The contractor has teamed-up with bespoke uniform specialist Jermyn Street Design (jSD) who have created corporate outfits for Eurostar, Dyson, Ocado and Jet2.
The premium clothing range will provide Laing O’Rourke employees with their own ‘kit bag’ of items, including high visibility red polo shirts, softshell jackets, and charcoal grey cargo trousers.
George Mosey, Head of Health and Safety for Laing O’Rourke Europe, said: “Construction industry workwear has suffered from a lack of investment for decades, and consequently lags behind other professions.
“We wanted to completely turn that around by developing a range of workwear that supports our ‘Trades to Technician’s’ agenda.
“The new look will certainly make Laing O’Rourke’s sites stand out against other more traditional projects, with hi vis red polo shirts and softshell jackets replacing the more commonplace hi vis fluorescent safety vests teamed with jeans or jogging bottoms and t-shirts and sweatshirts.”
The new workwear is suitable for all conditions; with UV properties in the fabrics for the height of summer and layers for warmth and waterproof protection during bad weather.
David Humphries, Account Manager for designer jSD, said: “The current range of PPE in the construction industry does not support the agenda which Laing O’Rourke has set around inclusion and wellbeing and moving from trades to technicians, so we worked together to design a completely new range of workwear, which had to meet a demanding set of requirements.”
“The vision was to challenge the norm and create something that reflected Laing O’Rourke’s investment in their people by creating a healthier, smarter working environment.
“As well as reflecting the professionalism of the construction industry, Laing O’Rourke wanted to use the new workwear to attract and retain talent. In particular, they want to encourage more women to join the profession, so working with jSD, a range of items that were specifically designed for women – not an adaptation of the men’s clothing, was developed.”
Carol Williams, Head of Procurement, Europe at Laing O’Rourke added: “For example, the trousers were designed to fit a female shape and leg length, and graded into female sizes.
“Importantly, the pockets (designed to carry necessary tools) are the same size in the ladies’ range as they are in the men’s. Moreover, the range is not yet complete – with Laing O’Rourke planning to introduce a maternity range in the future.”
Laing O’Rourke is currently rolling out its new uniform across UK construction sites.
