17/10/2026
PPE you’ll want to wear!
We are know when we should be wearing protective clothing, but that doesn’t stop many of us taking risks without it.
I do it myself, I know I should wear a mask and eye protection when I’m sanding or planing wood - but do I always wear them? No! Not because I don’t know why I should be wearing them, but because I get hot, my glasses steam up, and they just aren’t that comfortable. In my head, I can take the risk from time to time.
This summer I loved riding around on my Vespa; for me, not wearing my armoured jacket and gloves is not a risk I’m willing to take - BUT, I saw enough fellow riders in t-shirts and shorts doing 60mph around Thanet.
Why on earth would you do that? We all know what would happen if we came off our bikes BUT bike jackets and gloves are hot, sometimes a bit restrictive and afterall, it isn’t against the law, unlike the crash helmet.
The thing about PPE is that it’s often uncomfortable and sweaty, stops us moving freely, doesn’t really fit properly, and sometimes just doesn’t even work that well. So, if it’s a risk we deem ‘ worth taking’, unless it’s a legal requirement, how many of us just don’t use it?
When it comes to security and increasingly other front line workers, the risk often outweighs the inconvenience and discomfort of wearing body protection, so employees endure it if they have to.
BUT it doesn’t have to be that way!
Body armour has come a long way since the hot, rigid, uncomfortable vests provided in the past. The one-size fits all armour that’s thrown in a box at the end of the shift.
With a rise is knife crime and increased unrest in society, it has never been more important.
PPE only works if you wear it. And with a Defence Composites stab vest, you’ll be glad to put it on.
