Why protective clothing is important in the feed and minerals industry

When we think about protective workwear, we often think about clothing designed to protect the wearer. But sometimes it is actually the working environment that needs protection. Think, for example, of factories where substances and materials are used that must not come into contact with each other. In that case, workwear and personal protective equipment not only protect the employee, but also the product being made. Protective clothing therefore plays an important role within the feed and minerals industry.

Medicines and protective clothing

During my teenage and student years, I had several jobs, including packing medication. It was the first time I encountered strict rules surrounding protective workwear and personal protective equipment (PPE). I wore a hairnet, special shoes and a full protective suit. Depending on the tasks, employees also wore gloves or face masks.

During my work, I heard that some colleagues handled hazardous substances and therefore needed extra protection, such as a face mask. In those situations, the workwear protected the employee, but in most cases the clothing mainly protected the medication itself. Employees were absolutely not allowed to enter the workplace wearing their own clothes, so everyone changed clothes multiple times a day. For example, when entering the workspace, going on a break or returning from one. After all, bacteria from outside were not allowed to end up in the medication.

The same applied to different types of medication. Once employees finished packing one batch, they could not immediately start packing another type of medicine. First, staff inspected and often cleaned the entire workspace.

Protective clothing in the feed and minerals industry

Contaminating medication is also known as contamination. But this is not only an issue within the pharmaceutical industry. It also plays an important role in sectors that rely on mineral processing equipment and the production of compound feed.

When the wrong substances end up in a product, the consequences can be serious. Not only for the people or animals that ultimately use it, but also because manufacturers must be able to prove exactly what a product contains.

Protective clothing, PPE and the environment

Industries that rely on this type of protective clothing and PPE must follow strict hygiene regulations. Most people consider that perfectly logical. But sometimes those requirements clash with other ambitions or expectations.

Nowadays, companies place great importance on recycling and reusing materials. You can see this trend in workwear and PPE as well. When brands launch new workwear collections, they almost automatically emphasise that the materials are recycled.

However, protective clothing and PPE make this much more complicated. Earlier this year, researchers at Aston University announced that they are developing gloves made from food waste. With this project, they hope to create biodegradable clinical gloves for the healthcare sector. These gloves could replace part of the 1.4 billion disposable gloves discarded annually by the British healthcare industry.

Still, the gloves come with limitations. Healthcare workers cannot use them in sterile environments. They may be suitable during an ultrasound procedure, for example, but not during surgery. Factories face similar challenges. Many production environments rely heavily on gloves and sterile working conditions, making contamination prevention extremely important.

PPE and protective clothing in the pharmaceutical, healthcare, feed and minerals industries

At first glance, protective clothing mainly seems designed to protect the wearer, but that is not always the case in every industry. In many situations, it protects both the employee and the environment around them. Sometimes it even protects the consumer. That ultimately makes this type of workwear far more interesting than it may initially appear.

Kind regards,

Aileen

* This article was written in collaboration with KSE Group.