Construction companies choose work clothing first of all by price. This is understandable, because budget always matters, but the following criteria should also be considered: is it in compliance with the law? Is it designed for the working conditions?
The law that applies to the construction sector
In 2019, the organic law on labor safety came into force in Georgia. It obliges employers to assess the risks of the working environment and equip employees with appropriate protective equipment, including workwear. The construction sector, in this respect, is the most controlled, since this field, by its nature, creates a high-risk working environment.
In recent years the labor inspectorate has been systematically carrying out visits to construction sites. Identified violations are followed by administrative sanctions – a fine or, in a serious case, the suspension of activity.
In reality, the total cost of a fine, the medical costs associated with an injury and workforce turnover is much greater than that of purchasing appropriate clothing.
The visibility of work personnel as a standard
Visibility on a construction site is a basic safety condition. Construction machinery, heavy loads, working on a high-rise site – in this environment a person must be visible to everyone.
For this purpose, the international standard EN ISO 20471 divides high-visibility work clothing into three classes according to the risk of the working environment. The third class envisages the most requirements: full-body visibility, reflective stripes, an appropriate color. This standard is also taken into account in Georgian legislation.
According to the guidelines of the HSE (Health and Safety Executive), the darker the working environment, the more visible the clothing must be. And this is regulated by a standard. Buying a “yellow vest” does not automatically imply the standard – the clothing must have specific characteristics.
Clothing size – the most frequently overlooked criterion
In December 2024, OSHA (the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration) put a new rule into effect for the construction sector: work clothing must be chosen individually for each employee.
On the Georgian market this problem is often expressed as follows: a company buys imported workwear whose sizes are often not taken into account. As a result, the reflective stripes are placed incorrectly and the protective function partially or completely disappears.
Purchasing such clothing does not solve the problems.
Local production – where does the difference show?
The Leader tailoring facility offers construction companies a full service: consultation, fabric selection, sample production before serial production, quality control and delivery. Local production makes this process practical – individual agreement on sizes and, if necessary, changing the clothing is possible without waiting.
For companies that have employees with different functions – site workers, engineers and others – corporate uniforms mean that every group wears different clothing tailored to its own need, taking into account one company’s visual style.
And certified materials acquire additional, practical significance: the fabric keeps its shape after frequent washing, the reflective stripes stay in place, the color does not easily fade.
custom ordersWithin the framework of custom orders, computerized embroidery makes it possible to accurately transfer the logo and colors onto any fabric. Through this detail, work clothing becomes part of the brand’s visual identity.
In the construction sector, the purchase of workwear cannot be reduced to a single criterion. The question about price is valid, but it is not the most prioritized, because for employees’ safety it is better to ask: does this workwear meet the relevant international and local standard?
You can search for the answers to these questions together with the Leader tailoring facility – and most importantly, individual consultation is free.