Workwear Controls
I am looking for advice on how to deal with a reasonably sensitive issue around people having to change in front of their work colleagues.
As part of our Food safety controls we do not allow workwear to be worn off site, with personnel required to change into supplied workwear before commencing shift, and out of it before leaving site. For this purpose we provide a changing area and individual split lockers, but they are not segregated in anyway.
Workwear is laundered at home by the employees.
One employee has a skin condition which they are very conscious about, and effects most of his body, and does not wish to change in front of other colleagues, nor do they wish to draw attention to themselves by changing in a different area for example, because I have suggested they use the shower cubicles to change as these are individually enclosed. so at moment this employee is changing at home and coming to work in workwear.
We don’t have the available space or capital to segregate everyone into cubicle type set up.
The risk of contamination transfer is extremely low, as we are a paper mill, with very limited contact with exposed product, the person involved is not publicising the fact they are arriving to work in workwear, and has not discussed the issue with anyone else.
I wondered if anyone has encountered a similar scenario and how did they deal with it, any workable suggestions would be gratefully received.
Many thanks
David
Tough issue. I'm hung up on your policy however, if you don't want the workwear to be worn off site for contamination reasons, why would it then be okay for employees to take it off site to launder on their own? Seems like it would have exactly the same contamination risk.
I'd either let people wear the clothes in or collect them to be laundered, either taking the clothes off-site is a risk or it isn't, whether it's worn or not.
Hi,
if space is limited it is perhaps possible to have 1 separated area (even if it is separated by a movable screen oder courtain) which can be used if one or two wanting to do so. In general we have changes areas with split lockers too - not more. But we have options to separate because their are several rose of lockers and a separate room not often frequented.
BUT: We do not allow laundry at home - no chance to control contamination (e.g. cats, dogs, transportation, foreign bodies etc.) and cleaning procedure.
Rgds
moskito
Many thanks for the feedback and suggestions,
We have made the suggestion to develop an additional area, perhaps as part of enhanced development of the changing area rather than in response to any specific concern that has been raised, but this cannot happen immediately as we would need to re-locate other personnel first to free up the space etc.
With regards to the laundry at home - i take on board the comments made, we have taken the view that the risks are so minimal that at this time we employ them as a "Stage 1" as it were, an improvement over the previous arrangement where employees came to and went home in their workwear, and in some cases stayed in them outside of work.