SHP hears from Cromwell, the maintenance, repair, and operations supplier, who has launched an inclusive range of personal protection equipment (PPE) products – Halo – designed to meet the needs of a diverse workforce rather than the ‘average’ worker…
The ambition is to develop a product range that provides protective, well-fitting, and comfortable PPE for most sizes, shapes, cultural needs and gender, all certified to meet the latest safety compliance standards.
Hero products include a unisex metatarsal protection trainer, female specific footwear designs, and a wider range of sizes across the range with some styles in sizes 3 to 15. Prominently featured will be trousers, tops and jackets specifically produced for females. The Halo range will evolve over time with the first phase of 170 products available in 1,000 different stock keeping units (SKUs).
The team creating Halo is committed to ensuring that the safety solutions they offer are sustainable by considering the materials used, reducing the amount of packaging, and designing for the maximum working life of equipment. Production for many of the items has been moved closer to the UK which will help to reduce the carbon footprint of the brand.
Neil Jowsey, managing director at Cromwell, said: “The ‘average’ worker doesn’t exist so why does ‘average’ PPE? This was the industry challenge we sought to address in developing the Halo range which has inclusivity at its heart but where safety, quality, sustainability, and affordability is built in. Our aim is to offer a new product range that is designed to specifically meet the needs of a diverse workforce.
“A significant proportion of workers have to get by with equipment that is not designed for their needs, ill-fitting, poorly performing or uncomfortable. Badly fitting PPE doesn’t just cause discomfort and embarrassment; it can cause workers not to wear it which is a real safety concern.
“We hope that Halo can overcome some of the barriers that exist and contribute to a happy, healthy workforce. We’ll be working closely with our customers in developing the next phase of products, finding out what they need us to research and develop next.”
To reinforce its commitment to inclusion and wellbeing, Cromwell will be donating one per cent of all Halo sales to two charity partners – mental health charity MIND and The Diversity Trust, which works to influence social change for a fairer and safer society.
Cromwell, headquartered in Leicestershire, was founded more than 50 years ago, and has a network of branches and offices in the UK and across the globe employing a team of over 1,500.
