Official Show Guide - director-e

PPE
Comfort and performance are the ultimate priorities when it
comes to protective clothing but, as no one wants to wear a highvis
bin liner, we include small but practical details in our clothing
protection against heat and flames, EN 1149 for
electrostatic recharging, high visibility standard
EN 471 and has basic protection against liquid
chemicals.
Although existing garments made to EN 531 can
still be produced, sold and used in the market, all
new FR garments developed today must meet the
new standards: EN ISO 11612, which replaces EN
531 for heat and flame protection, and EN ISO
11611, which replaces EN 470-1 for small molten
metal splashes. Praybourne’s new FR range, out in
April, has been tested to the new standards, and
consists of a combat style coverall and trouser
with removable knee pads, combat pockets and
reflective piping. Made from the inherently flame
retardant fibre Protex ® , even the garment’s antistatic
properties are designed to be hardwearing.
“The anti-static fibre is pure steel as opposed to
carbon but this doesn’t mean that it’s rigid,”
Praybourne’s Stuart Jukes says. “It’s very soft to
touch but, because it’s steel, it makes the fabric
much harder-wearing.”
On the future of thermal protection, Phil Moore
says: “The FR market has become more pricecompetitive
due to the influx of products coming in
from the Far East. Because of this, I believe that
the trend for European manufacturers to develop
more technical garments will continue in order to
add value and maintain it as a premium product at
a premium price.”
But as for end-users, Stuart Jukes believes that
lower cost products will still have a place in the
market. “It depends what the buyer is trying to
achieve and what they can afford. If you want
something to last, a garment made from an
inherent FR fibre is great but, if you need to throw
something away on a regular basis because you
have a high staff turnover, a lower cost FR treated
fabric could be more suitable, as long as it comes
with a certificate.”
The compromise of chemical protection
When it comes to chemical protection, comfort is
still about compromise. Paul Bryce from
Microgard, one of the world’s first manufacturers
Cooling vest
from Microgard
of limited life protective workwear, says:
“People talk about breathable chemical
protection but this can be a
contradiction in terms. The common
definition of a breathable fabric is that
it allows moisture vapour or air to
pass through. In order to achieve this
“breathable” protective clothing fabrics
are often microporous (full of tiny holes
or fissures). So there is a greater risk
that a chemical, in liquid or particle form,
may penetrate the fabric.”
“Equally, many flame retardant
products that are currently on
the market offer fairly basic
chemical protection. Often
when working with more
complex hazardous
chemicals, you have to
compromise on the flame
retardant properties of
the garment. It is
therefore important that
when considering
protective clothing a
safety professional
conducts a risk
assessment to evaluate
whether the highest risk
to the workforce is the
potential for contact with
heat and flame or exposure
to hazardous chemicals.”
So, where does chemical
protective clothing go from
here? Paul says: “In terms of
materials, we are looking to
maintain, and if at all possible
improve, the level of protection
that is being offered whilst
increasing wearer comfort. In
chemical protection, that’s always a
trade-off.” One way of achieving this,
however, is by developing chemical
protective garments that are more
compatible with other PPE. “We’ve spent
a lot of time over the last few years trying
to keep up with the latest full face mark
respirators to make sure that our hoods fit
and move with the wearer, as opposed to
restricting their vision or creating a gap
between the respirator and the garment
which could compromise the protection
level,” Paul adds.
Another way of increasing wearer comfort is
to reduce the effects of heat stress
produced from wearing a chemical suit for a
long period. While breathability may have to
be compromised in favour of higher chemical
protection, Microgard’s new cooling vest,
launched at the end of February, is certainly
one way of balancing the body’s
temperature. Featuring phase change gel
cooling inserts, which offer a cool 14 C for
up to three hours, according to Microgard
these are a welcome alternative to the
Pulsar FR hi-vis polo shirt and
FR antistatic combat
trousers from Praybourne
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