hi all

we employ over 600 operatives and have currently revised our PPE procedure

1 if an employee has a complaint about boots causing foot problems should they provide medical evidence?

2 Out on site if a operative is carrying out ground maintenance on grass (transient workers) and makes contact with animal faeces what would you consider a suitable control measure? eg when access egress vehicles

3 What advice could you provide on drying rooms storage of PPE etc?

4 Issues have also been raised in particular with distances walked in boots etc operatives knees hurting leg problems etc, I would imagine that certain operatives should in turn be referred to occupational health

many thanks

Given the nature of your questions are you new to the post / H&S?

These are all pretty basic items and in turn:

1) why would you need medical evidence? If employee feedback is indicating an issue with PPE consult your workforce on trialling alternatives - from your question you are indicating it is not fit for purpose (are Famous Army Stores still trading?)

2) wiping roll towel, antibacterial hand wipes and refuse sacks (or you could go really up market and fit on vehicle sinks like the Local / Water authorities have on their vehicles)

3) Read or Google the relevant regulations - you seem to be indicating a transient workforce with no real base to set up permanent facilities so you would be in the hands of welfare rental companies.

4) with no indication of how far over what surface by what age and physical ability group why rush to OH appraisal? Gardeners, grounds staff, builders indeed all of us get old and in time find walking difficult especially over slopes and rough terrain. Here you may be drifting towards an aegist policy and should consult HR not rush complainants to the quack for medical discharge.

Are we talking about safety boots(toe-tectors) or walking boots?
We have had issues with staff going out into the field and finding them suitable footwear (and not getting into trouble with HMRC-but that’s another story).
The problem with any one size fits all solution is that everybody is different. Some of our people like to wear wellies and swear by them other prefer, boots with gaiters. We ending up providing both.
You have to talk to your staff but be careful because some of the take the urine and try to get you to buy them state of the art stuff which they do not need for work.
As to your questions:
1. You don’t need a doctor to tell you that someone’s boots hurt. There is no medical test for painful boots- they will ask the same questions you will ask and charge you £50 for the privilege.
2. A poo kit as suggested – box/roll of scented nappy bags and hygiene kit inkling wipes and hand disinfectant.
3. If you have the space, a drying room is nice to have but you need someone to look after them or they end up being smelly dumping grounds
4. Ideally the staff should be upto the job before you hire them. But you should be planning the work and making sure that the mileage they walk is reasonable. You can use vehicles to get people about even-shock horror ATV quad bikes but of course staff would have to be trained to use them. And someone would have to make sure that they don’t end up using them to go the pub of an evening and end up driving them in a loch (which happened to one of our ex-employees).