FEATURE WEATHERPROOF YOUR WORKDAY
Peter Dumigan, Managing Director of the Hultafors Group UK, explains why ensuring your workforce is properly equipped for the wet weather is essential.
It’s said that rain can have a negative impact on your health and wellbeing, and, if you haven’t got particularly effective rainwear, your mid-and base-layer clothes could get damp and uncomfortable which will affect your body’s own in-built climate control system.
Apart from wet clothes getting heavy, it’s also possible that you could get a rash from simple irritation through friction and then moving around becomes much more tiring.
Your body can also lose heat - probably faster than you can generate it to dry your clothes out. That’s fine if you’ve been drenched by a sun shower when it’s warm, but if it’s cooler or even cold on site, your body temperature is going to drop.
Not only can stewing in your wet clothes chafe and irritate your skin, if you’re wearing damp or wet clothes for too long, bacteria, and fungus from the air can multiply in the wet clothes environment and then run rampant on your skin causing rashes and irritation.
Stay dry in the rain Staying dry and comfortable on site is all about choosing the right type of rainwear for the job. Your choice depends on a variety of factors, from the type of rainfall to how intensely you’re working and how many hours you spend outside – and whether or not the clothing you wear can to combine to create its own climate control system for your comfort and wellbeing.
Here’s what to think about when dressing for wet weather work – not only jackets but trousers too:
• For 100% waterproofness for a full day’s high- intensity work– choose a breathable waterproof garment with taped seams for maximum protection and breathability.
• For 100% waterproofness in low-intensity work in pouring rain – choose a PU garment with welded seams.
• For a basic protection against water – choose a garment that is water-repellent. The garment will keep you dry if it’s drizzling but still offers breathability.
• Don’t forget that what you wear underneath your outer layer really matters – think about climate control for your body.
• Also, sustainability in the clothing you choose is a major factor nowadays. Look for clothes that have a reputation for longevity and are made from environmentally friendly fabrics to reduce waste and pollution.
62 | TOMORROW’S FM
For high-intensity work, make sure your base-layer clothes are made of breathable fibres and fabrics that keep you dry and ventilated by wicking moisture away from your body. For optimum comfort and performance, you’ll then need a mid-layer fleece or gilet made from knitted or quilted materials to provide comfortable insulation by creating a pocket of air around your body. Then top it off with a third and final outer layer jacket to protect you from the elements like rain, hail, snow, wind, or cold.
What’s most important is that layering your working clothes properly will ensure that your energy and performance levels are as weatherproofed as you are.
There’s a big difference between ‘waterproof’ and ‘water-repellent’.
When it comes to ‘water protected’ workwear it’s important to know what’s behind each of the terms. They are different.
Peter Dumigan, MD of the Hultafors Group UK says: “A waterproof garment – like our GORE -TEX jackets - is the most effective 100% protection in rainy weather. This kind of waterproof fabric consists of an outer layer called the ‘face fabric’, usually made of polyester with a laminated membrane or a coating that prevents water penetration.”
It’s achieved by sealing the internal fabrics completely from external conditions. All seams and cut lines are taped or sealed to stop the water coming through the stitched areas of the fabric.
Water-repellent garments only offer basic protection against the effects of water, but at the same time can provide great breathability to ventilate your body when you’re active.
Water-repellent protection is achieved by using a hydrophobic fabric, which means that the water is repelled on contact. The fabric is treated with a DWR (Durable Water Repellent) finish that causes the water to form drops on the surface of the fabric that run off or can be brushed off easily.
Choosing the right kind of weatherproofed workwear.
“How wet are you likely to get on site?” asks Peter. “Your answer will help you choose the right type of rainwear to wear. What does the weather forecast say? Is there a risk of heavy rain, showers or drizzle? Will your work be low- intensity or more active?”
“Finally, how long will you be exposed to the wet weather - minutes or hours? Hence, longer shifts will put more demands on your working clothes and the waterproof
twitter.com/TomorrowsFM
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
