MATERIAL SOLUTIONS
Decontamination of workwear
Concerns have been raised about heavy metals and dangerous fibres, both asbestos and glass in workwear. Richard Neale of LTC Worldwide says forward thinking rental garment operators are putting plans in place to address these
HIGH RISK: Firefighters’ workwear can be exposed to all of the hazards in this article Editorial credit: Sue Thatcher /
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emoval of harmful contaminants from workwear for every occupation has become a feature of modern life and rental garment operators have been quick to respond, with particular reference to allergens on food industry workwear, for example. Here, we look at the problems facing workers who come into contact with chemicals and other hazards. Concerns have been raised about heavy metals and dangerous fibres, both asbestos and glass. Forward thinking rental garment operators are already putting plans in place to address these.
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Many operatives experience only slight exposure to compounds containing cobalt, chromium, mercury, lead and some of the thousands of organic carcinogens. End users like the fire service could now
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be seeking an industry-wide approach on the how to tackle the risks associated with these. In this edition we offer some suggestions on how to cope with an increasingly demanding clientele and to offer justified assurances that the decontamination level achieved is meeting customer requirements. The first point to recognise is that the demand from the customer base is ever evolving and decontamination rather than simple cleansing could be the new ‘name of the game’.
Asbestos and fibreglass The full impact of the considerable popularity of asbestos fibre in building construction and insulation during the last century is still being felt, with factory
workers and healthcare staff, for example, concerned, as old buildings crumble and release potentially harmful fibres. Where these are released in a fire or during building work, they can become lodged in the outer surface of an operator’s clothing and need to be removed. They are usually held by simple mechanical entanglement and can be removed by a professional, purpose-designed wash process. They come away with intelligent detergency and are prevented from re-depositing on the fabric (to which they tend to be attracted by electrochemical charges) by the use of strong suspending agents in the wash chemistry.
The question arises as to how a rental operator can verify that there are minimal hazardous fibres left on the fabric. The
October 2024 | LCN 17
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