Given the vast scope of the industrial sector – which encompasses jobs ranging from warehouse operatives to molten metal workers – the performance criteria that organisations demand from their PPE may differ significantly from one business to the next. Everyday general workwear doesn’t need to withstand conditions as demanding as those within a heat-intensive foundry for example. PPE therefore has to be fit-for-purpose and meet the requirements of the end user application and associated risks.

But with different industrial processes come varied challenges, and the more hostile environments that workers are exposed to, the greater the complexities for PPE manufacturers and employers. Garments ranging from overalls, aprons and protective suits, to other pieces of workwear such as gloves, gauntlets and breather masks, must all perform. And in such scenarios, basic materials will not suffice.

Due to textile innovations and the availability of high-performance yarns such as aramid fibres, it is possible to manufacture technically proficient PPE with different levels of thermal and chemical protection, water resistance, fire retardance and anti-static properties as required. The durability of these textiles also ensures value for money.

Innovative advances mean it is possible to design woven textile-based PPE products that are lightweight, flexible and breathable. The result is garments that are more wearable and that aid workers’ agility, which is particularly important in high-hazard or space-constrained environments, or when frequent lifting and bending is required. But the wearer will also be physiologically more comfortable due to the improved level of internal moisture management.

Aside from the wellbeing issues associated with the loss of bodily fluids, sweating can cause a considerable level of distraction (Human Thermal Environments, by Ken Parsons). This is particularly unsafe in heavy industry. Furthermore, in instances of intense heat, there have also been cases of workers scalded by their own sweat. Moisture management is therefore not just a comfort-centric consideration but is often safety critical.

Layered PPE

Layered PPE with carefully engineered fibre placement can go some way to address this. An inner garment made from a hyper-absorbent material will help wick away and dissipate the sweat. It will facilitate moisture movement to keep the individual dry, without adding to the weight of the apparel.

Consider the PPE’s lining. Quilted linings made from non-woven fibres may be breathable, but are bulky and not particularly ergonomic. That’s why they’re being replaced by more flexible PTFE membranes to aid water vapour transfer, moving moisture away from the individual and out of the garment.

The final requirement for the layered system is a durable and breathable outer shell fabric that can form heat and flame barriers, if required. 

Such layered PPE has become prevalent in the fire-fighting industry. Here, compliance with international safety standards such as EN469 and AS/NZS4967 is imperative. But engineering innovation is also taking place so that ever-smarter fabrics with inherent moisture management characteristics can offer maximum protection and comfort.

David Matthews, a fire and industrial PPE specialist, explains: “Working in heavy industrial environments, very few are comfortable in the true sense of the word. However, especially in heat-intense situations, it is important to achieve a careful balance, through PPE innovation, to ensure personnel are safe but not over-protected to the point that physiology could in fact become an added danger.”

PPE in the fire-fighting arena is years ahead of the industrial environment, but textile innovations are creating a wealth of opportunities to design fabrics perfectly suited to the application concerned. Not all instances require such in-depth levels of engineering, but in particularly hostile industrial scenarios, cutting-edge textile technology can increasingly address more workplace challenges than many organisations first realise.

Arville is a technical textiles specialist with particular expertise in developing complex multi-layer woven textiles for the PPE and industrial market – www.arville.com.