Setting the Scene
If you are reading this blog, you are likely familiar with the purpose and scope of managing wearable personal protective equipment (PPE) distribution programs, from distribution through disposal. EHS professionals in charge of PPE conscientiously and meticulously select worker PPE that affords the greatest protection against workplace hazards while balancing front-end procurement and back-end disposition costs. In doing so, professionals have to weave through a myriad of program options, not only the selection of the appropriate glove, sleeve, apron, or coat, but also whether to subscribe to single-use vs. long-term use options. This is an overview of those scenarios to shed light on their associated benefits and caveats to companies and the workers they employ.
Option #1: Single-Use
Everyone seems to be familiar with the single-use scenario. PPE is distributed to workers at the beginning of their shift or task, and the PPE is removed and disposed of at the end; think of the friendly worker at the sub shop sliding on a pair of plastic gloves before making your turkey and swiss on French bread. Everyone agrees the single-use scenario is simple to implement, with costs centric to the type of PPE purchased. However, in a commercial/industrial setting, the front-end cost for high-impact gloves, heat-resistant sleeves, and chemical-resistant coats makes a single-use program an extremely expensive, if not unsustainable, proposition. Further, the back-end disposition of such costly, high-quality wearables on a daily basis would drive any EHS professional to seek more sustainable alternatives.
Option #2: Long-Use
To combat the cost and sustainability concerns, industrial/commercial companies have turned to long-use programs, through which employees are issued PPE items at company-mandated intervals. While these initiatives certainly manage the front- and back-end cost and sustainability components of wearables, they may have overlooked the industrial hygiene aspect.
It is well documented that our bodies’ natural reaction to a form-fitting, hot environment is sweating, making wearable PPE uncomfortable and weakening our epidermis. Sweat absorbed into wearable PPE is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and fungus to attack our weakened skin. Long-use PPE exacerbates this issue by increasing the number of sweat cycles, compounding bacterial and fungal growth; the longer the use, the greater the bacteria and fungal burden, and hazard to the employee, carried by the wearable. If you are an EHS professional utilizing a long-use program, you may already see decreased production and increased skin irritation complaints from employees.
OK…so if single-use wearable PPE programs are too costly and do not align with sustainability initiatives, and long-use wearable PPE programs may provide a better sustainability balance but pose hygiene hazards to employees, there must be other alternatives, right? To put your mind at ease; yes, there are better alternatives, and one which stands out as a solution.
Controlled-Distribution/Reusable
This alternative offers the cost benefits while countering the hygiene issues of a long-use program. Under this program, wearable PPE items are issued according to how data suggests employees’ physiological reaction to the workplace environment. For example, employees working in warmer environments (e.gg, heat treatment, maintenance, forging, etc.) are typically allowed distribution more frequently than those working in a warehouse environment. Additionally, environmental factors (e.g., workplace humidity levels, seasonal temperature variations, etc.) are factored into wearable PPE frequency. The company controls bioburden accumulation, and collects used wearables for conventional laundering and re-distribution. This distribution-wear-launder cycle is repeated for the life cycle of the wearable, with PPE that no longer meets health or cleanliness standards being scrapped.
The controlled-distribution/reusable model appears to be a nearly perfect alternative at a cursory level; the controlled distribution significantly reduces front-end costs associated with the continuous purchase of new wearables, the laundering mitigates the accumulation of bioburden being carried by the gloves, and the landering-redistribution minimizes the amount of byproduct material being managed.
If it were only so easy…..
Unfortunately, recent academic studies indicate that conventional dry cleaning or water washing techniques do not necessarily eliminate and may not even significantly mitigate the bioburden present in wearable PPE. It appears that the bacteria irreversibly adhere to the textile (whether it be poly, cotton, or a blend) once the wearable is doffed and dries prior to washing. Therefore, the fatal flaw of how this model is used is the application of conventional washing techniques for the wearable PPE.
Welcome to the Closed Loop Solution
Closed Loop Recycling distinguishes itself from competitors by offering a premium laundering service using proprietary systems and procedures to effectively clean and sterilize wearable PPE, regardless of the garment composition. Wearable PPE laundered using the CLR system is free of bioburden, eliminating the hygiene concerns associated with long-use and other controlled-distribution/reuse models. Additionally, CLR and its partners offer controlled-distribution and collection services that can be tailored to our customer operations, offering unmatched flexibility.
Contact us at 888-873-3645 or through our website to see how the CLR advantage can make you a hero.
As the industry leaders in industrial PPE sustainability, Closed Loop Recycling offers a free trial of our full-service glove recycling and sleeve recycling programs. Click above to start your cost savings journey.