Official Show Guide - director-e

The Next Generation
Light, bright and eco-friendly. To mark the anniversary of a landmark health and safety
law, director-e takes a look at the latest trends and forecasts for protective clothing
In April, it will be one year since the landmark
Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate
Homicide Act 2007 came into effect. It’s led to
some serious changes in the industry in the last
12 months, but director-e has decided to take
a look towards the future by inviting some of the
PPE industry’s leading manufacturers and
suppliers to reveal their latest and future
developments in protective clothing – the largest
sector of the PPE market in Western Europe.
Under the Act, companies and organisations can
now be found guilty of corporate manslaughter as
a result of serious management failures resulting in
a gross breach of duty of care. Penalties for failure
to comply with the law, if that failure leads to the
death of someone at work, will be high profile
and severe.
Whatever a buyer’s budget, carrying out a full risk
assessment and having an up-to-date knowledge
of the latest standards and technological
advancements in PPE are essential to ensure the
selection of products that will properly protect
employees – and reduce the risk of prosecution
under the Act. With this in mind, here’s an
opportunity to scope out some of the most
advanced clothing for high-risk occupations and
look ahead to what could be the next generation
of protective clothing.
The era of electric arc
Layering is the buzzword when it comes to
thermal protection and most recently electric arc.
The new IEC 61482 series for arc flash protection
for garments and fabrics is one reason this hazard
is garnering more attention than ever before,
according to Chris Ross from safety equipment
and clothing specialists J & K Ross. Responding
to what they felt was a lack of development in this
field, the company moved into electric arc
protection about seven months ago, and
launched an educational website,
www.arcflashprotection.co.uk, in October.
Designed for use against arc flash hazards, its
ARCBAN range of clothing and equipment made
using Nomex ® fibres includes coveralls, polo
shirts, trousers and underwear. Chris says: “The
range reflects the importance of layering FR
garments, as this can achieve a much higher
standard of protection compared to one heavy
single layer.” GORE-TEX ® annecy fabric has also
been used in some of the jackets and trousers to
protect, as part of this layered system, outdoor
Kansas Flamestat ® jacket and
trouser from Fristads & Co
PPE
workers such as those on the railway lines from
the elements as well as arc flash.
Thermal protection gets even
more technical
While the full benefit of layering FR garments is
becoming realised, at the same time there is a
desire to increase comfort for the wearer by
reducing the number of unnecessary layers and
producing lighter and more breathable fabrics.
Phil Moore from Fristads & Co, which has a
strong background in anti-flame protective
clothing, says: “Where at one time end users
requiring protection against flames and intense
heat would wear, for example, a heavy weight
chemically treated cotton garment and put a high
visibility jacket on over the top, now, they’re
recognising the need for a more technical garment
that can provide both and therefore help to reduce
the problem of heat stress.”
In reply, Fristads & Co and its premium brand
Kansas have developed the multifunctional,
inherently flame resistant fabric Flamestat ® . The full
Flamestat ® range is due out later this year but
currently features a two-tone coverall, dungarees,
jacket and trouser that meet standards EN 531 for
www.director-e.com www.fabricdirector-e.com www.workwearshow.co.uk 41