How people show up to work is an important foundation for safety. The work in a distillery involves working with chemicals, handling hot fluids, and moving materials around the distillery for different aspects of production. That kind of work demands the right kind of protection.
Any setting where distilling is happening will have thermal, physical, and chemical hazards. Every distillery owner should walk through their facility to itemize the specific hazards present in their own unique mix of processes, technology, staff expertise, and experience. A qualified industrial hygienist or safety professional can assist in assessing hazards and helping to select personal protective equipment (PPE) that is appropriate to your specific workplace.
The next step is specifying the standard level of equipment employees are expected to wear. In many manufacturing settings, this equates to eye protection, hearing protection, safety shoes or boots, long pants, and shirts—the last two made of a natural material, such as cotton. Employees working with ground grain likely will need a fit-tested respirator for the dustier portions of the process. Many general manufacturing facilities also require head protection or “bump caps.”