Official Show Guide - director-e

more traditional ice pack
cooling systems. Non-toxic
and easy to use, the
inserts can be activated in
the freezer, refrigerator or
ice water.
Brightening up high-vis
When it comes to style, it
seems that workwear is
having all the fun. Not so,
high-visibility garments are
also getting in on the act.
But as with workwear
designs, mainland Europe
is already ahead of the UK
when it comes to replacing
the traditional yellow
garments and grey tapes
with different colours and
combinations. “Branding
and corporate identity are
becoming increasingly
important, as well as
standing out from the
crowd,” Reflexite’s Andrew
Bright says. “In the European corporate and work
environment, it is well recognised that design
background colours, coloured tapes or embossed
branded tapes allow the brand and image to be
more visible while still exceeding European
standard norms for background fabrics and
reflective tapes. I think the time is right to introduce
image into PPE so people want to wear it and be
proud of whom they work for rather than having to
There are a lot of
people not
wearing
enough
protection out
there and so we
need to continue
to spread the
message and to
develop
comfortable
garments that
people will wear
Branded reflective tape is becoming increasingly
popular in mainland Europe
just wear it to meet
regulations and standards.”
Bart Vervaecke from Sioen,
which recently launched a
range of polos, T-shirts,
trousers and jackets in EN
471 high-vis red, agrees:
“Using red permits new
fashionable elements in the
design of protective
clothing and it’s also
practical in that it
differentiates your working
personnel from other
workers dressed in high-vis
orange or yellow.” Fristads
& Co’s new EN 471 Flex
range, meanwhile, makes it
possible to combine your
very own colour profile of
fluorescent workwear to
suit your company’s
colours. You can create 15
different colour
combinations from three
basic colours: orange,
yellow and red, and five contrast colours: dark
blue, royal blue, green, grey and black.
Fashion for all weathers
To make high-vis designs more stylish to wear,
Praybourne has been looking to the high street for
some time. Stuart Jukes says: “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.
Our Pulsarail and
Pulsar Classic ranges
are our most
innovative ranges todate.
They have
waterproof zips similar
to those found on
North Face or
Berghaus jackets, as
well as chevron angled
tape and multiple
pockets.”
Style is not the only
area where the stakes
are being raised: highvis
garments are also
working harder to try
and accommodate the
increasingly
unpredictable weather
patterns. “It’s a case of
trying to meet
demands for
protection against
torrential rain, heavy
winds and snow, whilst
at the same time
catering for the spring,
where it could be 14˚C
but light showers,”
says Stuart Jukes.
“This is where a
lightweight garment
can come in handy,
like an interactive jacket, so you can quickly throw
that on and zip your other garments inside.”
For changeable weather, Sioen has developed a
laminated EN 471 high-vis softshell and fleece that
are waterproof, windproof and breathable. The
products will be launched in September along with
an EN 471 and EN 343 4-way stretch jacket,
which offers extra comfort for wearers, with the
option for a heavy canvas fabric with high abrasion
resistance and washing properties.
This year also sees UV protection being added to
Sioen’s high-vis Sio-Cool range, which has nanosilver
particles in its fibres for an anti-microbial and
anti-odour effect, as well as 3M segmented
reflective tape for greater movement and
breathability. A very lightweight polo shirt and
T-shirt in high-vis orange and yellow have also
been added, with stretch reflective tape and
high-vis mesh under the arms for optimal
ventilation. The next goal, Bart Vervaecke says,
will be making high-vis garments greener by
using fair trade materials and recycled materials
such as polyester that can also be recycled at the
end of their lifetime. The Reflexite ® Eco garment
tape, a microprismatic ecologically friendly
product, was launched last year and already hints
at this future potential.
The final defence
PPE
3 ply laminated high-vis softshell from Sioen
With the global credit crunch making significant
numbers unemployed, it’s too early to say whether
the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate
Homicide Act 2007 will make people more
paranoid about health and safety in the workplace
and so stimulate the growth of the European PPE
market. Regardless, the development of more
functional, comfortable and stylish clothes can
only encourage the people that need them most
to wear them.
Ultimately, though, as Chris Ross from J & K Ross
says: “It’s not enough to have the right garments.
Educating companies and workers easily makes
up more than 50% of ensuring that they are
protected as much as possible. There are a lot
of people not wearing enough protection out
there and so we need to continue to spread
the message and to ensure that we continue
to develop comfortable garments that people
will wear.” ■
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