Key to Safety in High Risk Industry: Comfortable Clothing
If your employees don’t feel comfortable in their protective workwear, they’re less likely to wear it safely — which in high risk industries can lead to catastrophic accidents as a result. Here’re tips to create and maintain a strong safety culture by bringing comfort back into consideration.
Dangerous work calls for comfortable workwear
Imagine temperatures up to 1600°C, molten metal splash and exposure to highly flammable gasses, and you start to get a picture of the challenging context in which steel and metal workers operate on a daily basis.
With so many risks on the work floor, it’s understandable why high risk, high stress Health & Safety Managers tend to prioritize safety compliance above all else. But here’s the secret: providing your workers with comfortable protective workwear is the ultimate key to reducing the number of workplace accidents. Comfort and compliance are inextricably linked.
Do your garments hit all 4 comfort essentials?
“Comfort” is a subjective concept that can be difficult to quantify, so let’s break it down into 4 concrete attributes of comfortable protective workwear, specifically for the steel and metal industry.
- Fabric choice: How dense is the fabric? The heavier it is, the more restriction to the wearer’s movement and the more heat buildup inside their protective clothing. Traditional welder workwear can be so heavy and stiff that the garments literally stand up by themselves, but the new FR treated protective fabrics are more flexible. It can be complex but it is possible to find a better balance between protection and wearing comfort.
- Moisture management: How much sweat does the fabric absorb? Steel and metal workers are exposed to extreme temperatures, so sweat is inevitable! If not absorbed and dispersed properly by the fabric, the residual moisture can cause steam burns or scalding inside a steel foundry worker’s overall, for instance. Fiber type plays a huge role in providing the best moisture management, so choose a fiber with a high wicking capacity.
- Breathability: How much heat does the fabric transmit away from the wearer’s body? It’s hard to carry out a physically demanding task like grinding while feeling stifled inside your protective workwear for hours on end. Choosing a less densely-woven fabric or one made from fibers that have better breathability properties, will lead to a more comfortable experience for your workers.
- Softness: How does the fabric feel to the touch? The silkier the fibers, the cooler they feel on the skin.
Article credit: TenCate Protective Fabrics, APAC
