As anyone who has ever done manual work will tell you, there are countless tasks where you need the right personal protective equipment (PPE) to get the job done. This can range from using heavy machinery to working with dangerous chemicals therefore wearing the right equipment is paramount to keep you safe from harm or in some cases fatality at work.

Of course, we usually associate PPE more with the heavier duty side of things – hard hats and steel toe-caped boots on building sites or goggles and facemasks when working with hazardous substances. However, the reality is that there are many jobs where you simply can't do without basic PPE equipment. Even working in a florist requires some form of PPE.

Take, for example, the latest Himalayan Balsam Project by the Inland Waterways Association. Founded in 1946 to campaign for the use, maintenance and restoration of the inland waterways in England and Wales the organization has been responsible for the restoration of over 500 miles of waterway. This latest project sees them trying to protect further miles from a dangerous invader.


Introduced in 1839 by Victorian Gardeners, Himalayan Balsam is an attractive flowering plant that has a potentially very destructive nature. It crowds out native plants along river and canal banks but dies right back in the winter leaving the banks bare and exposed. This can lead to excessive erosion and increased flood risks. This, as we all saw last winter, can be very damaging and disastrous in the UK.

The plant grows and spreads quickly, endangering further miles of waterways throughout the UK, so the Inland Waterways Association has decided to tackle the problem. From the 19 to 27 July this year they will be attempting to clear thousands of Himalayan Balsam plants from along sections of the Caldon, Lancaster, Pocklington and several other canals in the midlands and north of England.

The work will mostly be carried out by volunteers pulling out and destroying the plants. So, you can imagine that there will be some serious manual work involved, which is where PPE comes in. As anyone who has gardened and attempted to remove a plant or tree knows, it is not an easy job. Nature seldom gives up easily so the volunteers will be requiring gloves, goggles and other work wear to keep them safe and protected during the project.

For this project, Protec Direct has provided the team with two different types of gloves (nitrile palm coated and rigger) for getting the job done with the minimal risk of injury possible. By providing these two different types of gloves, the plant removal can go ahead and hopefully prevent further damage to the waterways of the UK. The team will also be hoping to educate members of the public on this largely unknown threat to the future of our waterways.

So, as you can see, there are many reasons for needing the correct PPE when working. It’s not always about building sites or dangerous substances. Sometimes, even when it’s working with some seemingly harmless plants, we need to be careful and ensure we’re as protected as possible.

www.protecdirect.co.uk