properly designed Work Trousers that use market-leading fabric technology with a knee protection system that has been thoroughly tested, manufactured and certified using materials that perform to the highest standard day in, day out.
The most effective kneepads are those that work efficiently and in tandem with the design of the Work Trousers they’re used with – staying in precisely the right position all the time to ensure reliable and comfortable knee protection.
Effective kneepads should also feature hard-wearing materials on the outside edges and softer materials in the centre to combine efficient pressure distribution and protection against sharp and rough objects with maximum comfort.
Kneepads that stay in position around the knee is crucial for protection and that’s exactly what you get with the patented Snickers Workwear KneeGuard and KneeGuard Pro positioning systems which are complimented by eight types of kneepads designed for a variety of trades and the demands of different working environments.
Properly designed and certified Trousers and Kneepads will have a pocket design that has special seams which allow the wearer to adjust the kneepads for individualised comfort and protection. Such a design makes the kneepads ‘flex’ when you move around, which also ensures they automatically mould around your knees when you crouch or kneel.
Most workwear manufacturers supply kneepads for their Work Trousers and they vary in price, quality and effectiveness. It will come as no surprise to most that some have no guarantee of comfort or protection.
The Snickers Workwear KneeGuard and KneeGuard Pro system using appropriate Kneepads will give you by far the best, long-lasting knee protection available. So, when you’re buying Work Trousers and especially the Kneepads, look for the ones that are tested and certified for performance, efficiency and protection to deliver comfort and wellbeing day in day out.
01484 854788
sales@hultaforsgroup.co.uk
www.snickersworkwear.co.uk
Ben Stacey is the Snickers Workwear product specialist at the Hultafors Group UK.
