Fit for purpose

Workplace safety is a key concern for employers, placing the purchase and maintenance of personal protective equipment (PPE) high on their agenda. We are all aware of the need for high-visibility (HV) garments for roadside and other workers, but the range of protection that may be required by the personnel of a company or a service provider such as a rail operator or the fire brigade, is now ever-increasing.

As health and safety legislation emphasises the specific dangers of particular occupations, manufacturers are more and more likely to receive customer requests for such specialist apparel. Furthermore, as specialism increases, drycleaners will need to keep in step, combining cleaning expertise with an informed, safety-conscious approach.

There is much legislation covering PPE, including The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992. In addition, many garments are expected to comply with British Standard EN 471: 2003, which outlines the requirements for HV clothing - from the materials and finishes that should be used, to the correct placement of HV strips, to guidelines on appropriate cleaning.

Issue of compliance

While there is much valuable innovation taking place in the PPE market, some less reputable companies are flouting the regulations and putting customers at risk.

Mike Mason, chairman of the Retroreflective Equipment Manufacturers Association (REMA) says that his organisation is deeply concerned about the issue of non-compliance.

REMA has found that a great deal of HV clothing on sale in the UK fails to meet minimum requirements: “Faults recently discovered… included non-conforming garment designs; garments with insufficient areas of background fabric (fluorescent material) to meet the specified Class of garment; and incorrect labelling or total lack of labelling.” While it is a legal requirement that each garment is accompanied by an information sheet, REMA says that such documentation is often incorrect or missing.

“REMA believes that there are too many suppliers, importers in particular, who may not fully understand – or even perhaps tend to ignore – the legal requirement of the Standard.” By cutting corners and prices, such companies are gaining an unfair advantage over those who are “investing in quality”, thereby seriously compromising safety.

Mason says: “Workers on our highways are at risk whilst non-compliant garments are offered for sale.” REMA is seeking to highlight this through a campaign of testing and reporting to Trading Standards officers. However, Mason says: “To achieve success we need greater awareness and the assistance of everyone involved in the supply chain.”

“Protective-wear which does not protect is putting lives at risk,” says REMA. The organisation further cautions that employers could be legally liable if a defective garment that they had supplied is shown to have contributed to an accident.

As well as ensuring that the PPE is fit for purpose, an employer is responsible for ensuring that it is properly maintained. John Bell, managing director of Bell Apparel says: “Sections of the laundry industry have been very slow to see the opportunity the PPE regulations offered in terms of maintaining protective clothing to the standard to which it was first delivered.” Bell has worked in the industry for 34 years, and in 1995 was offered the position of consultant for PPE trackside clothing by British Rail. He has also served on a number of BSI committees. Though he is critical of the laundry sector's lethargy, he says that a second window of opportunity has presented itself. “There is a much greater awareness on the part of users to supply the correct compliant garments and there is a shift to proven products such as Nomex and Gore-tex, which unlike cheap short-duration clothing need to be maintained.”

“A second opportunity comes from a realization by buyers and specifiers that they could be held personally liable for injuries caused by not specifying or not maintaining the correct PPE.” He adds: “Some sectors of the laundry industry already involved in maintaining PPE clothing have limited knowledge of EN norms. This could bring the danger of litigation to both their company and employees. In this growing culture of litigation there is nothing stopping an injured party making a claim against an individual they deem responsible – especially if they have a nice house. In fact, in certain situations it might be preferable to the option of fighting a large corporation.”

Raising standards

So how are manufacturers raising standards? Roger Bellfield, technical director of Carrington Career and Workwear, says: “As regards EN 471, the main influence has been the introduction of the new yellow reactive dye which allows all 100% cotton and cotton-rich fabrics to be produced in HV yellow, including fire retardant (FR) qualities.”

Judith Emslie, marketing services manager, Klopman says the company has a range of HV fabrics that meet the requirements of EN 471: “In late 2005 Klopman launched a range of new non-fluorescent colours that can be combined with HV fabrics for trimmings.”

