Portwest PPE FAQ: Coverall Sizing, A722 Gloves, Work Boots, First Aid & PPE Training

When you're the person who orders PPE for industrial sites, you hear the same questions on repeat. I've spent 8 years coordinating safety equipment, processing 300+ rush orders — the 4 p.m. emergencies, the shutdown deadlines, the "second shift ran out of gloves" panic calls. In that time, I've learned which questions actually matter. These are the ones I answer most, plus the one nobody asks until an inspector finds it.

• How do I read the Portwest coverall size chart?
• What makes the Portwest A722 anti-impact cut-resistant glove different?
• Are Ariat work boots just as good as safety boots?
• What should be in a workplace first aid kit?
• Who is responsible for training workers on the use of PPE?
• Do these PPE training rules apply to a small crew?

1. How Do I Read the Portwest Coverall Size Chart?

The Portwest coverall size chart is on every coverall product page — look for the size chart tab under the photos. Open it before you order, not after the carton arrives and nothing fits.

Here's what trips people up: the chart uses body measurements, not clothing sizes. You match your chest measurement to the size ranges, not your favorite t-shirt label. To measure: stand straight, wrap the tape around the fullest part of your chest, keep it level across your shoulder blades, and don't suck in.

I remember a client who ordered 150 coveralls for a plant shutdown, and the site manager was absolutely sure he knew everyone's size without measuring anyone. So glad I sent a measuring guide along with the quote — we were one click away from producing 150 coveralls one size too small. That would have been an expensive mistake, and the deadline couldn't move.

If you're between sizes, or your crew wears insulating layers in winter, size up. A slightly roomy coverall beats one that binds every time you reach up.

2. What Makes the Portwest A722 Anti-Impact Cut-Resistant Glove Different?

The Portwest A722 anti-impact cut-resistant glove looks serious — black knit shell, thick thermoplastic rubber (TPR) ridges across the back of the hand and fingers. But here's what most buyers don't realize: cut resistance and impact protection are tested separately, and they guard against completely different injuries.

Cut resistance is about stopping blades and sharp edges from slicing through. The A722 earns a high ANSI cut rating for that. Impact protection is a separate test under ANSI/ISEA 138 — it measures how well the back of the hand absorbs a blunt-force hit. Those rubber ridges aren't decorative; they spread the energy of an impact so your knuckles don't take the whole blow.

Why does the difference matter? Because I've seen a worker injure his hand not from a cut, but from smashing it against a pipe flange. His glove had excellent cut resistance and zero impact protection. Right glove, wrong hazard — which is exactly how that kind of injury happens.

I recommend the A722 when hands face both sharp edges and blunt knocks: drilling, grinding, rigging, handling heavy components. And when someone asks me for "a cut glove," my first question is always, "What else does your hazard assessment show?"

One disclaimer: I'm not an engineer on the standards committee. If you're building a full hand-protection program, have a qualified safety professional verify your hazard assessment before you settle on any glove.

3. Are Ariat Work Boots Just as Good as Safety Boots?

Let me be fair: Ariat makes a comfortable boot, and plenty of workers swear by them. They're popular for a reason. But "work boots" and "safety boots" are not the same thing.

Safety footwear in the US is tested to ASTM F2413. That's the standard covering impact-resistant toes, puncture-resistant soles, metatarsal protection, and electrical hazard ratings. When your employer's hazard assessment says safety toe required, you need a boot that actually carries a rating, and it's marked inside the boot.

Ariat does make rated models with steel or composite toes. A lot of their other boots, though, are work-style boots without any safety rating. I've watched a site manager send a guy home because his "tough" boots had no rating on the inside — good boot, wrong job.

Portwest builds from the other direction: the safety standard is the starting point, comfort comes after. The boot line — from lightweight hiking-style to classic leather — is engineered around meeting standards like ASTM F2413 first.

So it's not brand versus brand. It's hazard versus rating. If the job calls for certified protection, buy the certified boot from whichever brand meets the spec. If no rating is required, choose on comfort. But don't assume one means the other.

4. What Should Be In a Workplace First Aid Kit?

OSHA requires first aid supplies in the workplace — that's 29 CFR 1910.151, if you want the exact reference. The practical rule most US employers follow is ANSI/ISEA Z308.1, which spells out minimum contents for workplace first aid kits.

The standard divides kits into Class A and Class B. Class A is the everyday kit for minor injuries — cuts, scrapes, burns. Class B is for larger teams or higher-risk work, with bigger quantities and a broader list of supplies.

In plain terms, a compliant kit needs at least: adhesive bandages in several sizes, sterile gauze pads, adhesive tape, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment, burn treatment, a cold pack, an eye covering, eye irrigation solution, exam gloves, scissors, tweezers, and a first aid guide. The standard lists exact minimum quantities, which I won't rattle off from memory — look it up before you buy.

And I'm not a doctor, so take this as the procurement perspective: check inventory, check expiration dates, and restock before something runs out. In 8 years of rush orders, nobody has ever called me on a normal day asking for a first aid kit. It's always after an audit flags it, or worse, after someone needed the eye wash and it was expired. Don't let that be the reason you go shopping.

5. Who Is Responsible for Training Workers on the Use of PPE?

The employer. Full stop. Under OSHA's PPE standard (29 CFR 1910.132), the employer must train each worker before they use PPE. It's not on the worker, and it's not a "pretty sure John knows how it works" situation.

The training must cover: when PPE is necessary, what PPE is necessary, how to properly put it on, adjust it, and wear it, the limitations of the equipment, and how to care for and maintain it. That last one is where I see sites drop the ball. Workers are told to wear the hard hat, but nobody ever shows them how to inspect it for cracks or when it should be retired. That's part of training too.

Retraining matters just as much. OSHA expects it when you bring in new PPE, when processes change, or when you realize the crew doesn't understand the gear anymore.

And yes, the employer pays. The same standard, at 29 CFR 1910.132(h), says employers in general industry can't charge workers for required PPE, with a few narrow exceptions. That "bring your own boots" policy at some sites? Worth a careful look if the boots are required by the hazard assessment.

Last thing: document the training. OSHA doesn't dictate a specific form, but if an inspector asks how your crew was trained and the answer is "we covered it at the morning meeting," that won't hold up. A sign-in sheet with the date and topics covered goes a long way.

6. Do These PPE Training Rules Apply to a Small Crew?

Yes — and this is the one I wish small business owners asked before the audit, not after. There is no small-business exemption in 29 CFR 1910.132. A three-person operation has the same duty to train workers on PPE as a 300-person plant. The difference is scale, not obligation.

I know this from the sales side of the counter. Early in my career, I took orders from tiny companies — a $200 order for gloves, a couple of coveralls, a case of safety glasses. Some suppliers treated those orders like an inconvenience. I never did. That small shop is somebody's livelihood, and today's small order is tomorrow's regular account. More importantly, three workers' safety matters exactly as much as three hundred.

So here's your small-crew checklist: assess the hazards, pick the right PPE, train everyone on how to use it and care for it, keep a simple record of that training, and replace gear when it's worn out. Not complicated. Just required.