Hello Halo – Cromwell Launches New Range of PPE With Inclusivity At Its Heart 

Sick of PPE that simply does not fit? We’ve got the answer: maintenance, repair, and operations supplier Cromwell has launched an inclusive range of PPE products – Halo – designed to meet the needs of a diverse workforce rather than the ‘average’ worker. 

Established over 50 years ago, Cromwell, one of the nation’s leading suppliers of industrial tools, has sought to design a range of PPE that not only truly reflects the workforce in today’s British construction, but solves a lot of their problems as well. 

With the ambition 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, Cromwell has now launched Halo, the range of PPE for this century’s workforce. 

Halo products include a unisex industry-first 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, and while the company has plans to evolve the range over time, the first phase consists of 170 products available in 1,000 different stock keeping units (SKUs). 

However, in 2022 it’s important to think of the legacy of any new product, and the ways in which its launch will impact our planet, which is precisely why the team behind 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 the equipment. To add to that, production for many of the items has been moved closer to the UK which will in turn help to reduce the carbon footprint of the brand. 

Neil Jowsey, managing director at Cromwell, says: 

“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.” 

Having recently interviewed Emma Cain, a quarry operative for Tarmac, the team here at TOOLKiT understands just how important having the right PPE is, and just how slow the climb uphill has been. As Emma explains, it’s not about looking your best or having figure-hugging tops… Ill-fitting PPE can pose a serious safety risk and, considering the labour shortage the construction industry has been facing lately, this may be one of the solutions going forward: inclusive equipment that workers are happy to wear and doesn’t restrict their performance on the job. 

Aware of the struggles workers had been facing with their PPE, Neil explains that this is something that needed to be addressed urgently: 

“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.” 

And because changing the industry doesn’t stop at PPE, Cromwell is reinforcing its commitment to inclusion and wellbeing by 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. 

To find out more about the Halo range, you can check out Cromwell’s website, where you’ll also pretty much any tool under the sun. 

To learn more about Emma Cain and what her journey through the construction industry as a female worker has been, check out our video below