Klopman says that as the weave constructions of the non-fluorescents closely conform to those of its Luminex HV fabrics, the finished garment certification process is simplified and garments present a more consistent appearance. The company adds that as laundering requirements for the recommended fabric combinations are the same, there is less risk of seam distortion. The range also promises a good colourfastness, reducing the risk of bleeding into a fluorescent background.

Dickies divides its range of HV garments into three classifications so customers can select the appropriate items for their environment, explains Richard Chilcott, managing director of Dickies (UK). EN 471 Class 3 offers the highest protection level for maximum visibility, to be worn when working on roads forming the primary route network, and all other roads with a speed limit of 40mph and above.

Class 2 is the intermediate level, for use on all other roads with a speed limit of up to 40mph, while Class 1 is for off-road areas where there is minimal risk.

The Dickies range includes a motorway safety jacket, highway safety trousers and a five-in-one HV executive jacket. “In recent years Dickies has introduced new styles and fabrics,” says Chilcott. “These include a HV fleece jacket, polycotton coverall and safety polo shirt.”

While many companies produce only reusable garments, a few such as Carrington cater for those who require single-use apparel. As Bellfield explains: “Disposable surgeons’ gowns are a one-use sterile item. The down side is that they have to be incinerated. Reusable gowns, as long as they are laundered and autoclaved (or gamma irradiated) properly, are in the long term, much more cost-effective.

“In certain chemical splash environments the Tyvek coverall has benefits, especially when the contamination - such as in the case of paint - is virtually impossible to remove by laundering.”

Returning to the dominant, reusable division of the market, it is apparent that manufacturers must juggle many priorities if they are to meet the needs of the end-user. Emslie says: “Klopman works closely with end-user specifiers, garment manufacturers and rental laundry organisations, all of which demand high performance in terms of launderability, durability, comfort and appearance.”

Requirements can vary significantly between users. “Fitness for purpose depends on the end use, the protection required, the type of fabric – FR, anti-static, coated or laminated. This will determine the launderability and lifecycle of the item,” says Bellfield.

Chilcott says that the lifecycle of a product depends on the environment in which it is worn: “However, Dickies employs several features in the design and construction to improve durability. Deluxe workwear and Grafters have a Teflon coating which provides better colour retention in addition to water and stain repellence, without affecting breathability.

“The Teflon coating can withstand drycleaning and frequent washing. Dickies reinforces the stress points of many of its products, increasing tolerance to frequent washing,” he adds.

Mindful that the wearer may be exposed to multiple hazards, many are developing garments with in-built multi-functionality. Klopman now offers the Multipro range, combining several protective elements, such as anti-static, chemical and electric arc protection.

Emslie comments that Klopman’s fabrics give adequate protection for those working in various areas where they are exposed to several hazards. Another recent addition is Challenger 5000 FR, featuring a Proban FR finish.

Klopman says that improved construction gives greater dimensional stability, helping garments to retain their fit after repeated industrial laundering.

According to Chilcott, a major development in the manufacturing of weatherproof garments has been the introduction of modern breathable fabrics: “Traditional wet-weather garments tend to trap heat and perspiration vapour between the body and the fabric, making them uncomfortable to wear. To combat this, Dickies produces a range of high performance items from Fieldtex – a fabric that protects against the wind and rain while allowing perspiration to escape, keeping the wearer cool even when performing strenuous tasks.” Fieldtex is machine-washable, resistant to oil, and lightweight with a built-in stretch factor.

Emslie also emphasises user-comfort and says that stretch is of particular importance in healthcare and transport jobs as the wearer is frequently on the move. Bellfield cites military-wear as an area where there is a trend towards lightness and reducing the number of garment layers, however he adds that this must be achieved without compromising on protection - whether it be from ballistic, chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear attack. He adds: “We have a new range of heavier weight fabrics for industrial workwear, 'Permagard' anti-microbial fabrics for healthcare and food industry garments.”

Practicality remains key, but many manufacturers are meeting the demand for more image-conscious designs. Style-aware Dickies has launched a new workwear range – Eisenhower – this year, combining high performance qualities with contemporary designs. “The range is designed to give workwear performance while projecting the modern professional image that customers look for,” says Chilcott.