Page 38 - OHS, October 2020

PPE: FOOT PROTECTION
The Pharmaceutical Industry Needs the Right Anti-Fatigue PPE
If this past year has proven anything, it has proved that anti-fatigue precautions are needed for an already overworked industry.
BY KEVAN ORVITZ
When we consider the “new normal” for the pharmaceutical industry, we must remember to focus not just on the well- being of employee-customer dynamics, but on the day-to-day health and safety precautions for pharmaceutical manufacturing employees. If this past year has proven anything, it has proved that anti-fatigue precautions are needed for an already overworked industry.
The impact of COVID-19 on the pharmaceutical industry has been significant. In the race to find treatments and a vaccine to address the global pandemic, pharmaceutical companies are working day and night, which makes them vulnerable especially when employees are working in close spaces like cleanrooms. Therefore, the chances of contagion transference and the potential spread of COVID-19 could pose a potentially greater risk.
There is no denying that COVID-19’s effect on the pharmaceutical industry has been astronomical. Many are facing several challenges to maintain a safer workplace for their workers and maintain an optimum cleanroom environment to reduce contamination.
Comfort and Control
The strategy of comfort and control encapsulates exploring solutions that not only provide comfort to workers but control the risk of contamination in the manufacturing process.
The potential health impacts of working in cleanrooms could be detrimental. In the absence of proper foot support, activities that involve repetitive tasks, forceful exertions, awkward postures or contract stress, can increase the risk of developing Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs). Standing on cold
34 Occupational Health & Safety | OCTOBER 2020
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