Now that summer has belatedly arrived, the tricky subject of work clothing has once again reared its head on the nursery.
This is an issue which causes concerns at every nursery in the country and is due, in part, to the excessive heat of the working environment in the glasshouses / poly tunnels. Combine this with working outside in blazing sun for 8 hours a day and we are left wondering what to supply the staff to work in.
Do we deck the staff out with company branded t-shirts and high vis vests or do we allow the guys to go topless and the girls to wear bikinis? Is it cooler to work in bikini than in a cotton t-shirt?
The staff move between glass houses and outside beds and need something that will protect them from the worst of the suns effects, maintain stable working temperatures and increase company profile and image. Is there such an item of clothing available or do we have to put up with staff looking like they are working on the fields picking vegetables?
I would love to hear from anybody going through the same dilemmas as we are.
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I used to work in very hot temperatures abroad and also to consider was the very high sun exposure.
We were supplied very lightweight cotton and polyester ( i think) shirts with a collar and long sleeves, a simple embroidered logo and they were very effective. They were like a light weight suit shirt
They were infinately cooler (temperature rather than style) to wear than a t shirt or polo shirt and give good sun protection and look smart to boot.
Simon,
Thats very interesting indeed. I would also agree with longer sleeves, but the guys out on site seem to think differently. What we need is some form of strict rule!!!
Its looking like a toss up between t-shirts with high vis vests over the top or high vis t-shirts. Long sleeved shirts for office staff.
Regards, Phil Rusted
Think Arabian desert. It's cooler ultimately to have clothing, though I'd favour pure cotton - polyester gets sticky. Do they have to wear high-vis - that's going to be a hot material. Finally, as a visitor to nurseries, I'd prefer not to be talking to semi-naked staff.
Helen,
Thank you for your comment. I completely agree with you regarding the semi naked staff. We are a professional nursery and need to portray a professional image throughout. Be it weeds on the beds, staff dress, cleanliness of the site and ultimately the quality of the plants.
Thank you
Phil Rusted
Strauss do great off the shelf ranges of outdoor work wear, that can be logo'd and has a good range of suitable outdoor colours. You can buy 'sets' for members of staff or order individually. Good gear, all comes frm Germany in 48hrs. We use their stuff.
http://www.engelbert-strauss.co.uk.
I love their lightweight Cordura trainer style S2 safety boots - comfy all day long and not heavy
However, I personally swear by CraggHopper outdoor trousers - UV resistant, quick dry, cool, lots of pockets and can be bought with zips-offs (also do winter lined versions..
Forgot RRP of £49 etc , go to GO OUTDOOR or a few other retailers and prices range from £15 upwards...
As a Wholesale Nursery branded t-shirts do look a little tacky and somewhat Garden Centre-ish.
The most important thing is to offer protection from the sun for those who work in and out of polytunnels and greenhouses, like ourselves.
Having worked, growing plants commercially for 32 years, jeans, t-shirt and decent work boots have worked for me so far, with jumpers when needed. So May, June and part of July this year, review in August!!
I wear 'Craghopper' Solardry shirts as they give good protection in the Sun and keep you cooler than T Shirts/Polo shirts, they don't crease and dry very quickly.
I think it's important to have a collar to protect the neck and it looks smarter when you're interacting with customers.
Naked body's would not go down too well with most garden centre customers and does not give a professional look.
Gortex boots are a must as they let your feet breath as well as giving good protection and comfort.
Sue
This a is a good question to ask Phil.
Uniforms and clothing generally is always a bone of contention in businesses working outside.
There's two issues here for me. One the image of the business and two the safety of the worker.
I had several private school contracts and in my opinion there's nothing worse than seeing an operative working inside the school grounds without a top on or, as was a regular complaint about one employee, cutting off the legs of their issued uniform trousers. I did supply tailored shorts if staff wanted them or they could buy their own if they matched our uniform colour.
I did take a view that in private gardens, both for our maintenance and landscaping teams, when a relationship with the client had been established then discretion can be used.
I do understand workers wanting to remove clothing. Let's face it, working outside gives you the chance to get a healthy dose of vitamin D and get a tan.
I don't have experience of the nursery industry except as a client. In my view I think I'd like to see staff dressed in a way that is sensitive to the conditions the are working in but empathise with the business they are working for.
"Generally, men view their bodies differently than women, and as a consequence, treat them differently. Women tend to take better care of their skin, whether by wearing sunscreen, applying makeup or moisturizers, or by keeping it covered. Older men who have had problems with their skin are acutely aware of the dangers, but younger men ten to view themselves as invincible and ignore warnings. Unless their employers have protection policies, young men often don’t wear shirts or hats when working outside. And, according to the AAD, they are less likely to wear sunscreens than older men, or if they do, they are less likely to use a product with SPF 15 or greater."
Source: Sun Aware blog: http://www.sunaware.org/2010/04/05/male-outdoor-workers-ignore-sun-...
As an employer you have a legal obligation to protect your workers: Here are a few resources:
Cancer Research UK:
http://sunsmart.org.uk/advice-and-prevention/working-outdoors/worki...
Skin cancer and outdoor workers - advice issued by the TUC:
http://www.tuc.org.uk/extras/skincancer.pdf
HSE - sun protection for outdoor workers: advice for employers:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg337.pdf
WorkSafe - sun protection and outdoor workers:
Sun protection for construction and other outdoor workers
T shirts don't have to look tacky. This picture was taken in spring 1998:
http://www.landscapejuicenetwork.com/photo/somerset-stone-and-selbo...
Great question to ask.
It's cargo shorts and cotton t-shirts with logo for me in summer.
And I do like some lines from http://www.engelbert-strauss.co.uk
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