As one of Australia’s leading uniform providers, Workwear Group Uniforms has been proudly supplying specialised uniform solutions to the mining sector throughout Australia and New Zealand for over 30 years. Combining our industry expertise with a long Australian history led by home-grown brands Hard Yakka and KingGee, Workwear Group Uniforms have managed to develop a strong understanding of the service requirements, industry specifications, policies, people and job functions that are so unique to the mining industry.

A trusted partner
Workwear Group Uniforms is an end-to-end uniform solution business that gives access to the world-class brands of Hard Yakka, KingGee and NNT Uniforms, as well as bespoke uniforms and apparel management solutions. With our versatile business model, we are able to offer partners, big and small, unrivalled solutions to address their needs and empower their people for greatness. Our clients wear some of the most recognisable uniforms in their market, which span across mining, logistics and industrial, retail, emergency services, defence, health and professional services.

Our experience servicing clients and our commitment to ethical and sustainable sourcing is a key differentiator from our competitors. We currently issue products to over 1 million people, with businesses ranging from less than 100 employees to over 100,000 employees.

As part of Wesfarmers (ASX top 20), this provides substantial financial and operational strength to Workwear Group Uniforms and its national and international operations. Wesfarmers practice good corporate citizenship and are leaders in Corporate Social Responsibility, driving sustainability and environmentally responsible behaviours.

In-house expertise
Workwear Group Uniforms understand the demands and requirements of industrial business and therefore care first and foremost about the safety and comfort of your team. Drawing on our knowledge of the mining industry, we invest in developing and sourcing the best fabric innovations, fit and features that are specific to your working environment, whilst maintaining premium standards in performance and compliance at all points of supply.

It is through this intimate knowledge of the industry that we understand the importance of providing uniform solutions that are OH&S compliant, provide confidence, improve employee comfort and deliver cost efficiencies.

One such feature is our Shield Tech FR, providing high levels of protection whilst meeting the highest safety standards worldwide including Australian and New Zealand guidelines for flame resistant garments and the USA’s NFPA 70E and NFPA 2112 standards. Our Lightweight FR garments have been designed to reduce heat stress with the integration of a star-weave on a rip-stop fabric; adding stability to the lightweight stretch fabric.

Day in the life
Our team prides itself on its commitment to safety, and it is at the core of every programme we run. Our in-house resources are in a constant state of research and development to ensure we are offering our clients the latest in technology and innovation. Working with career experts, Workwear Group Uniforms has established a ‘Day in the Life’ programme, whereby our team members go on-site and work directly with the uniform wearers. This allows us to see firsthand the environment the uniform is worn in, and understand the physical challenges in which our uniform needs to perform.

Lead Industrial designer Mark Godoy says: “A one-size-fits-all approach does not do the wearer justice. This is why it is so important that we completely embed ourselves in what they do day in and day out.”

Testing in the field
In addition to running these on-site programmes, we allow a select number of wearers to trial new designs before they are rolled out, so we can get unfiltered feedback from the source: When you perform your role, does the uniform limit you performing any operational activities? Does the uniform work with your safety equipment? Are you comfortable in your working environment? It is through this feedback that we can make any final adjustments before we roll it out to the entire workforce and we have successfully rolled out this program with current clients BHP, Downer, Yancoal, Newcrest and Incitec Pivot Dyno Nobel to name a few.

Sustainable solution
Billions of plastic bottles go into landfills every year. Now you can do something about it. REPREVE® is the leading, most trusted, branded performance fibre made from recycled materials (including plastic bottles). And our very own KingGee and Hard Yakka is leading the charge by introducing this fibre into a range of sustainable garments and footwear.

Workwear Group Uniform’s sustainable raw materials sourcing strategy outlines that we have chosen to adopt some global sustainability initiatives to source more sustainable raw materials. For Workwear Group’s own brands; KingGee, Hard Yakka and NNT Uniforms, our focus over the next 10 years* is for 95% of our material and trims to be sustainably sourced. (* project commencement from 2019)

REPREVE® is a brand of recycled materials made by Unifi, Inc, a global textile solutions provider and one of the world’s leading innovators in synthetic and recycled performance fibers. Unifi believes true innovation starts in the fibre, and REPREVE® is one of Unifi’s proudest creations—made today for the good of tomorrow.

Senior Product Manager for KingGee, Matthew Simons explained “After researching various options of recycled polyesters, Unifi, the producers of REPREVE® were the stand-out leaders in this market. The REPREVE® brand met the high fabric performance standards required for KingGee, while allowing KingGee to have a meaningful impact on plastic bottles going into landfill.”

To date, KingGee have implemented the REPREVE® fabric into the new Raptor Active range, with each item saving 12 post consumer bottles from landfill. Hard Yakka on the other hand have been incorporating this new sustainable textile since 2019 and saw great initial results with the Ripstop range, seeing a total of 11,700 post consumer bottles being recycled in the first month of sales (2019) which was 50% of the stock on hand. In addition the Tradies Utility range continued to gain momentum with a total of 288,000 post consumer bottles recycled, and the number continues to grow.

“We are proud to be recognised with other leading global brands who have partnered with Unifi, as we aim to drive sustainability in workwear market.” says Simons.

Taking the right step forward
When it comes to finding the right footwear for your workforce, it is important to tick all the boxes, and KingGee footwear ticks the biggest box by being endorsed by the Australian Podiatry Association.  APODA is the only national body representing podiatrists in Australia. Approximately 50% of all Podiatrists in Australia are members. APODA members have 3,600,000 patients p.a. Typically a patient visits their podiatrists an average of 5 times a year. APODA wants to ensure correct footwear is worn to improve foot health in Australia.

Workwear Group Uniform’s footwear range is synonymous with comfort through science. Our footwear has been engineered for the Australian foot. Our HYBRID Safety footwear is built around anti-fatigue and energy rebound technology which is based on performance athletic footwear and we believe it is the future of industrial footwear. Currently, Workwear Group Uniforms manufactures over 500,000 pairs of industrial footwear annually through our Hard Yakka and KingGee brands, with key supply contracts including Australia Post, Australian Defence Force, New Zealand Defence Force, BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Fire and Rescue NSW, Queensland Rail and St John’s Ambulance WA.

I’ve always had problems with my feet from a young age and this has been managed with corrective footwear. Since starting a job in mining I have been on uneven surfaces and spend long hours on my feet. I have tried pretty much all the industrial footwear brands including Steel Blue, Mongral, Oliver and DeWalt all leaving me with ankle and calf pain. Wearing the new Quantum hybrid boot I feel like this boot has alleviated the pain I have been experiencing and my feet feel good at the end of a hard day.

Ryan – WA Mine Site

As a woman in mining it is great to have footwear brands with options for women. The hybrid footwear is not as heavy as other industrial footwear and the Women’s Tradie is also something I can even wear outside of work.

Janita – NSW Mine Site

For more information on Workwear Group Uniforms and our experience within the Mining sector, please contact enquiry@workweargroup.com.au or call 1800 644 517.