Workwear
Looking good and keeping safe
Nanotechnology is set to change the face of the workwear, corporate clothing and PPE (personal protective equipment)
industry.Chloé Tibbott explains how
S
o what is nanotechnology? When applied to fabric it is simply a clever modification that can be incorporated into clothing to create a material that can alert the wearer to dangers in the environment for example. ‘Nanotechnology is in the main about treating textiles in specific ways, using our better understanding of how chemistry imparts specific attributes to a material,’ explained Ottilia Saxl, editor of NANO magazine. ‘New technologies are playing an increasingly important role in protecting individuals who work in hazardous environments. For staff who may be involved in the more dangerous aspects of railway works, new technologies offer comfortable workwear that can protect from extreme heat and cold, and from being exposed to toxic fumes or threats from electric arcing,’ said Saxl. ‘Some of these new techniques have been ‘borrowed’ from military developments, and are able to monitor and transmit information on an individual’s vital signs and location.’ For both public-facing and track staff, the aesthetic and practical functions of uniforms in their current forms, seem to be the subject of some serious debate. One conductor guard for the London and South Eastern railway revealed that staff have had many issues regarding uniform. ‘All staff, no matter what grade, wear the same uniform. It’s not practical for every job and it doesn’t look professional. The uniform is made out of cheap materials that constantly rip and tear, and never fits correctly.
‘Our uniforms need a total overhaul and need to be job related. Drivers don’t really need to be wearing a shirt and tie in the summer, which is the same for most train crew. It’s just not practical, it is designed for office work, not heavy duty use on trains and stations. Coincidentally, our uniform was originally designed for Barclays Bank but they didn’t want it.’ Scientific breakthroughs such as
nanotechnology are now enabling PPE, workwear and corporate clothing manufacturers to incorporate more practical elements into their products, which will be hugely beneficial to both those producing and wearing them. Rikki Brown, a railway signalling MOD 5 assistant tester for Thales, thinks the latest movements in technology would definitely improve the safety and practicality of his current workwear. ‘With all the asbestos deposits throughout the old London Underground infrastructure, obviously it would be
amazing to know if and when there are asbestos fibres in the air, to be able to report this and get the fibres removed. It would make London Underground a much safer place to work.’ The potentially lethal effects of electric arc discharge are also something that concerns the 21-year-old track worker. ‘Wherever there is high voltage AC electricity, anything to protect me from it, I’d be happy about.’ When it comes to the needs of PWAY and S&T staff in particular, safety is obviously of utmost importance. However, Brown feels that some elements of PWAY staff’s existing uniform actually hinder safety. ‘Our eye protection can be unnecessary in the job I do. It looks stupid, and in dark tunnels on track or in wet weather in open sections of track, I feel the glasses can make it harder to see, increasing the chances of slip or trip hazards. In my specific line of work, the eye protection can sometimes hinder my work and make it unsafe, especially if they steam up.’
New technology functional and economical
NANO magazine’s Ottilia Saxl believes, ‘procurement has to take into consideration the needs of each category of railway workers, and provide clothing that gives the best value and employee satisfaction, as well as meeting the needs of the job. New technology allows the customisation of uniform, from the functional and the economic aspects, both of which are critical considerations when making purchasing decisions.’ But will these innovations mean a compromise on uniform aesthetics? ‘This is absolutely not the case, quite the opposite in fact, because new technologies offer many benefits and should enable designers of workwear to be even more creative,’ Saxl explained. And with only minimal increase in cost, achieving something that provides a practical yet aesthetically pleasing look
April 2013 Page 155
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204