SPECIAL FEATURE they are exposed to loud noise and dust as well as doing heavy lifting and a lot of kneeling , the use of personal protective equipment ( PPE ) such as face masks , kneepads , protective goggles , helmets and ear defenders are disregarded the most .
TOOLS & WORKWEAR
SPECIAL FEATURE they are exposed to loud noise and dust as well as doing heavy lifting and a lot of kneeling , the use of personal protective equipment ( PPE ) such as face masks , kneepads , protective goggles , helmets and ear defenders are disregarded the most .
Aside from the immediate effect of an injury at work , the most common ongoing pain a worker suffers is in the knees and back . Yet over a third of the respondents in the survey never change their kneepads !
Personal attitudes in the workplace are principal drivers why available protective equipment is not used , with many crasftsmen saying that laziness is one of the reasons behind the lack of personal protection . They say that time constraints and efficiency demands often underly such carelessness , with half of the people interviewed in the survey believing that too much protective equipment impedes them in their work .
Yet the survey also reveals that more than one in five workers in Scandinavia say that their employer does not always provide them with the equipment and work clothing they need . What ’ s more , four out of 10 believe that the employer does not always support them with information or procedures concerning the protection or the right workwear to use – an issue that ’ s particularly prevalent in smaller companies with 4-10 employees .
In Scandinavia the number of occupational diseases and work accidents among manual workers is in decline with far fewer accidents than the European average . Despite this , much work remains for creating good conditions and a safer work environment for every single craftsman and woman . As product developers , workers , legislators and employers – we have a collective responsibility .
At the Hultafors Group , we are keen to increase awareness about the most effective way of avoiding health issues and injuries at work – but also to develop and deliver products that work with the user to do more in looking after their wellbeing on site .
Given that the majority of respondents in the Scandinavian survey are in favour of new , smart protection solutions , ‘ wearable technology ’ in workwear is the next logical step in the evolution of working clothes for professional craftsmen and women .
The wearable technology revolution
Wearable technology is already woven into our daily lives through smartphones , fitness devices , sports clothing and accessories - to help monitor and improve performance . While the recent survey was carried out among professional craftsmen in Scandinavia , many of the findings are equally applicable to the UK . It confirms what most of us have long suspected - that craftsmen are usually so focused on getting the job done that personal protection tends to be overlooked .
But repeated ‘ corner cutting ’ over the years definitely creates a long term health problem – an issue that Snickers Workwear has been continually addressing with its patented KneeGuard System . So the development of our ‘ Smart Workwear ’ is one way of improving their wellbeing beyond just knee protection .
‘ Tracker 1 ’ is Snickers ’ first prototype of wearable technology , a chip fitted to a pair of work trousers enabling the user to monitor work place noise levels , heat conditions and knee impact . The integration of ‘ smart ’ wearable technology into our clothing
Kantar Sifo survey
According to the Swedish Construction Federation , the number of occupational diseases and work accidents for manual workers has decreased , and Sweden and Norway have far fewer accidents than the European average . Despite this , much work remains for creating good conditions and a safer work environment for all these workers .
To better develop functional workwear and to spread knowledge about how to avoid work-related injuries , Snickers Workwear examined Norwegian and Swedish working conditions .
Market research firm Kantar Sifo interviewed 530 Swedish and Norwegian craftspeople and industrial workers in online surveys .
The results
The results reveal that more than one in two workers considers that not enough attention is paid to protective equipment at the workplace ( 52 per cent in Sweden and 64 per cent in Norway ). Available protection is not used when it should be .
• Respiratory protection , kneepads , protective goggles , helmets and hearing protection are ignored the most .
• Most of the respondents work in environments where they are exposed to loud noise and dust , and do heavy lifting and a lot of kneeling .
• Thirty-nine per cent of the Swedish workers never change their kneepads .
• Seventeen per cent of the Norwegian workers never change their kneepads .
shows the extent to which we are looking at working clothes and wellbeing on site in a completely new way .
* The recent study was carried out among professional craftsmen in Scandinavia by Kantar Sifo during December 2016 and January 2017 .
• Six out of 10 have suffered damage resulting from incidents at their workplace in the past year . This means that six out of 10 are suffering from physical health issues or pain .
• The most common pain a worker suffers from is in the knees and back . More than 60 per cent of Swedish and Norwegian workers suffer from this ( 63 per cent in Sweden and 66 per cent in Norway ).
• Half of the Swedish workers rarely or never use respiratory protection when they should , and for Norwegians the figure is 43 per cent .
• Attitudes at the workplace represent the main reason why available protective equipment is not used , according to more than every third respondent in both countries .
• In their comments , many say that laziness is one of the reasons behind the lack of protection , but time constraints and efficiency demands often underlie the carelessness . Half of the Swedish workers believe that too much protective equipment impedes them in their work .
• More than one in five workers in Sweden and Norway say that the employer does not always provide them with the equipment and work clothing they need .
• Four out of 10 believe that the employer does not always support them with information or procedures concerning the protection or workwear to use . This lack is most apparent at smaller companies with 4-10 employees .
• The majority report that they are in favour of new , smart protection solutions .
Snickers ’ ‘ Tracker 1 ’ can be fitted to a pair of work trousers enabling the user to monitor work place noise levels , heat conditions and knee impact .
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